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Sarah McBriar is founder and creative director of AVA Festival, the Audio Visual Arts festival which began in Belfast back in 2015.
AVA has since evolved into a Conference, Exhibition, Event Series, Industry Network, and Broadcast,and is now established across London, mainland UK & Ireland, with Sarah leading the way.
This conversation explores how she did it.
How she created AVA back in 2015
How she followed her passion and pivoted from sport into the world of music festivals
How the AVA brand evolved and how the festival grew from a 1 day event with 2 stages to taking over the largest B&Q in Europe!
The key things that you need to nail before you start a festival
The importance of building a community- not only with your fans, but with your staff and artists too.
Why you shouldn’t be aiming for big ticket sales in Y1
Why being comfortable with change is essential in this industry
The positive changes we’ve seen in the industry, in terms of gender, and the long way we still have to go in achieving equality.
Sarah has built an incredible festival and brand and she generously shares her insights and experiences with us.
So sit back and enjoy- there’s a lot to learn in this one! -
Miles Shackleton is the Co-Founder, Director at Toolroom Academy and Marketing Director at Toolroom. If you work in marketing in the music industry- then this episode is a must listen. It’s a masterclass in marketing, branding, and community building. We found out the inside info on how he directs the marketing for Toolroom, how he co-founded Toolroom Academy and the biggest lessons he's learned from his career so far:
The process behind Toolroom’s rebrand
What makes a good record launch (and a bad one)
How to grow an artist’s socials from 0-30k
Building a relationship with Toolroom superfans
How taking a course with Google led to the inception of Toolroom Academy
Being an introvert in a leadership role
Speaking to your audience is a powerful tool
This is a jam packed episode with tangible takeaways and actionable insights, a real-must listen for music marketers. -
Saknas det avsnitt?
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We had the honour of sitting down with Mikey Dread and Ras Kayleb, from Channel One Sound system.
Channel One Sound System is one of the best known and most loved reggae sound system in the world. And Their mission is “to break down barriers via reggae music”. they have achieved this by traveling and playing to new audiences and venues all over the world.
Our conversation with Mikey and Ras was fascinating, we delve into how it all started for them and how they have continued to build and evolve the strong vibe and community which is so unique to a sound system event.
It’s such a wonderful episode, it will give you a real glimpse inside this untouched and special scene. -
We sat down with the legend that is Graeme Park at the Night Time Economy Summit in Bristol earlier this year.
We are incredibly excited to bring you this conversation, not only is Graeme an iconic DJ, he’s also such a fantastic story- teller. This episode is full of stories, anecdotes and fascinating tales that will have you roaring with laughter.
Graeme Park is often referred to as a legend. We feel like this word is over used, but it couldn’t be more fitting in this occasion. Graeme is the legend who has done it all in the music industry, with over 30 years of Djing, with a career that has mirrored the evolution of dance music and club culture. From a residency at the Hacienda to an international touring, live and radio career and most recently, The Hacienda Classical show.
We hear all about it from the man himself, so sit back and enjoy! -
Gok Wan is a TV Presenter, Stylist, DJ, chef and the very worthy owner of an MBE.
We had the pleasure of sitting down with him to discuss how he has carved out such a varied career, yet always stayed true to himself and created a life which revolves around his passions, music and fashion. He is truly a pioneer in the space, and has a unique ability to curate styles as well as playlists, because of his laser focus on the person at the other end, his client or his audience on the dance-floor. We learn that instead of being focused just on his performance, Gok truly only really cares about the people he is ‘serving’ and how he makes them feel.
Gok is a shining example that you can achieve anything you put your mind to, and we learn his secrets to his success.
This episode is a real insight into the man behind the fame. Gok was open and honest about what drives him, and he opens up about imposter syndrome and how this affects him even to this day.
We learn all about his incredible creation during lockdown : Isolation nation, and how almost by accident he created a globally recognised online event which at its peak attracted 1.2million viewers.
This interview is one that we’re sure will surprise you, Gok is an incredibly driven and passionate person who has achieved so much success in so many different areas of life. We know you’ll learn a lot from this one. -
David Pichilingi is the founder and CEO of Liverpool Sound City and has a lifetime of experience in the music industry.
