SXSW III

They say that a trip to SXSW can be a success by meeting at least one new contact who could lead you down a new path of inspiration for your business, creative projects or life.

As I reflect in Dallas I think to a number of people I met and how they may influence me down the track.  Was it the local DJ Korupt who snuck me into the Drake gig at Fader Fort? Or the Global brand manager Cesar of mexican soda Jarritos I shared cab with? Or Amanda who hosted me at an after hours speak easy? The girl Kimberly at the W who was friends with organisers of BPM Festival in Mexico? Was it the ride share in Dallas with who gave me a background on H-Town hip hop? it the kiwi crew who are looking to bring a slice of SXSW to NZ? Or Sian from the Kiwi Landing Pad in San Fransisco?

Being my third time at SXSW, just the chance to experience one of my favourites festivals and cities was enough. I didn't have a huge agenda or preparation this year and was keen to just go with the flow without running myself ragged trying to be everywhere. I did have a list of acts I wanted to see as we begin to put our offers in for R&V this year. These included Future, Young Thug and Lukas Graham.  I often find myself losing a bit of ground on the current music scene as new trends and artists emerge almost over night. You can either spend all your time on the blogs and social media or you can get out into the world and observe it all first hand. It can make all the difference when dealing with agents and trying to sell tickets. Its a tough job but someone's gotta do it.

One thing I noticed at this years festival was hip hop was a lot more prevalent than other years. The first time I went to SXSW in 2007 was seemed to be all based around rock and roll. Kings of Leon, Bloc Party, Amy Winehouse.  Kiwi rock bands like Elemeno P and Blindspott all performed. The next time in 2013 was perhaps more EDM focused with big showcases from Richie Hawtin, Skream, Hospital Records, Bauer, along with Major Lazer and Snoop Lion.

Even the big brands were right behind hip hop. Youtube was presenting urban acts Future, Anderson Paak, Santigold and Kehlani.  Pandora was presenting Young Thug and Kevin Gates. Fader Fort had Drake and Tory Lanez. Two Chains, DJ Kahled, Flatbush Zombies, Nas, Travis Scott - all playing at the ACL Music Hall to large crowds gathered outside each night. Whether this was my perception or not I was happy to get balls deep into this new scene to experience learn as much as I could first hand.

It was also clear SXSW had become a more popular place for fans and punters too. The conference at the Austin Convention Center was still buzzing with delegates during the week, but offsite activations and side parties had become the norm. The city was filling to the brim by the weekend as music fans left local cities Houston and Dallas to join the party. Your SXSW badge couldn't guarantee your entry to the venues, you were often in line with other VIP, prizewinners and general punters who had RSVP in advance.

SXSW is a slog. Having a couple of nights settling in prior to wasn't much help as you were soon caught up in the hype. After arriving Sunday as the interactive sessions were in full swing,  I had a look around the city and was impressed with what was set up in East Austin.  I was soon hosting some kiwi drinks on the Tuesday night with fellow attendee Tommy Bates.  We were joined by Zoe Mac from Jucy, Jade Hurst from Raw and other kiwis from New York, Auckland and Wellington. The panels started on Wed about 11am then you are out most of the afternoon either trying to catching up on work, trying to meet people for drinks, or have some time out of the madness. The music venues kick off about 5pm onwards at one of the 50 or so venues around town. Not to mention all the walking, eating, drinking, networking and finally getting to bed after 2am close time.

There was a definate lack of kiwi talent this year. A slower moving chain, decreased creative funding along with increased accomodation costs in Austin meant there was only three acts playing. Marlon Williams was a highlight and played at least 5 times over the week. His crooning, dark, poetic moody country was just the kind of thing that could take off in the US.

Diaz Grimm who had come up the ranks at R&V had self funded his trip and played to around 50 or so people at the Swan Dive. Hard to say how much cut through he had but you can't under estimate the access to inspiration and burst of confidence and vision being at the festival can give young creatives like him. He managed to make an impression and Alan from the NZ Music Commision highlighted the fact that its probably more effective to have artist managers at the festival rather than bringing over a troupe of artists. For year one anyway. It was something up and coming manager Pritesh Panchel was doing with his acts Manuel.

