The Origin Story
Where It Started
It was November of 1995, and while most of the city's attention was focused on Michael Jordan's return to the Bulls, Chicago was on the precipice of a lesser-known, yet no less impressive run.
Total Event Resources (TER) was born and quickly grew its reputation from the "little agency that could" to the "flourishing agency that does," delivering imaginative events for its diverse client base. Its award-winning engagements ranged from community-centered brand activations and experiential events to meetings and incentive trips executed all over the world.
Strong, consistent leadership and creative solutions to client problems became hallmarks of the agency and were the foundations of a shared approach that ultimately led to Total Event Resources' successful 2019 acquisition by Trident Experiential.
Because all great stories have a major setback, we should add: Total Event Resources' successful 2019 acquisition by Trident Experiential one year to the week before COVID shut the world down.
Through The Fire
Trident Today
One moment can change everything. And it did. We watched as competitors left the industry and others closed their doors. After a few days of self-guided journeys through the various linguistic uses of the F-bomb, we got our heads back in the game and within six weeks had successfully reimagined a 500-person live event as a 2,000-person virtual event across multiple time zones.
In the moment, that event was a huge deal, and we still love working with that client. As significant as that event was, it was more about forging traits and establishing standards that continue to define us today, like resilience, agility, clear thinking in VUCA environments, prudent financial stewardship, leveraging new tech, and not hesitating to zig while the rest of the crowd zags.
Most of our clients were working through the same challenges, so they appreciated our candid, advisory approach. Finding solutions rather than pushing sales resonated with them, and we're grateful to have so many client relationships that have evolved into values-based partnerships. Creating change is personal; your agency partnership shouldn’t feel transactional.
Future Forward
Still Making Waves
The only easy day is yesterday, so we start every day with a mentality that is 80% glad to be here and 20% chip on our shoulder, keying in on what we can disrupt and improve. We're still driven by a passion to make sure every attendee has a world class, impactful onsite experience and that every client has a world class planning experience.
With a Goliath network and a David mentality, we work to vanquish the legacy approaches to meetings and incentives that fall flat. It’s a new world, and it’s time for a shakeup. We’re headquartered in Chicago and can be almost anywhere in the world within a day. With a strong national and global presence, we work with clients in all industries who are ready to evolve from last-gen planning approaches to purpose-driven design, and are serious about focusing on driving specific outcomes and meeting organizational goals.
When the pressure is on and it matters most, we're the team to call. Whether it's a high-stakes meeting, mission-critical SKO, or white glove incentive, count on expert advice, effective design, and flawless execution. We ask the right questions, listen to understand, and bring solutions that create lasting, high-impact ROI.
