Self Starting – What I Learned When Producing Events

I suppose you can say I’m a ‘go big or go home’ kinda guy. I’ve never really done anything by halves, and that includes my career in events.

It all started in Birmingham. That’s home for me, though I haven’t lived there properly since I was eighteen. I was a teen during the time the Labour Government pushed for everyone to go to University. Great life experience, to be sure, becoming independent but I think I chose my degree in graphic design because dad was in event production and I wanted to prove to people that I wasn’t going into the trade.

The pull, however, proved too strong and after eighteen months, I moved to an event management degree in Sunderland, and ironically, all the free time I had ended up spending with dad’s company, labouring and working on site.

This brings me to my first piece of advice to anyone looking at getting into the industry. My degree was needed to get a foot in the door, which I don’t think is the case now. Our industry has developed and I learned more within the first 6 months working as a Junior Production Manager than during the three years studying. I quickly became more comfortable with the production side of the industry because I’d spent my youth sweeping workshops and loading trucks. I watched things get built from scratch and got a great early insight into event production. Don’t let an academic career, or a lack of it, get in your way.

My academic career finished at Wolverhampton, the same University as our MD Paul. But I’d already moved on in my head towards the coal face of producing events. I’d been working on my dad’s projects, including a VIP suite for Evian at Wimbledon, and though very cool, it was very UK focused and junior production roles abroad were calling…

It took a while to get into the industry. I moved down south to be near my in-laws and wasn’t getting anywhere fast enough. I decided to send my CV out speculatively and got a call from Imagination. Felt too good to be true, and it was. Until, a month later, I got another call, ‘we need another junior event production manager on a freelance basis.’ Luckily I already had an LTD company already set up. I took the opportunity, put my travel on a credit card and threw myself into the next chapter.

That’s the thing about self-starting, a lot comes down to mindset. I knew what I wanted to do and set my company up with the intention of doing just that before the work even appeared. My advice is that, if this career is what you really want, get yourself out there, be flexible and take opportunities where they come. Even if not perfect, you genuinely do not know where they’ll lead.

My first months in the industry were exactly what I wanted. Thrown in at the deep end with an experienced production team helping out on a programme of events for Jaguar Land Rover. I met Charlie Speakman back then, he was one of the event Production Managers working on JLR events at the time, and is now a freelance PM for us at 2Heads. Advice aside – the industry is small but full of great people, connect with as many as you can. I was very conscious at the time of how big JLR are, and though nerve-wrecking, I just kept my head down and kept working. And this is where great colleagues come in. The team there really helped guide me as if I was a full-time employee, and the work just clicked. I got another contract, and another … almost solely worked for Imagination for four years before going full time. 

I’m a family man. When I started with Imagination, I had a one year old at home. We welcomed a second child when I was only twenty-six. Being a young dad was highly motivating. I’d always been ambitious and I didn’t want a young family to limit my success at work. Instead, I turned building their future into the fuel I needed to keep pushing. I think it’s important to find out what really motivates you, be it family, travel, success building something, connecting people… find that spark and let it be the fire that keeps you going.

As a contractor I worked mainly with the automotive team, including the Rolls-Royce and Mazda accounts. My proudest moment was the launch of Jaguar FPace via a ‘loop the loop’ stunt. At 21 meters, this was the tallest loop the loop and needed Terry Grant the stunt driver to attempt it. This was a really ambitious project and being part of the team to deliver it was an amazing experience. It brought together experts from across the industry covering everything from complex engineering to pyrotechnics and everything in between to deliver a record breaking PR stunt. We broke the record in the car, and I realised that the more ownership of a project I could take, the more I could learn from, the happier I was. 