A highlight for me was syncing up with local Austin DJ / musician Thomas Sahs on the final day. He has been coming back and forth to NZ for the past 10 years and played R&V. Seeing him work his local magic connections was impressive as we got VIP passes into Mohawk venue to watch Neon Indian a popular Texan band in the vein of Passion Pit. Probably my favourite venue with a stacked amphitheatre full of music lovers.

He then took me to Fader Fort - an infamous activation on the East side set up on abandon warehouse space, that always had the best special guests performing on the final night - from Jay Z to Kanye to Snoop. There had to be 3000 people lining up outside in a stagnant line the but it wasn't long until Tom had hustled a couple of passes from a local DJ friend Korput and we were in the side door of the dusty, warehouse setting drinking Jack and Cokes. The sun was setting as the crowd was feverish in anticipation of the special guest. We had to sit through about 3 hours of OVO acts but soon Drake came out and did not disappoint!

Drake at Fader Fort OVO

The final thing about this years SXSW was I really got to know Austin better. The area east of the highway had been developed as part of the map and leading brands like Hype Hotel and Spotify House all had activations there. I spent a fair bit of time downtown at the W Hotel too, with mate Will who worked for Pandora. Went to a couple of cool house parties in East and Downtown Austin, including on speak easy. Checked out the free stage down at the Lakeside to watch Deftones. Ate BBQ and Mexican at leading restaurants Lamberts, Blacks and La Conscenda.  Visited Zilfer Park where Austin City Limits is held with family friend Holly. And staying in SoCo meant I was able to catch the SXSW bus through trendy South Lamar each day and see the extent of the organisation. It really takes over the city for the 10 days or so.

As I left this morning the cab took me down an empty 6th Street one last time. The food trucks had gone, sponsor activations removed and a couple of lone street cleaners were water blasting the last of the rubbish away. It made me sad it was all over for another year but also excited for its return. Maybe can get further involved next year with more established kiwi drinks and who knows even performing. You never know where that one connect may lead.

Hamish

Make No Small Plans

Im in SXSW this week in Austin! I was last year three years ago in 2013. In that time we have seen the advent of Snapchat, Periscope, trap music, Under Armour.  What will be the next big trend and brand?

Major Lazer and Kendrick Lemar to break out stars of the festival are now leading festival headliners. Who is the next big thing in music?

Im looking forward to my time here and being inspired by new trends in music and innovation.

Here is an interview I gave Stop Press at the start of the week.

Stay tuned for the update!

• What do you do in the States?

I have spent some time in LA enroute to SXSW. Its great to be able to follow some of the leading trends plus network with my industry contacts in these leading entertainment hubs. Its the down time of the season for our festival Rhythm and Vines so time to get out and about in search of new ideas for our festival business. I am also responsible for booking the bands and artists and getting in a position to make offers on this years touring acts. SXSW is the perfect place to scout and network with agents and other promoters.

• Why did you decide to make the move to the US? Would you recommend it to other Kiwi creative types? 

The access to inspiration is immense.  The market here is diverse and infinite. It is great to flex the creative muscle and see what opportunities could work in either market. Attending SXSW provides access to leading industry executives, movers and shakers. In my field this means artists, agents, and other promoters that are key to the future of building my business.

• What are some of the core differences between American and Kiwi work culture?

Being forward and more direct works well. Being confident. Not being scared to highlight your strengths and be proud of what you do and achieve. 

The competition here in the US is intense. There is always someone nipping at your heels and ready to take your place. At home you can become complacent, although the size of the market encourages you to keep innovating.

• What are some of the trends that will define marketing and advertising in 2016?   

