I have worked here since 2009, a year before The Apex opened.
I was attracted to this particular role because The Apex is a really exciting venue. Its stunning architecture, acoustics and excellent facilities make it a truly unique offering and one that I wanted to help shape and bring to life.
Not many people know that the strange looking but beautiful bricks in The Apex auditorium are all handmade, inspired by the walls of St Luke’s Chapel in London, the home of the London Symphony Orchestra.
My worst experience at an event was two separate incidents involving Nina Simone. The first was the night Ronnie Scott sacked her from her residency at his club in Frith Street in the mid 80s. I had always wanted to see her live, the chance came, the ticket was secured, the drink was ordered, the band were on stage and primed. Problem was, no Nina. After an hour still no Nina. Eventually she arrived, not from backstage but rather from Frith Street carrying two bulging Tesco bags. She plopped herself onto piano stool, dropped the bags to the floor, raised her hands up high brought them crashing down onto the keys and bashed out three rapid but glorious numbers. The delay was all forgiven until abruptly she raised herself from the piano, grabbed the bags turned on her heels and headed straight back out to the streets of Soho.
I had a second chance to see her live, although this time around I was helping with the production at the Bishopstock Blues Music festival in Devon. Everything was going well until Nina decided to take a comfort break halfway through a number. The band slipped easily into an instrumental, however after twenty minutes the strain was telling and once again a missing Nina. It should be stressed that in later life Nina had put on the pounds, and on this occasion her absence was not entirely self-determined. She had become wedged inside a Portaloo in which she had sought comfort, and from where could be heard one of the best voices we have ever heard laughing uncontrollably. What a girl…
If there’s one thing I’ve learnt it’s you should always be prepared for the unexpected. There are so many factors to consider when organising events, many beyond your control, that you need to plan for every eventuality. Also make sure there’s a good supporting team in place that you can trust 100 per cent.
The best event I’ve been involved in was The Apex’s open weekend – our official opening event. We invited the community to come and see the finished building as they had heard so much about its progress in the local press. After all the planning that had gone into getting the venue ready, it was extremely rewarding to hear the positive feedback from the community. They have embraced us wholeheartedly and have helped us go from strength to strength.
If I could do it all over again I would not change anything. It’s important to learn from your experiences, whether they are good or bad.
The one thing I can’t stand is inflexibility and excessive bureaucracy. The event industry can often be hard work, although rewarding, and events work better when everyone on the team is acting positively and creatively and giving as much as they can.
Outside of work I spend my time with my wife and four children. I also enjoy sampling the local Suffolk brews and the occasional game of tennis – not in that order – although the tennis might improve in that order…
If money were no object I would put The Apex on wheels and take it on tour around the country. It really is a wonderful venue and we love showing it off.
The one event I will never miss is any party. I love a party.
The next 12 months will be exciting. We’re constantly striving for perfection, and soon we’ll be starting work to further improve the façade of The Apex to enhance the public space surrounding it. We’ll be launching The Apex gallery very soon, which will allow our guests to view work from some of the best contemporary artists in Suffolk. We’re also bringing more business exhibitions and conferences to The Apex, to highlight East Anglia as a leading business hub.
If I could switch places with anyone else in the industry it would be with the guys organising the Olympic opening ceremony – there’s pressure, but what a fantastic challenge.
If I ruled the event industry I would like to see a wider variety of training programmes for young people who want to work in the industry. Unemployment is such a big issue amongst young people at the moment and I think training and work experience is the way to resolve it. I would also be lobbying government to do everything in its power to support the re-engineering of the British manufacturing sector. Britain starts producing and the events start flowing. We’re naturally good at both.
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