CRS Client Stories
Do you want a better understanding of the breadth of our work? Here are examples of how CRS has helped meet the ongoing needs of clients.
| Serving Our Country, CRS Style: The Republican National Convention and the 2008 Elections
|
| CRS activities took on a decidedly bipartisan flavor in support of our national elections last year. The 2008 Republican National Convention was the largest event ever hosted here in the Twin Cities, with an estimated 50,000 guests attending from across the country. We at CRS took a major role in helping many participants remain connected through technology in August and September. CRS worked directly with the Republican National Committee, the Republican platform committee, the MSP Host Committee, and nearly a dozen other entities, including seven state delegations, two media outlets, one sponsor, and two major convention-related events. We provided equipment such as computers, printers, copiers, TVs, and networking equipment to nine different venues and took care of set up, service and support before and during the Convention. It made for a busy summer-and an especially crazy three-week period-but CRS stayed on top of the changing needs of the many organizations we worked with. "I appreciated your quick response to our crazy requests, and found your pricing to be very reasonable," said our client Max Everett of the Republican National Committee, who spent an entire year in St. Paul as Chief Information Officer for the Convention. CRS responded to a number of needs for Everett and other RNC organizers: * We set up on-site offices and workstations for staff and volunteers from the national party and visiting state parties, complete with computers, monitors, printers, copiers, fax machines, and big-screen TVs. * We delivered equipment for hospitality suites and cyber cafes for hundreds of convention delegates and guests. * We provided interactive displays for CivicFest, a major exhibition set up during Convention week at the Minneapolis Convention Center. * We delivered and set up workstations for committees and committee members who had gathered prior to the convention to develop the party platform and convention agenda. * We arranged a bank of laptop computers at a sponsored event to facilitate online donations for Hurricane Ike relief. * We helped a hotel expand its business center for the week they hosted three state delegations to the Convention. * We brought in equipment for media rooms for reporters, bloggers, technicians and other staff. "Your services saved me a big headache," recalled Jay W. Ragley, Executive Director of the South Carolina Republican Party, who hired CRS to set up a hospitality room at their host hotel. "I expected the process would be complicated, but was able to cross it off my to-do list three weeks ahead of time." "Everyone and everything was wonderful," added Don Willet, who coordinated IT services for the California delegation, the largest group to come to town. "We appreciate how you got everything set up and working as promised, and kept in touch throughout the week to keep us up and running." In total, CRS worked with state delegations from California, Florida, Michigan, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Washington as well as PBS, Air America Radio, Pfizer and the Republican National Committee. We're looking forward to the 2012 version, no matter where they hold it. Remaining Bipartisan Six weeks after the Convention left town, things really started to heat up, with many closely contested elections in Minnesota that required a huge get-out-the-vote effort. CRS responded to some urgent calls from the state's Democratic party (known locally as the DFL) for equipment to set up phone banks for the presidential campaign, as well as the senatorial campaign, congressional races, and even local campaigns here in Minnesota. The DFL's equipment needs grew quickly as the election approached. On extremely short timelines, we were able to provide nearly 400 computers--desktops and laptops--for use by the many volunteers participating in the campaign. |
 |
Sign up for our Email Newsletter |
CRS will be providing equipment for these upcoming events:
|
Computer Rental Systems
|