 One for our business is how to share content. We spend majority of the year trying to recreate our event experience to help encourage people to attend. How we can share the experience using technology from snapchat to film to brand look and feel. I learnt this morning Foo Fighters doubled their attendance via a private made film called Sonic Highways. It gave them access to new audiences. Its about trying to find new ways to communicate your product and experience to achieve your goals.

• Do Kiwis have to get better at taking risks and innovating?

Yes of course. And supporting those that do. We need more positivity and effectiveness in our dealings, goals setting - everything we do. Make no small plans is one of my mantras for 2016.

• What are some of the key takeaways from this year's event?

Anything is possible and you are only limited by your imagination. Networks are key and never be scared to put your self out of your comfort zone.

Rhythm and Vines: Our Finest Hour. Part 1.

To say it was a tough year for R&V was an understatement. It was probably the toughest, most challenging year in the history of our business. I remember standing on a Wairoa river bed at Easter last year, enjoying a flakey Oslers Pie, enroute to bury my situation in the hills and mist of Lake Waikaremoana. After a scheduled Directors skype call we collectively decided to end the business. The debts were too great and angry creditors were banging the door down. The reputation of the festival offering was tarnished by riots at the related BW Campgrounds that hosted the majority of our punters. The business model was eroding before our eyes as authorities intended to stamp out the binge drink BYO culture.  In serious debt of over a million dollars - from poor ticket sales coupled with vast overheads and a sister festival struggling to find its feet, our quest for investors over the previous months had proved fruitless. From Perth to Auckland, from industry leaders to wealthy friends even crowdfunding options, they all found the current model to risky with an uncertain path.  It was hard to find anyone who believed in a future, let alone my business partners.

Changes Likely at R&V Going Forward

What happened over the next few months was an experience in overcoming adversity, challenges and managing significant risk.  After what would be a snap decision to throw in the towel, my business partners soon rescinded, with terms for backing a future. They agreed to lend the money to keep creditors at pay and live to have another crack at a new festival roll out, while stepping back from the apparent related risks. Of course significant loans into a seemingly bottom hole is still a huge risk.  But it would clear their liability attached to past debts. They still had a loose belief but a fence sitting mentality where they would / could still recover involvement down the track.  If anything they were tired and burnt out as 10 years plus started to take its toll on everyone involved in a product that had failed to innovate.

Rhythm and Vines Calms Creditors Fears

Was got us through was the resilience and perseverance of the small and loyal team.  Our festival director Kieran Spillane had yet to prove himself on the balance sheet after two years in the job and wanted another shot at the title. Like Graham Henry experiencing a bitter loss on a Cardiff pitch in 2007 there was only one way out from the the taste of defeat. His two years at the helm was to become invaluable in the coming months.  From his relationship with creditors, his steel-nosed approach to deals and understanding of the numbers he was key to the rebuild. This coupled with the experience of my old mate Kyle Bell – the kind of roll your sleeves up, see-ya-at-the-bottom type tenacity that I had come to respect over the 15 years of knowing him.  He had a deep love and understanding of the brand, the journey and the vision.  And the youthful exuberance of a young Josh Smith who was hungry to see R&V return to its former glory, with his influence at the forefront.

Along my own ambition for the festival of course. From humble beginnings 13 years ago I had seen two near collapses during my time. Once in the face of the Witters house of cards crumbling, in which a sold-out 10k festival in year three with Fat Freddys Drop was the straw that broke the camels back of a perceived family empire in serious debt.  And then again in 2008 with the extension to a three day model, in which budgets blew out as we felt in the dark towards the world class festival model we dreamed of. 

But it would never be over until it hit the headlines, and even then a brand can not die over night, while dream is forever.  After all one of my initial mantra's was 'if you can picture it, you can achieve it'.  Yes we were down and out but it gave us a great chance to bounce back. Through chasos comes opportunity right? And what else is worth fighting for?  It was fortuitous in some regard I had come back into the business with nearly two years away from the front line. In that time I had been able to freshen up. I had experienced some of the world's leading festivals from Glastonbury to Exit. I had lived in Los Angeles the entertainment mecca of the world. I had been part of delivering a new festival in Wanaka. I was ready to accept and help lead this new challenge of a new chapter for Rhythm and Vines.

