Case Study: Keeping the Show Running at Tacoma Venues & Events

When you manage some of the Pacific Northwest’s most recognizable venues, downtime is not just inconvenient. It is disruptive. From concerts and trade shows to graduations and community events, the teams behind the Tacoma Dome and Greater Tacoma Convention Center create memorable experiences for thousands of people every year.

That is where Adam Gesacion, who oversees sponsorships and partnerships for Tacoma Venues & Events, comes in. A department of the City of Tacoma, Tacoma Venues & Events manages facilities that serve communities across the South Puget Sound and beyond. Their teams rely on print technology every day for event diagrams, signage, operational documents, marketing materials, proposals, and more.

Before Kelley Create, even basic printing could turn into a headache.
For Adam, the biggest challenge was not the equipment. It was the support behind it.
“If I could be specific on challenge, it would be the service level that we were being provided,” Adam said. “Just anything from ordering supplies to having machines serviced or maintained. It was a constant chore.”

That lack of support made day-to-day work harder than it needed to be. Simply ordering toner, requesting service, or repairing equipment was often frustrating and time-consuming. Service calls could take multiple visits, technicians did not always arrive with the right parts, and getting issues resolved felt like another event to manage.

When the organization’s contract came up for renewal, Adam knew it was time for a better way. After a competitive bid process, Tacoma Venues & Events selected Kelley Create.
The deciding factors were not just price or equipment specs. Tacoma Venues & Events needed a partner they could count on: local, responsive, dependable, and invested in the relationship. “The fact that it’s all local was major,” Adam said. “Just a win-win partnership for both of us.”

Today, that partnership supports multiple multifunction devices across the Tacoma Dome and Convention Center, helping teams in marketing, operations, finance, security, event management, and more keep work moving.

When service is needed, Adam says the difference is clear. “With Kelley Create, it’s easy to talk to somebody right away,” he shared.
Instead of long wait times and repeat service visits, issues are handled quickly and efficiently. Technicians arrive prepared, and solutions often happen in a single visit.

Even the recent equipment replacement and installation at the Convention Center, the kind of project that can easily create disruption, was refreshingly uneventful. Kelley Create coordinated closely with Tacoma’s IT staff, customized device settings, migrated users, and had everything running within hours.

For Adam, technology should make the work easier, not steal the spotlight.
His team helps create experiences that bring people together, from championship sporting events and graduations to concerts and conventions. As he puts it, “We’re selling fun.”

By removing service headaches and simplifying day-to-day print management, Kelley Create helps Tacoma Venues & Events stay focused on the real show: delivering great experiences for the community.

Because when the spotlight comes on, the printer should be the least interesting thing in the building.