Learning to Crawl

Concierge of Boston, Inc. was formed as a Massachusetts corporation in February of 1989. Gordon R. Jones, Jr., founder and president, implemented the concept in the fall of 1988, having seen a need for this type of service while a broker at Kidder, Peabody &Company, Inc. First-year clients included Hill Holliday Connors Cosmopulos, Inc., the Hatch and Cleo Award winning ad agency, Cartier, Inc., which enlisted Concierge of Boston's services in the grand opening of its Newbury Street boutique, and Arkwright, a Fortune 500 insurance company. Concierge of Boston arranged transportation, dining, and business support for Arkwright's 5000 attendees of the 1990 RIMS Conference, writing the single largest limousine deal in Boston history.

   Finding the Niche

In Concierge of Boston's second and third years, Mr. Jones shifted marketing focus toward corporate memberships and property management support services. In March of '90, Concierge of Boston placed a full-time concierge in the lobby of 60 State Street, a 1.4 million square foot office tower, under contract with Cabot Cabot and Forbes, Inc., and continues to serve ITT/Sheraton at its World Headquarters at 60 State Street. Mr. Jones signed such clients as Towers Perrin, the Executive Education Program at Harvard Business School, and Digital Equipment Corporation. Referrals became Concierge of Boston's primary source of new clients, enabling the venture to grow in a recessionary climate. Mr. Jones expanded into institutional support services, pioneering the first concierge service at a major U.S. hospital; Phillips House, the V.I.P. wing at Massachusetts General Hospital, relies on Concierge of Boston for non-medical patient support. Mr. Jones began signing on vendors as clients to promote their own businesses. Top restaurants, hotels and other vendors began to rely on Concierge of Boston for specialized services they could not provide. The Boston Ballet, Boston Theater District Association, Wang Center, Muscular Dystrophy Association and Spinazzolla Foundation called on Mr. Jones to help plan fund-raising events and sit on organizing committees.

    Stretching Out

Concierge of Boston's fourth and fifth years saw the cream of corporate Boston signing on. Boston Magazine, a major image and opinion-shaper; Fleet Investment Services, establishing a Boston presence in the wake of the Bank of New England takeover; State Street Bank and Trust, a Boston financial mainstay; MBA Group, a conglomerate of emerging growth Massachusetts companies; Ernst and Young, one of the Big Six accounting firms - - all obtained corporate memberships. Concierge of Boston, Inc. was retained by Alfred Dunhill of London, Inc. for the 1991 premiere of its Boston men's clothing and fine tobacco shop on Newbury Street. An extensive database, developed for Boston clients, was expanded to serve the sixty thousand international attendees of Digital Equipment Corporation's DECWORLD '92, with on-site concierge service at the World Trade Center throughout the three-week event.

   The Information Age

The information explosion and internet connectivity ushered in a new era of consumer power, with a corresponding increase in "find-it-yourself" services. Concierge of Boston's clients found, however, that these services do not provide the essential due diligence needed for successful purchasing of good and services. High-tech companies such as Narrative Communications, Domain Solutions Corporation, Digital Equipment Corporation, and NEC Technologies, though capable of sophisticated searches, nonetheless retained Concierge of Boston to procure essential business support and event planning services. New clients, including such prestigious institutions as BankBoston and The Genetics Institute, consumer law crusaders Berman DeValerio & Pease, LLP, and executive search firm Heidrich and Struggles, were matched with renewals by the existing Concierge of Boston client base, including employee compensation gurus Towers Perrin, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Plymouth Rock Assurance Corporation. With a resurgence in the New England economy, Concierge of Boston saw the return of clients who had deferred corporate entertainment, marketing and business expansion. This, along with steady growth of its client base through referrals and website exposure, resulted in a banner year for Concierge of Boston in 1996, with a 44% increase in revenues.

In 1997, Concierge of Boston arranged outstanding client events outside New England, demonstrating versatility and nationwide reach. For Independence Investment Associates' annual client seminar in Chicago, a mock trading session at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange brought out the 'bull' in attendees, and the closing dinner featured entertainment by the critically acclaimed Second City Television SCTV troup (once home to such legends as John Belushi and Gilda Radner).

On July 3rd, 1997, Concierge of Boston arranged a most unusual wedding in which 'Uncle Sam' Rounsville and Jean Kenney were joined in marriage by Governor William F. Weld at the Hatch Memorial Shell. Site of the world-famous Boston Pops Fourth of July Celebration, the wedding was held immediately prior to the full dress rehearsal of the Pops. A gala reception followed at the Massachusetts State House.

In the wake of Asian market instability, 1998 saw great change in the economic climate of New England. Most notably, the acquisition of Digital Equipment Corporation by Compaq sent shockwaves through the IT community. In spite of a major transition in personnel, and the relocation of its corporate headquarters to Houston, the organization renewed its membership with Concierge of Boston for the eighth year. Select Appointments North America, a 1.7 billion dollar personnel placement and referral service, retained Concierge of Boston to serve all major divisions, including Account Pros, AccounTemps, and New Boston Select Staffing. Concierge of Boston assisted the Massachusetts Chapter of The American Red Cross in conceiving and organizing a fundraiser to roast Former Governor Bill Weld, who stepped down from the governorship to seek appointment to the ambassadorship of Mexico. Mariachis greeted guests, who were regaled with jibes and jabs from politicos including Sen. John Kerry, Sen. Ted Kennedy, a scathing videotaped segment by First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, and the humor of local-funny man-made-good Jimmy Tingle.

   What's in Store

Major1999 events will include: the Major League Baseball All Stars Game at Fenway Park, for which Concierge of Boston has created ticket and hospitality packages; event planning for The National Association of Heavy Trucks and Equipment, with over 600 attendees from the nation's largest transportation, agriculture and construction equipment vendors; and the The 1999 Ryder Cup at The Country Club in Brookline, with personalized concierge service for visiting corporations entertaining clients during the week-long event.

Through its excellent reputation for highly professional service, innovative event planning, and unique access to exclusive venues, Concierge of Boston stands head and shoulders above its imitators. Fulfilling over 30,000 client requests to date, Concierge of Boston enjoys continuing expansion through carefully maintained relationships with key players in the New England, U.S. and world economies.