STUDIO NOIR · Vendor Roster

INTERNAL ONLY. Never shared with members, press, or non-Walker partners. Per [[feedback-no-vendor-plugs-outbound]].

Owner: Trill Walker (CSO) Phase 1; GM + Director of Facilities Phase 2. Signoff on strategic vendor decisions: Taj Hines + Trill.

This document names the ecosystem STUDIO NOIR runs on. Some vendors are internal to The Walker Group. Others are external partners under contract.

1. Phase 1 vendor list

Minimal Phase 1. As the business grows, vendors are added.

1.1 RDU attorney (retained)

• Smith Anderson (Raleigh, recommended). Or Wyrick Robbins or K&L Gates Research Triangle.
• Scope: entity formation (LLC + operating agreement), trademark filings, lease review, waiver template, contract templates, employment law questions.
• Cost: $1,500-$3,000 for entity + operating agreement, hourly for other work

1.2 Insurance broker

• Commercial insurance broker with hospitality/fitness experience
• Annual policy relationship
• Scope: general liability + participant liability + property + cyber + business interruption
• Cost: $500-$800/mo premium (annualized)

1.3 Bookkeeper

• Small business bookkeeper (local Triangle CPA firm’s admin desk or virtual)
• Monthly close, prep for tax return, expense categorization
• Cost: $200/mo

1.4 Cleaning service

• Local Triangle commercial cleaning contractor
• 2x weekly overnight visits
• Scope: full deep clean per 07_OPERATIONS/03_HVAC_CLEANING
• Cost: $400/mo

1.5 HVAC service contractor

• Triangle metro licensed HVAC company
• Quarterly PM visits
• Emergency service on-call (same-day response required)
• Cost: $600-$1,200/year regular + emergency visits as needed

1.6 Certified rigger (pole installation)

• Xpole or Lupit certified installer OR an RDU-area theatrical rigging company (ETCP or USITT certified — DPAC, Red Hat Amphitheater, PNC Arena vendor pool)
• Installs pole rigs at buildout, does annual load test verification
• Cost: $500-$1,200 per pole for installation (included in buildout budget)
• Annual load test: $500-$1,000

1.7 Structural engineer of record

• NC-licensed structural engineer with theatrical/aerial rigging experience
• Pre-lease structural check
• Ceiling reinforcement engineering (if needed)
• Annual load test review (with the rigger)
• Cost: $500-$1,500 pre-lease, $500-$3,000 for reinforcement engineering, $500-$1,000 annually

1.8 Booking software vendor

• Mariana Tek (recommended, see 09_DIGITAL_PLATFORM)
• Alternative: Mindbody, Xplor Recreation
• Monthly subscription + payment processing
• Cost: $500/mo Phase 1

1.9 Small merch print-on-demand

• Printful or Printify for print-on-demand apparel
• Grip aid private label: direct from a professional pole industry supplier (Xpole, Lupit, or similar for private-label branded grip aid)
• Cost: variable per unit, no upfront inventory

1.10 Coffee (for member events)

• Small local Triangle roaster (Larry’s Coffee, Slingshot Coffee, Idlewild Coffee, Counter Culture Durham, or similar)
• Occasional small orders for member events
• Not a program Phase 1

1.11 Florist

• Local Triangle florist (single-stem weekly delivery for the reception vase)
• Cost: $20-$40/week = ~$150/mo

1.12 Prosecco supplier

• Local NC ABC wholesale (mandatory in North Carolina for alcohol)
• Primary: Bisol Jeio Prosecco DOCG (case orders every 4-6 weeks)
• Cost: ~$100-$150/mo prosecco budget

1.13 Signature scent

• Aera single-unit diffuser + rotating scent cartridges
• Custom scent development: partnership with Le Labo bespoke program or similar (Phase 2 upgrade)
• Cost: $150-$300 for diffuser + $30-$60 per cartridge (monthly)

1.14 Cleaning products supplier

• Purchase through Ecolab, Costco Business, or a Triangle-area janitorial supply company
• Products per 07_OPERATIONS/03_HVAC_CLEANING (isopropyl, Force of Nature, Bona Pro, Method, etc.)
• Cost: $100-$150/mo

1.15 Music licensing

• ASCAP, BMI, SESAC licenses in place (mandatory for commercial music playback in a public venue)
• Optional: Trill’s in-house music library for STUDIO NOIR specifically (custom, no licensing needed)
• Cost: $300-$500/year for the three PROs (Performing Rights Organizations)

2. Walker Group internal ecosystem

These names stay in this doc. Never in outbound STUDIO NOIR communication.