From being an artist, managing bands, running events, labels and launching music festivals to his current focus as the founder and director of Liverpool Sound City. The international music, business and emerging talent festival which has been going for 16 years.
The festival has become the biggest and most important metropolitan festival of its kind in the UK, and has evolved into a global brand with events now in New York, Dubai, Norway, Australia, South Korea and China. Dave really has done it all in the industry, from being in a band, managing bands, running festivals and discovering new talent. We discuss everything from..
🕺How he famously booked Ed Sheeran for just £50
🏢How he created the wrist-band in the city centre format
🎵 Tony Wilson, and their relationship and influence he had on Dave and the music scene in Liverpool
💰NFT's and his thoughts on navigating the changes in this space
📈Using gut feeling v's data when it comes to signing new artists
🇨🇳 Navigating an international partnership with the sale of Liverpool Sound City to Modern Sky in China
🏆 His belief that success isn't about money.
He’s a man of many talents and tales, so sit back and enjoy the episode. -
We were honoured to interview the founder, DJ, businessman and entrepreneur - Simon Dunmore.
Simon is founder of Defected and Glitterbox and this episode delves deep into how he has achieved such incredible success for these brands and in his career.
Simon has built a global music empire, from publishing, events, festival, labels, radio and more- and we chat about it all, with Simon giving us real, raw honest thoughts and learnings he has gained along the way.
We discuss his dedication when it comes to brand building and building strong, engaged communities, and he provides some fascinating insights as well as some real actionable tips.
This episode was recorded at the Night Time Economy Summit in Bristol, with our one and only Rory Palmer Rowe,. -
Yousef is a DJ, label owner, producer, event organiser and a true pioneer in the electronic music scene.
He’s the man behind Liverpools infamous, Circus, The long running club event which started in 2002, has enhanced Liverpool’s reputation as an epicentre for electronic music culture.
The conversation delves into how the first Circus event was created and how he built it into the legendary night and brand it is today. We talk about how events have changed post-pandemic and the challenges that come with this as a promoter.
We learn all about his work ethos and how despite being a self-proclaimed ‘party boy’ he was still laser focused on his craft.
This conversation is a real insight into building an empire within the music industry. Yousef has done it all, and it's clear to see why he has achieved his success. -
Mark Fletcher has been the CEO of Manchester Pride for 8 years now and has achieved some incredible things in his time, including the launch of the new progress flag, building the Manchester Pride festival into the global event that it is today, and establishing the Manchester Pride conference.
Mark has navigated some of the toughest times in the past few years, including the cancellation of the festivals and the very public consultation which attracted a lot of negativity both from the media and the community. Mark shouldered all of this whilst dealing with some very hard personal experiences and he shares his story openly and honestly. -
The Business keeps on Dancing podcast will shine a light on the people behind the world’s most successful music, festival and events brands. We will document the inspirational stories from the very best in the business, giving you a rare opportunity to hear from the people behind the world’s biggest brands and festivals, including DJs, promoters, festival owners, festival directors and event industry professionals.
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From being 12 years old Robyn knew she wanted to work in the events industry and through her determination and sheer hard work over the past 12 years, she has built three incredibly successful businesses.
Her stories are jaw dropping, including running multi-million pound parties, flying around the world on private jets and living a life which most of us can only dream about, but as Robyn tells us, this high pace lifestyle came at a cost. This conversation was open and honest and Robyn shared her experiences with stress, anxiety and burnout; anyone working in the festival and events will relate, so enjoy this real, raw and inspiring conversation.
Your journey into the industry
Planning high end weddings / events
Working globally for award-winning wedding and events production agency
Learning from mistakes / learning on the job
Setting out on your own
Expanding your portfolio
Dealing with work life balance / burnout
Building new brands throughout the pandemic
Pivoting to the live events industry
Changing from an event producer to a promoter
Investing your own money into projects
Adapting to changing rules and regulations
Determination to succeed
Building an amazing team around you
Thinking creatively and building profitable events
The difference between private events and promoting live music festivals
Learning new skills
Offering something different in the industry
Bringing your knowledge and expertise to the industry
Risk associated with outdoor events
Understanding margins and being strict with costs
What’s the plan with the future -
Kate Osler is the MD of AEI group, and has such an inspiring story to tell of how she got there.
