CMC Launches First Vendor Blender
In an effort to introduce building tenants to their neighbors in a relaxed setting, the California Market Center (CMC) presented its first tenant-to-tenant mixer, the Vendor Blender, on Sept. 19 in suite B-271.
The first installment of the Vendor Blender hosted a limited number of soft-goods tenants—new gift and home accessories as well as intimate apparel and fashion accessories. The idea was to hold the group to a manageable size, according to Liz Riley, manager of tenant relations for the CMC.
“We are going to keep it small and intimate so that people can get to interact,” said Riley. “The whole point is to give people an opportunity to get to know each other, and it’s hard to do that when you have a big crowd in a big room that’s noisy, with no one directing traffic.”
CMC staff gave each grouping of tenants specially shaped nametags and directed them to participate in a variation of the “Speed Dating” game, which they called “Speed Meeting,” with each pair of tenants given two minutes to meet and greet before moving on to another unfamiliar tenant.
“We thought the speed dating game would be a perfect way to get people to get together and exchange information,” said Riley. “Apparently, it worked. I heard lots of laughter and I’ve heard amazingly good feedback from the tenants.”
Riley said that there is no set schedule for the Vendor Blenders but added that the events will recur with different tenant groups.
“We’ll do it again, but it will be with the gift and home tenants who expressed regret that they were not there, along with other apparel or sack-goods tenants,” she said. “It’ll be the same kind of situation.” —Darryl James