But the main motivator was the sustainability of business.  Here we had a number of large creditors baying for blood. We had obligations as Directors and businessmen to meet obligations and act in the best interests of the shareholders. I had a livelihood and future to protect, let alone reputation in the industry and beyond. But we now had an opportunity to move on without the of BW Campgrounds and the intentions of its owners. It was to be a clean slate, a new team and I was excited about that.

We began to look at the model and what we were selling.  It was clear the current model was redundant. We had become a rave for young people, hosting the evening festivities while much of the festival activity took place in town and at BW Campgrounds. The daily spend was less than $20 a day so we weren’t generating catering revenue. The sizeable production was for what had become a rave was just not sustainable. The acts were expensive and off trend. The VIP area was empty as the premium crowd had turned away. 

It was clear things had to change.

What we didn’t want to do was crack a nut with a sledge hammer. We couldn’t pull the rug out of the way of our core market of 18-20 year old summer holiday makers with our talk of non BYO and cheap drinks.  It was just too far away from our current offering and would be so unfamiliar that it would scare them off in droves. But it was paramount things needed to change while keeping the basics on offer. They wanted camping. They wanted drinking. They wanted music. They wanted the R&V experience they had heard about from their sisters and brothers. They would get it – but it would be different.

Rhythm and Vines gets new booze rules

After finding a loan solution to keep the creditors at bay and by some time to restructure and rebrand, we decided to go to market in May with a limited BYO offering which was under the banner of Premium Camping – Bass and Mid Camps. This would give us a head start and we could then tidy up the offering as we went.  After long winded deliberation we settled on our pricing and offerings for Bass and Mid Camp, with the younger ex-BW crowd relegated to Treble which would be the first of our beer garden offering.

It was decided to tackle the restructure head on and we began in our initial release to talk of new additions like the comedy component, the food trucks, the beer gardens along with what we believed would be a cutting edge program.

To be continued.....

Leadership: Speech to Bell Gully

Speech to Bell Gully

This week I was asked to give a speech on leadership to 30 Belly Gully young law graduates who are about to begin their legal careers.  Ironic really given I had passed up a legal career to pursue my path towards setting up Rhythm and Vines as a world class music festival.

Below I outlined a few points that I have found crucial to my leadership style.

Action

One of the biggest traits to leadership is the ability to lead and inspire action. Just do it!

My first taste of action was actually moving with intention on an idea. When Tom suggested the idea to have a party the next step to move forward on the next meeting to flesh out.   I arranged to meet with him a couple of days later at Gardies to discuss the idea further. That first step set us off on a journey of a thousand miles.

Further examples of action followed. Tom and I sat hung over in the Wellington Airport and we brainstormed names for the festival. Adam my flat mate at the time had mentioned to get the Vines involved we put this aside and we listed a collection of musical terms. Bass, Treble, Melody, Rhythm. RHYTHM. Rhythm and Vines! Perfect. Tom in his went to the local and bought two postcards. We addressed them to our flat and wrote ‘ We look forward to seeing you at Rhythm and Vines, Gisborne!’ There was no turning back.

One of most memorable lessons on action was pitching to Dean Witters the idea for R&V.  We told him we wanted Black Seeds to headline.  He made us jump on the phone then and there and call up the Black Seeds manager. I was slightly nervous speaking but asked the question.  He mentioned he had received $6k for the pervious years new years bookings. Dean suggested we call him back and offer him $2k more if he committed immediately.  As a result the band signed on and we had our headliner! With that confidence and intention to commit we were away. It is a lesson I never forget. Just do it!

Another mantra I believe in is if you come up with an idea and don’t do it someone else will! If you see a gap in the market just seize it. Own it. Even if you don’t know how to get there. Your commitment and intention will create an action that will set you off on a path to achievement.