Her story is one of pure grit, determination and obviously a lot of talent.
We talk about her story from the start, and how she pivoted from working in PR to festivals and events, to then making the move to Vegas to the world of Casino’s and then back to the UK to join the Eldorado team.
Kate talks about life as a COO and the pressures that come with leading a team.
Topics.
>Where it started- entry into the world of music/events
> Starting from the bottom-flyering, working in music bar, booking small bands
> Working at a brand advertising agency in London
> First experience of working at a festival
> Ambition- wanting to be like the senior people in the team
> Saying yes to everything
> Moving into the world of music festivals
> The world of PR what it was, and how it’s changed
> The importance of connected marketing and messaging
> Love of story telling- selling a feeling
> The emergence of paid media
> Managing marketing budgets
> Moving to Vegas
> Transition into the world of hospitality
> Finding what your festival wants to be known for
> Moving back to the UK and joining the Eldorado team
> The importance of a strong team
>Eldorado- what to expect from the festival
> Dealing with stressful situations
> Leading a team, pushing people and giving them responsibility
> Creation of the co-working space
> Work life balance
> 4 day working week
> Life as a COO
> Constantly learning
> What’s next, what’s coming up for Kate and the company. -
Rob needs no introduction, he’s most famous for his long-running show on BBC Radio 1 and being the man behind Bestival and more recently Camp Bestival, along with his wife Josie.
Rob is a self-confessed jack of all trades, he really has done it all, from interning, throwing parties, illegal sound systems and ‘falling’ into radio by accident, which led to his long running gig at BBC Radio 1, and then he transitioned into the world of launching and running music festivals.
In this episode we delve into it all- his journey, his experiences, his career highlights and the challenging times too. Rob shares his secrets to success, and for once, we learnt that it’s not always about money, business and ruthlessly climbing the ladder.
Entering the world of Dj'ing
First gig at BBC Radio 1
Interning and learning the ropes
Imposter syndrome
The lack of a master plan
The stresses of being a festival promoter
Transitioning from radio into clubs/ events/festivals
How Bestival first started
What went right and what went wrong
Social media
How Camp Bestival was born
Being a jack of all trades
The collaborative process- rather than a business
Managing failures
Some of the biggest highs of his career -
Ben Robinson is one of the industry's most successful promoters.
It’s amazing to see just how far he’s come, from putting on events with a budget of just £100 to today, running phenomenal events such as Kendal Calling, bluedot festival and Christmas at Bute Park to name a few.
This episode is a really useful insight into how a festival can grow from grass roots, to one of the UK’s most loved and well respected events. Ben takes us through the story of how Kendal Calling all started, his vision, working with his incredibly close and passionate team and he also shares some amazing stories- including booking Snoop Dog and his very last minute arrival to his set!
We also discussed how he pivoted from music festivals to light trails and the challenges that come with change.
We also touch on burn-out and it was really refreshing to hear how Ben has lead his teams through some difficult times.
Ben has had such a successful career, and it’s really clear to see why.
Topics
Introduction to the music and events industry
Drawing inspiration from favourite bands and festivals
Working with the Arts Council to put on first event
Promoting events in local town
The birth of Kendal Calling
How Kendal Calling made a name for itself on the festival circuit
Working with British Sea Power band on their album launch
Being in control of brand direction as a festival owner
How Inner City Electronic started
Finding work life balance
Knowing when to step away from a project
Being kind to yourself
The importance of strong partnerships -
If you find yourself dancing in a field at a festival this summer, then chances are, it will be one of Jon Drape's events.
Jon is a real heavyweight in the UK and European festival and events scene. He’s the founder of Engine no4, the team responsible for the production of some of your favourite festivals and events including, The Warehouse Project, Parklife, Escape to Freight Island, Snowbombing, Bluedot, Kendal Calling, Festival number 6 and Lost village to name a few.
In the episode we dig into his journey and experiences and learn more about how he built his empire of events and clients. Jon shares some great stories too-which will give you a unique insight into the life of a busy festival director. It’s not all fun and games!
