Eyes & Ears: How to throw a party for 3,000 of your friends

He turned downtown Springfield on its head April 12 by bringing an estimated 3,200 people to the Shrine Mosque. A quarter-century ago, he turned around an International Harvester remanufacturing plant on the brink of closing to a steadily profitable group of companies – certainly cause for celebration.

Springfield Remanufacturing Corp.’s 25th anniversary might get votes for the party of the year.

I had the privilege of receiving one of the four tickets Stack sent to Springfield Business Journal Publisher Dianne Elizabeth Osis. Having interviewed Stack on numerous occasions over the years, most recently for SBJ’s Day in the Life series, I’ve gotten to know Stack – and more importantly had the opportunity to learn from him.

Every time he opens his mouth, I gain an education in one area of business or another. This event showed me what SRC means to this business community and how to bring together 3,000 of your best friends for a night of celebration.

The list that follows describes the events leading up to and during SRC’s 25th anniversary bash that threatened the capacity of the Shrine – fire code is 3,289, I’m told.

1. Lead a takeover of a floundering manufacturing company 25 years ago and turn it into a holdings corporation with investments in nearly 40 companies and combined sales of $400 million. Good luck.

2. Hire Jimmy Buffet as entertainment. Well, that would sure do it, but when Stack discovered it’d take $1 million to turn the Shrine into Margaritaville, he moved to Plan B: Three Dog Night and The Doobie Brothers.

A funny thing I observed sitting about 50 feet from the stage: Three Dog singer Danny Hutton has a slight resemblance to Drury University President Todd Parnell, who was sitting a few tables to my right. Think “Joy to the Panthers.”

3. Invite the president of the United States and the governor of Missouri, and hope for one out of two. In this case, Gov. Matt Blunt and First Lady Melanie accepted, and created some buzz walking through the halls of the Shrine, Secret Service agent in tow. Stack also invited Bill and Hillary Clinton, but like the Bushes, they responded in writing that they had prior commitments. The full guest list had 3,300 names on it, according to Becky Lane, Stack’s executive assistant, and there were 3,100 RSVPs the week before the event. “It got a little scary at the end,” Lane said. “We were asking, ‘Can we really fit all these people in here?’” Many of Springfield’s business elite crammed in, representing education, banking and manufacturing.

4. Turn a downtown Springfield landmark into a casino with the city’s largest buffet. Here’s the scene: gaming tables, drink stations and food buffets in the basement and a mass of people mingling around tables and food on the Shrine’s main floor. Two caterers – James Clary and Grandaddy’s Barbecue – combined to feed the hungry. The spread had something for everyone, including barbecue, Mexican and cashew chicken.

5. Donate $25,000 and present it to the Springfield Public Schools via the new Care to Learn Fund organized by the Jolie-Pitt Foundation and Springfield businessmen Doug Pitt and Jim D. Morris. SRC’s $25,000 will turn into $100,000 for schools under the programs $3-for-$1 donation plan. SPS Superintendent Norm Ridder was on hand to accept the gift. Really nice touch.

6. Hold a contest for the best 25th anniversary poster, and announce the winner at the party. Each SRC division created one, and the honors went to the Heavy Duty team’s champagne bottle with bubbles representing the divisions and customers. My vote was for the giant $25 bill with Stack’s face on it by ReGen Technologies. Gives new meaning to a “stack” of bills.

7. Hire a party planner. Stack and team picked Alison Pettit, who’s known for planning events at Hickory Hills Country Club. The move prompted a huge sigh of relief to SRC’s staff. “It’s not like planning your kid’s birthday party,” Stack’s assistant Lane reminded.

I didn’t stay for the full concert, and I’m told that was a bad move. Even those who didn’t consider themselves fans of The Doobie Brothers said they sounded phenomenal live. Maybe I’ll catch them next time Stack throws a party.

Springfield Business Journal Editor Eric Olson can be reached at eolson@sbj.net.