There has been other steps of action. Mylo was one of our favourite acts at University.  I had always wanted him to perform so I contacted the agent direct. He was being flakey and not getting back to me so when I was in London visiting friends I just went to the agency in person.  Just knocked on door.  Got the deal over the line then and there. I've done the same with Snoop Dogg's agent too. I introduced myself to Rob Markus over email and just got on a plane, next thing I was in his office in Beverly Hills. Just do it! Zane Lowe in London. Even though he stood me up for breakfast at the Soho Hotel.

Rhythm and Alps – We saw a gap in the market for a south Island version of the R&V. Our partner Alex and I got a plan together of how we wanted to roll it out. We pitched to our board, booked a few bands and next thing we know we were away.

Of course not all action leads to success. We have run side shows that have failed miserably. We have said yes to running the Gisborne Wine and Food festival. And lost $100’s of thousands of dollars.  We have tried to hire staff in different areas with varying degrees of success. 

But one thing I have learnt is that action is key. Just do it!

Aim high

From the start our goal was ambitious. To organize a party for a few hundred mates. I know friends would come up to me and say that I must be crazy to think we would even get a few hundred. By why not? There was nothing organized for new years eve in Nz.  All our friends would fragment over this time to different beach spots through out the country. Kiwi music was burgeoning and the following in Dunedin was something that could be replicated nationwide.

Even from the start we imagined our dream lineup would have Salmonella Dub, Ben Harper, Black Eye Peas and Groove Armada. The very next year we had Salmonella Dub headline. To think we have had Calvin Harris, Pharrell, Mark Ronson, Moby and others at our little party is surely a reflection of this ambition coming to fruition.

Overall I think we want to run a safe and secure event and do justice to the first place in the world to bring in the new year.  We have a unique opportunity to do something no one in the else in the world can do and this inspire and motivates me no end.

Mentorship

An important point to develop as a leader is to surround yourself with mentors to guide you and to learn off. A mentor provides you with confidence to tackle tasks outside your skillset or experience. It is a two way relationship as that person enjoys passing on his learnings and living vicariously through the success of others.

Our first mentor was my friend’s Dad - Dean Witters.  Dean had been a successful businessman in NZ creating Cedenco a tomato processing company-selling Tomatoes out of Gisborne and had been on the Business Round Table. He helped cashflow the company and push us along, giving us confidence to pursue our dream. He grilled us when we were behind tasks, congratulated us when we delivered.

Also my father Ross Pinkham. He had helped with Liquor licence and providing some event management feedback on how to tackle some of the bigger tasks. Mum helped with flowers setting up. They have always been there for me. Dad is still a big part of the festival today in the form of Emergency Services Liaison dealing with Police and Fire etc.

Another mentor was my business partner Scott Witters. Scott had already founded a business after completing his MBA, We began surrounding ourselves with a number of accountants, lawyers, advisors, bringing in specialist in individual areas.

We have since surrounded ourselves with more corporate mentors to help guide and advice on risk and best business practice.  Dallas Fisher was on the board of the Chiefs and helped with the financial risk and planning.  Chris Hocquard is a leading music lawyer so can advise on different industry situations and relevant artist deals.

Our current CEO and Festival Director Kieran Spillane is now running the business with me and has vast experience with accounting and project management.  Always continue to learn and develop as an entrepreneur and a leader.

Don’t forget your roots

One of the best things we ever did was document our Mission statement and Goals for the Rhythm and Vines project. As a result we have been able to stick to this initial vision and they still ring true today.

We wanted to create a safe and secure event for the networks of friends from around the country. We wanted to be a platform for NZ music – for established and up and coming musicians. We wanted to us the project as a chance to learn about business. Do justice to the first place in the world to bring in the new year. These were some of the key goals that we put in place initially and still ring true today.

Its also important to remain humble. Make sure sure you are grateful I am very blessed to work in an industry I love. It is great that we have created a brand that is aspirational and respected and we intend to keep it that way.

There is nothing wrong with being confident. You need to be bullish. You need to be strong headed. So find that balance between confidence and arrogance.

