Below is my speech I gave at the Otago University Audacious Awards Dinner in Dunedin, 22 Sep 2011. This was an entrepreneurial innovation competition for students, and my topic was based on encouraging them to carry on their idea on once they completed their study.
I was down in Dunedin when we decided to organise a new year party for friends at my flatmates vineyard in Gisborne. The first year we had 1800 people, many friends from Otago University. Last year, with our 8th event, we entertained 25,000 at our now three-day world class music festival, winning a NZ Tourism Awards in the process. I like you began with an idea formed right here at Otago University.
As I found when you set out building your venture you will come across much adversity. Not just in a business sense, raising capital, dealing with technology issues, staff management, financial challenges - but also personal adversity and challenges. One of these is staying on tracks while others try and tell you otherwise, and that is what I will speak to you about tonight.
Background
I was studying law at the time I came up with the idea for R&V, and had been organising a few events around Campus. Like a lot of you here I just loved action, ideas and getting them off the ground. My parents were living in Thailand at the time and I bought back a stack of Diesel t-shirt and sold them at Uni market day. I formed a covers band because I thought it would be a great way to have fun and make beer money. Back then we didn’t even have grad party. People coming back to town and nothing to do so I put my hand up and put together the ran the first Grad events. If I came up with an idea my theory was someone has to do it and that someone is going to be me.
When I left University I had 2 years of R&V under my belt. I had visions of working as an entertainment lawyer, or for companies like MTV or EMI. I had visions of working in London, New York with famous artists, talent. Still do!
But it was time for a break I completed my 4 month bar exam in Wellington, signed an up-and-coming band called Fat Freddy's Drop for the next instalment of our NYE party and headed out on an OE, first to California, then on to London and Europe.
It was while I was in Europe that I experienced a couple of big music festivals, and was suitably inspired. I also realized this was a huge industry and business. Everyone was hooked on festivals, they were the talk of the town, and a huge past time. Glastonbury, Exit, Sziget – they dominated the press and conversations. Being a musician with my own little event I was suitably impressed and interested.
I thought hang on we don’t have anything like this in NZ yet. What a great chance to build our little party into this realm. We had a world class venue, a great brand, limited competition and more than anything a great hook - a festival in a vineyard held in the first city in the world to celebrate the new year. All the bones are there to build a world class festival. The vision was there I just didn’t have the skills or contacts to realise it.
Returned home to NZ
I returned to NZ and decided to pass up a job as a lawyer like my fellow grads. I didn’t think I would be able fast track my vision fast enough if I was tied down solving other people’s problems. I needed to create my own.
Instead I got an extension on my credit card and went to Sydney to knock on doors and try and work out how I could get into the competitive Australian touring market. As I slept on mates couches cold-called agents and told everyone of my vision - Rhythm and Vines – the first festival in the world to bring in the new year. I found out a second cousin in Montreal runs the prestigious Just for Laughs comedy festival, so I went and learnt the inner workings of an international entertainment brand. And I attended famous festivals like Lollapalooza and V Festival to get ideas about how we could grow R&V to international calibre, opening my eyes to possibilities.
While I was away I remember my parents calling me up and saying they had been to so and so friend’s place. ‘Blair was doing well as an Accountant, Dan doing well as a Dentist. Everyone asking what you are doing? What do we tell them?'
I said 'tell them I am on my way to creating NZ premier music festival, building a business and having fun while doing it'.
I returned to NZ with a signing of our first international act Mylo, some key industry contacts and a truck load of inspiration to pour into our festival, along with a massive debt! This was at the time when we were still only one-day backyard party full of BBQ reggae acts.
Still I would go to parents friends house for dinner ‘When are you going to get a real job?’ they would ask. 'What is a real job?’ I said. Working 9 – 5 for someone you don’t like, doing work you don’t enjoy, on a product that you don’t believe in?’ That wasn’t for me.
‘Hamish you are always on holiday! Travelling the world or down in Gisborne for the summer, surfing and drinking wine'. Holiday? Not yet but maybe in 10 years time when I sell my world reknown festival brand and company, then I’ll be sitting on a beach! My life may have seemed like a holiday but the whole time I was working hard on my vision – meeting contacts, pitching, planning, scheming, hustling, inspiring those around me towards my goal.
Yes you will get questioned
So yes you will get questioned. You will get concerns. It may be people looking out for you. It may be jealousy. But don’t let it sway from your vision. Never have to question or justify your existence for building growing your idea. Always follow that dream.
Just this year Mum was telling me the family is worried about a cousin of mine. He is 25 and quit his job, moved home and is becoming an entrepreneur. All the family are scratching their heads wondering what he is doing. Setting up some website – a job website. Flying up and down the country meeting with some mentors and incubators. Staying up late on his computer. Single minded and obsessed with some wild idea and all the aunties and uncles are worried.
I said 'Mum that is exactly what I was doing three years ago!' She said yes but you have something to show for it. Something tangible. I said yes but those are the steps you have to take to get to something tangible. It takes a while until you have something to be able to sit around the dinner table and say ‘Granny guess what I did today? Ran a party for 25,000 people and won a Tourism Award!'
I bet Bill Gates parents were saying 'what the hell are you doing on those bloody computers all day and night – get a real job'!. Or the Beatles family friends saying 'What the hell are you boys doing over there in Hamburg? Playing all day and night! Where is that going to get you! Get a real job!’
Friends and peers
You will also get pressure and confusion from friends and peers.
I had this from were friends who I graduated with, who took jobs as lawyers in the big firms, accountants. They pulled me aside and said 'Hamish you really need to settle down. You are having far too much fun, and R&V is not going to last forever’. I smiled because in my mind I could see my vision. I could see that if we keep diversifying our product each year, continuing to build on the core idea of a party for NYE, establish key industry relationships and partners, it could be sustainable. ‘Yes but don’t these festivals have a lifespan?’ Heck Glastonbury has been going for 40 years! That festival where they dance around the Stonehenge has been going for 500! Christmas has been going for 2000! It would be hard work and commitment but we could get there. I have an idea, a vision, someone is going to do it and that someone is going to be me!
I ran into one of these friends in London this year. He slapped me on the back and said, mate I am proud of you. And I said why. He said because you stuck with it. Didn’t give in. Didn’t listen to anyone else. Just hung in there. Persevered. It meant a lot as I knew it was true.
It is not always easy. I have had fights with my business partners, bullied by agents, had the IRD on my back. When we expanded to 3 day model we didn’t have a clue what we were doing. We blew our budget on program and security. The sell out crowd we were expecting didn’t arrive. They were still wanting a one day model and stuck on kiwi dub bands. We lost nearly $500k and needed to borrow money on personal loans and high interest rates to keep our dream alive. I decided it was time to take stock and focus on convincing the market what our core product is. We let go a lot of staff and worked hard on our marketing, messaging and PR. Three day world class music festival. Now people understand the product and vision. Our sales are already at the same level as last December and still climbing. Competition are also trying to copy us now, going multi day and international acts.
So there is a bit of feedback about my journey from where I was sitting with you all, to where I am today. Don’t get me wrong, I get huge amount of support from family and friends. I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for them believing me and my vision. But it is a hard road. You will get people questioning you. You will get people undermining you. You will get people jealous of you. You will even start to question yourself.
But as Winston Churchill said – ‘Don’t ever ever EVER give up’.
H