My toughest experience came when I went full time and moved over to the Shell team. The Shell Pavilion in Kazakhstan for the EXPO 2017 was the project that almost broke me. I was production lead on this long term install – the show was open for three months – and over twelve months I did twelve trips and spent 110 days away from home. Kazakhstan was difficult at the time, very little infrastructure for that sort of event and they weren’t quite ready for the expo … as a country and a site. If the red tape didn’t get you, the weather did. Minus 20 degrees when I arrived and plus 35 when we left. We expected a level site to build our temporary structures and we got a hole in the ground. I condensed the schedule and after what felt like weeks with government officials (the organisers) who were very new to it themselves, we made progress. The processes were dated and we had to use a language fixer to communicate but we got there. When we finally completed the installation and the Expo opened, I’ve never felt so emotional and proud. It looked amazing and was super successful. I was given an award from organisers for contributing to the event but most of all I gained a new sense of perspective. Own the tough stuff. Remember ‘if I can get through that, I can get through most things.’ Take stock and don’t panic. 

I believe maturity is shaped by various levels of pressure. Back then, due to the size of  the automotive industry, budget was easier to get and the glory days of experiential was about pushing the boundaries, from world record events to cultural expos. Now the pressure comes from shouldering responsibility for both the client, and the agency’s success. I remember the biggest event sites I worked on – the eco marathon with Shell which became the Make the Future Festival, we took over the London Olympic Park and turned it into a festival site for the eco-marathon race where engineering students from around the world built categories of cars to see how long they could run on solar, hydrogen or 1 liter of fuel. That project grew from a marathon to a public event about the future of energy. A science museum meets racetrack with a grandstand and exhibits focusing on ‘Make the Future.’ I was one of  five event Production Managers, everything scenic on site was my responsibility, and I could see how events really can have the power to drive change if done well.

In 2018, my own future called and I moved to 2Heads and the senior role there I was ready for. I had made connections globally that shaped my role and through those contractors/friends, I was able to bring a global network to support 2Heads. I would certainly advise anyone getting into events to travel as much as possible. Not just for work but for enjoyment. There are places I love – Sao Paulo is one – the food, the culture, the immersion. I love Asia too, Shanghai and Hong Kong, spending thirty minutes in a cab to go from the city to the natural beauty of some of Hong Kong’s country parks. Look after your health too. Bad hours, bad food and lack of exercise can be a downside of events so finding time to prioritise your health is important, a walk out in the forest was a win for me. 

My time with 2Heads has brought new growth. I remember the first NBAA event after lockdown when we were quarantined – albeit in St Lucia – and then shipping mislaid a container. Our long term connections in Las Vegas were essential that week. When we delivered the QSuite Launch for Qatar Airways, I was amazed at what we achieved bringing that event together in four weeks. One of my favourites however might be the Belden ringing the bell session at the NY Stock exchange – that was an experience not many people get to have. 

In the main, I’ve always fought for the roles I’m in. I’ve always wanted to be part of something where I can offer my experiences and develop a company through the values I bring. I came to become part of the 2Heads growth journey and it gave me different challenging projects in return. I manage twelve people across all projects at the moment, and the biggest adjustment is stepping back. I love mentoring and watching other people develop, but I don’t think I’ll ever stop going on site in some capacity. Next steps however are keeping up with growth of business and getting the department ready for action with a diversified team. I want to take the company culture and goals and bring it into production, developing client relationships through the quality of our delivery. An ethos that 2Heads – has always had at its heart and that I am committed to. 

In summary, my topline advice would be:

• Be open to trying all parts of the industry – find out what you enjoy
• Always take a step back and look at the situation. Don’t get stuck on the small things, take a breath and look at the bigger picture to assess things
• Find your reason for pushing. I wouldn’t be where I am now without my kids. Building a life for them helped take me as far as I have, and my family will help me to continue to do so. 

Every now and again I sit back and realise how lucky I am to have seen so many cool places. And no matter what, I will never take that for granted.

About Dan

Dan is our Head of Production, in charge of the delivery of 2Heads’ most exciting projects with Qatar Airways, Airbus and Merlin Entertainments. HIS previously portfolio also included major clients Shell, Jaguar Land Rover and Mazda.

With his experience in crafting large scale, record-breaking experiences, Dan ensures every detail is considered and event is meticulously executed.