2.1 AV, rig integration, broadcast (Phase 2 activation, not Phase 1)

• Circle Three Designs (NJ). Custom rack builds, playback infrastructure, and broadcast-ready AV. Same shop that builds Walker Group touring racks and the IDE Lab doublewide. First right of refusal for Phase 2 buildout AV work.
• Dusty at Glen Canyon Audio. On-site config engineer and RF specialist for THE NOIR INVITATIONAL broadcast events (Phase 2). Same engineer who commissions the IDE Lab.
• The Walker Group Production team. Show production, MD, playback, and executive production for THE NOIR INVITATIONAL. Fees governed by Walker Group pricing ladder.

Not activated Phase 1.

2.2 Design and brand system

• The Walker Group in-house. Brand system, member communication templates, editorial art direction, video content. STUDIO NOIR visual identity extends the Taj Hub brand book.

2.3 Content and photography

• Walker Group content stack. Editorial carousels, member story features, event recap reels. Executed on the internal content pipeline (see [[project-content-stack]]).

3. Strategic vendor categories (Phase 1 vs Phase 2)

4. Phase 1 standing operational contracts

Master vendor contracts, insurance certificates, and W-9s stored in the operations folder (Google Drive) and mirrored to Trill’s encrypted archive.

Any change to a Phase 1 vendor requires Trill proposal and Taj signoff.

5. Annual vendor review Phase 1

Once a year (typically January), Trill leads a review: - Performance against expectations - Cost benchmarking - Alignment with the standard - Backup vendor readiness - Contract renewal recommendations to Taj

6. Phase 2 vendor roster (preserved for reference)

Full Phase 2 flagship vendor roster is significantly larger. Preview:

Phase 2 categories

1. AV, rigging, broadcast (Walker Group internal + Circle Three + Dusty)
2. HVAC design + install + service + commissioning + filter supplier + UV-C lamp supplier + duct cleaning + commissioning agent
3. Recovery equipment (sauna cabin manufacturer, steam generator manufacturer, cold plunge unit, contrast shower fixtures, spa oil supplier, water treatment chemistry)
4. Cleaning and janitorial (day porter in-house + overnight cleaning crew contract + Ecolab or Diversey account + microfiber supplier + autoscrubber + electrostatic sprayer)
5. Laundry and linen (commercial linen service + in-house aerial silk laundering + microfiber laundry)
6. Water quality (accredited testing lab + plumbing service contractor + backflow preventer testing)
7. Life safety (fire protection contractor + fire alarm monitoring + AED program + O2 kit supplier + first aid restock)
8. Structural and rigging (NC-licensed PE + ETCP-certified rigging contractor)
9. Floral and scent (Triangle florist + Le Labo custom scent + candle program)
10. Food and beverage sourcing (coffee roaster + tea + prosecco + non-alcoholic partners + smoothie ingredients + adaptogens + water + snacks + curated menu)
11. Café and elixir program
12. Instructor and coach pipeline
13. PT and medical referral network
14. Security (uniformed contractor + access control + CCTV + executive protection)
15. Insurance and legal (expanded package)
16. IT, booking system, access control (member management platform + POS + network + IT MSP + data backup)
17. Retail micro-boutique brand relationships

Full Phase 2 vendor roster rebuilt in 2028 with GM.

7. Confidentiality

This roster is NOT distributed. Not attached to member correspondence. Not shared with press. Not attached to proposals for outside events unless explicitly cleared by Taj and Trill in writing.

Standing rule per [[feedback-no-vendor-plugs-outbound]].