Customer Briefing Centers: Welcome Solutions that Drive Business for Gigamon, Others

What’s in a Name?

Customer Briefing Centers (CBC’s)—also known as Executive Briefing Centers and Customer Experience Centers–have become a critical component in the development of the workplace. They set the tone for customers, guests, employees, and candidates.  They are the essential “welcome mats” to the workplace experience, creating a first impression that establishes your, brand, culture, and values.  This initial welcome sets in motion an immersion that should be reinforced throughout your workplace as part of an integrated design approach that merges the workplace, marketing, branding, culture, and product.

Indeed, CBC’s are more than innovative and aesthetically pleasing lobbies and meeting places with high-tech flair.  They are multi-functional areas that need to reflect your products and services while enhancing your brand and ultimately increasing revenue.  Key to this process is ensuring an engaging, inspiring experience that responds to customer needs and wows guests at the same time.

At a3 Workplace Strategies, we recognize the growing importance of CBC’s as companies strive to differentiate themselves in an increasingly competitive marketplace.  We are proud to be in the forefront of firms that specialize in refining the CBC experience for numerous companies in the Bay Area and beyond.  Our client list includes Gigamon, Palo Alto Networks, Celestica, ServiceMax, Alibaba, and GlobalFoundries.  For each company, we managed the CBC process, starting with a strategic vision, customizing a workplan, and implementing the solutions.

Gigamon Reception Remodel

For Gigamon, Inc., a longtime a3 client, we remodeled the main lobby and reception area, a 20K SF project at the company’s HQ in Santa Clara.  Key features included project demonstration areas, a video display wall, as well as formal and informal meeting and breakout spaces.

For details and photos of Gigamon’s CBC, click here. Also, check out other related a3 case studies in our online portfolio.

A CBC Checklist

Whether you’re designing a CBC from scratch or re-modeling one, the design thinking should include a variety of elements in order to optimize results.  Here are a few steps that drive the process:

• Identify Your Audience. Your guests typically include prospects, customers, partners, employees, candidates, vendors, and the general public.  Don’t overlook the importance of staff since recruiting talent is such a huge priority in the Bay Area and Silicon Valley.
• Establish Goals: This generally involves strengthening your brand, increasing sales, shortening the sales cycle, improving production and morale, and furthering recruitment and retention efforts.
• Understand the competition: See what other companies in your industry have done to enhance their welcoming areas.  Note best practices you’d like to replicate and make your own.
• Determine the Flow. Consider every step in the welcoming process from the moment guests arrive at the door.  How will they be greeted and where will they be directed?  Where will food be served?  What design elements will facilitate a smooth movement? What’s the messaging delivery process?
• Anticipate the Role of Technology. This may include interactive screens, displays, sophisticated AV set-ups, and reliable software connections.
• Make the Experience Personal: Plan ahead to customize meetings based on client requirements.  Apply signage and other marketing tools to be creative and responsive.
• Assemble the Right Team. To lead the way, you should consider engaging experienced professionals, with strong CBC track records, to work with your internal team.  Often, non-biased and accountable project managers are best-suited to head a team of architects, construction managers, IT and AV specialists, furniture vendors, electricians, etc.  Sometimes, project managers with partner with commercial real estate providers.
• Agree on a Budget and Timeline. With proper communication and reasonable expectations, the firm you hire should be able to deliver on time and on budget with no surprises.

At the end of the day, it’s all about relationships.  But it starts with a vision, and a seamless and interactive process demands careful attention to detail and seamless execution.

We’d be happy to share client testimonials and discuss how to make your dream CBC become a reality.

Contact us at rweckesser@a3strategies.com.