Access All Areas March 2019 | Page 11

MARCH | THE COLUMNISTS Access’ regular columnists talk Fyre Festival, careers and business growth... Worlds colliding to fuel fresh and diverse thinking… Jonathan Emmins, founder, Amplify With events often perceived as an untraditional or an unclear career path, how can we attract the best talent and keep them inspired? Creative and clued-up people head to where they feel they can do their best work; and as an industry we’re only as good as the individuals that call it home. Talent can spot the difference between genuinely creative and progressive companies and those merely doing an impression of one. We must be culturally strong, live by example and give creativity free by letting different backgrounds and experiences collide. The majority of the industry used to be made up of ex-student union ents officers or people who had found their way in by accident. Positively, today there’s a number of universities and event courses cultivating and producing top talent. Yet we still need to work harder and look laterally to attract a diverse mix. Much of Amplify’s success is thanks to exciting talent who are often hybrids or found from unconventional backgrounds, both culturally and professionally. It’s absurd that a whole sector of amazing talent is often ignored because they’re ‘industry unaware’ or can’t afford to ‘intern’ indefinitely. We must try harder. All smoke, no Fyre Josephine Burns, chair, Without Walls How can we? Simeon Aldred, group creative director, Vibration Group By-and-large Without Walls is at the comfy end of the festival/event spectrum. We’re not out to make money (funded by the Arts Council though not entirely) and we work on the principle of (largely) free access - we might label ourselves in the ‘public good’ category. Does that make us better or less commercially aware or careless about the audience experience? Well, no - of course not. The Fyre Island farrago is the topic for this edition - ‘how could it have been successfully executed’? the bald answer is ‘you were a bunch of cynical get-rich-quick merchants and you had it coming’. It’s great to make money, but start by answering the questions ‘what’s the great, unique experience, how can we sell it, and can we organise and manage it successfully?’ The promoters had brilliant answers to the first two questions – sounds wow, amazing – but that means nothing if you can’t get the last bit right. So, guess what? ‘Successful execution’ is critically about what is often seen as boring but the audience experience, paying or not, depends on those unsung, often invisible elements of feeling safe and cared for, comfortable and respected – until their absence is all too horribly visible, and then it’s game over. Question I get almost daily include how have we grown our business? How can I take things to the next stage? How do I get investment for my event company or idea? These questions can all have multiple complex answers, but all rely on a super basic ingredient: you. Are you willing to work seven days a week for your idea; work harder and cheaper than your competitor; take personal risk with your own money not just investors’ money? Are you willing to never work from home as that’s not real; never work in coffee shops as that’s just on TV; not waste money to get a company car and the like; have minimal focused holidays, and still work when you’re feeling low and it’s not working, fail fast, and pay yourself super basic wages? People I have seen grow super successful companies all have those things in common. Now I am not advocating you do the above as it’s not for everyone, but if you want your idea to fly sacrifice will be the key ingredient to your success one way or another. 11