Before Sally Herman and Cindi Plunkett at C & S Film Concierge were known for pulling off 2,000 person parties or booking behind-the-scenes tours of the Georgia Aquarium, their friends and family knew them as the go-to source for information.
“My friends always came to me when they needed a painter, a babysitter, or anything having to do with the service industry because I would do a lot of research,” says Sally. “And from our mutual friends, I knew Cindi was the same way.”
The two women parlayed these instincts and skills into a company that routinely experiences double-digit annual growth, hires people from their community, and helps raise millions for Georgia organizations.
They didn’t know each other before starting C & S, but they were recognizable for being involved in the community. At the time, both were working from home to be with their kids. Sally had left a merchandising and licensing career at Paramount and was a part-time independent contractor. Cindi was an attorney but became an entrepreneur and opened several small businesses. When the two were introduced, they combined their backgrounds and started to do what they do best: research.
“When we knew the film industry was coming we thought that there would be a need for this,” says Cindi. “We researched the entire country and we quickly realized that there was no one offering the full-service that we wanted to do.”
C & S Film Concierge opened for business inside of Trilith Studios, formerly Pinewood, on the same day the stages opened for filming, and it’s been a surreal experience.
“Having worked in the entertainment industry, never in a million years did I think the biggest studio outside of Los Angeles would end up being built eight miles from the home I’ve lived in for 20 years,” says Sally.
Since 2013, the duo has fulfilled strange and improbable requests, such as connecting actors with a dentist for last-minute procedures and finding a whole pig to roast for an A-lister’s birthday.
“We’re basically hospitality on steroids,” says Cindi. “And we’ve moved the business organically. We’ve never said, ‘That’s not what we do.’ And right now, it’s morphed into primarily wrap parties, kickoff parties, and private bookings.”
Since opening, they’ve experienced double-digit growth every year and they regularly hire extra employees. COVID-19 has slowed things down, but there’s still optimism about 2021 with stages they work with seeing an increase in bookings.
C & S has also kept a focus on the community and uses their connections to benefit charities. For the past six years, they’ve held a charity gala at Trilith that’s raised a total of $4.5 million for 32 different organizations. Whether it’s raising money or organizing a private tour of the Cyclorama, Cindi and Sally have a genuine passion for making good things happen.
“It’s fun to connect the right people to the right people,” says Sally.