Innovation

To succeed and be a strong leader is to keep things fresh, to take risk, make creative decisions and too innovate. It is almost like reaching into the future.  Being the first to do something comes with a lot of scrutiny. Often you will get ridiculed by peers and critics as they perhaps can’t see the vision. But eventually they will come around once 

I think we have done this particular well with innovation around music especially. We were the first major festival to group the growing number of dub and reggae bands in one setting. Fat Freddys, Shapeshifter, Kora. The Black Seeds. I don’t think they have all been on one bill ever since. The result was a sell out crowd three years in of 10,000 which set us up for the following years to come.

We have also been leaders in developing and championing kiwi music. To think acts like The Naked and Famous, Kora, Six60, got their early breaks at R&V makes me proud. This year the likes of Diaz Grimm, Racing, Carlee Rhodes are performing. They could be the stars of tomorrow.

On the technology front we have always wanted to be at the forefront of best practice. We were the first major festival in Australasia to develop and implement RFID wristbands which are now the norm around the world. We have our own ticketing system. We have worked with top tech experts be it pyro, sound, lighting, LED screens etc.

We continue to innovate bringing Arcadia Spectacular to NZ last year. It was a fire and light display from Europe that I saw at Glastonbury which blew people's minds!

So be first to the punch. Innovate. Create. Back your decisions. Lead your market. And in turn inspire those around you.

Network

One thing I had always done is network. I enjoy meeting people and learning from them.  I don’t think myself any better than anyone else. There is always something to be learned from other people.  I love showing an interest in the people stories and backgrounds.

As a result when I went to University I always said yes to social opportunities. People heading out to a concert, a movie out to the beach or a game of touch I’d jump at the chance. As a result it lead me to develop a strong network of different friend groups. The couch crew, the rugby heads, musicians, older students, younger students.  I soon knew who was friends was who. I knew what school everyone went to, what they were studying. It wasn’t being nosey I just had a general interest in everyone.

This was soon to come into play when I came up with the idea I realized I could soon pull the network together that I needed. The first chance to was by gathering friends at Gardies one Wednesday night.   This was pre-facebook so was a good chance to spread the word through out different social groups. We bought some beers and stood up in front of everyone and told them our idea for the party. The idea soon spread through the network.

Take opportunities. Say yes to things. Whether it is not your scene be approachable and sociable enough to participate. Show an interest in people. Listen to their stories. Ask them questions.

A step further could be to join networking groups.  I was on the board of KEA Auckland which was a chance to network with those returned from overseas. I’m currently in a music doco club. Say yes to dinner parties, BBQ’s and invitations to batches. Get out there and meet people you never know where it may lead! Especially if you are wanting to invite thousands of people to a party!

Persistance / Tenacity

One of my biggest advice for leadership to achieve success alongside action is to never ever ever give up.

There are many times we could have given up on my journey.  Two days before our event the venue was waterlogged. Tom and I had been out in the rain trying to stack booze and move bins around. Dean had wanted to throw in the towel - the venue was just too boggy. But we still pushed on and delivered the event. The next week when we were $20k in debt we could have also closed up the show for ever with an expensive debt hanging over us. Both times we pushed on through and are still here today.

Then there was the time my girlfriend had moved to London and was trying to get me over. I decided to flag doing my OE and stay in Auckland to build my dream. Over those years we were in some serious debt but we were also committed to getting to our 10 year anniversary. We had a new event manager who I could learn off. We had the bones of a great idea and established brand. The future was ours if we worked for it.

After our first attempt at the three day model we lost $400k. We rolled up sleeves. Worked out of my bedroom. Moved into a desk at our marketing contractors. Paid ourselves minimum wage. Borrowed money. Kept the flame alive.

This Easter we were closing the company we were in serious debt again.  But no way. We borrowed a sizeable amount to keep the creditors at bay. We have had to restructure our business. We are currently host desking at a pub in Ponsonby. Stripped back our team. Cut our budgets. Realigned our stages and venue.

But we will never ever give up on our dream.