EventNewsDXB

Jon Noonan: Transforming Event Spaces - One Decibel At A Time!

• W4 Podcast Studio

Share episode

Jon Noonan: Transforming Event Spaces - One Decibel At A Time!

From student nightclub promotions to supplying global iconic events like Wimbledon, Royal Ascot, and Formula One, John Noonan has seen many sides of the event industry. As founder of Thorns Group, he takes us behind the scenes of event logistics - where 400 staff, 15 site managers and 150 lorry movements make the difference between chaos and success.

John also introduces his latest innovation: -45db - modular, sound-reduced structures that solve one of the industry’s toughest challenges, delivering up to 45 decibels of noise reduction for exhibition and event spaces.

Plus, his bold prediction: why Dubai is set to become the global center of events and why this should matter to every industry professional.

Production Credits:

Presented by: Ian Carless
Studio Engineer & Editor: Roy D'Monte
Executive Producers: Ian Carless & Joe Morrison
Produced by: EventNewsDXB & W4 Podcast Studio

Support us!

It takes time and effort to put the EventNewsDXB podcast together and we hope it's worth something to you. If it is, please consider sponsoring the podcast to enable us to keep them coming. Contact us for details.

Ian Carless:

Thank you. Lead or part of an in-house team. I hope that this podcast gives you some practical takeaways, fresh perspectives and a deeper understanding of how things really get done in one of the world's most fast-moving event markets. And for season two, I'm super pleased to let you know that Event News DXB is brought to you by Minus 45 dB, the team transforming noisy event spaces into slick, sound-reduced environments. From full-size conference theatres to compact meeting pods, minus45db builds modular spaces that are quiet, customisable and completely turnkey, and they're sustainable too smart design with zero waste. Check them out at minus45dbcom.

Ian Carless:

In this week's episode, I sit down with John Noonan, an event professional whose career spans everything from promoting student club nights in the UK to supplying some of the biggest events in the world, including Wimbledon, royal Ascot and Formula One. We talk about how he evolved from nightlife into large-scale logistics, why the supply chain is the backbone of every successful event and how COVID reshaped the relationship between organisers and suppliers. John also shares his thoughts on innovation, including his new venture, minus 45 dB, and the development of modular, sound-reduced structures that are changing how we think about space at events and exhibitions. But what really stood out for me this week is John's take on the Middle East market. He believes this region isn't just growing, it's becoming the global hub for the event industry, and if it's not on your strategic roadmap, it probably should be. So let's get into it. John, welcome to the podcast. Hello, how are you doing? I'm good. Thank you very much. Let's jump straight into it, shall we? How did you get into events?

Jon Noonan:

It's an interesting question that and I have heard some of your other ones and it's one that you always ask. It is. I was listening to one earlier this morning as well, and so mine was very much along that falling into it. I was saying before I was at the university in Leeds.

Ian Carless:

Yeah.

Jon Noonan:

And every time I went out in Leeds I think for me university was more of a drinking education as opposed to university education.

Ian Carless:

Funny, that isn't it?

Jon Noonan:

Yeah, I mean, and Leeds is a great city, yeah, so every time I went out I used to have a few people that I bring with me and then that kind of grew and grew and grew ending up in promoting nightclubs fundamentally. So it started with one night in one city and then a friend of mine set up a business and we grew to 15 nights across 15 cities across all UK, one of the biggest student club night operators in the UK. And it was literally that so from going from drinking too much to bringing loads of people to parties kind of got me into events. And then I felt like I got too cool for Chesney Hawks and putting Chesney Hawks into nightclubs. So I started more lifestyle stuff so like Paul Van Dyck, tiesto, sort of more cultural events, yeah, and for things like Gatecrasher and people so like those more iconic brands. So I did that for a few years.

Jon Noonan:

All the festivals, so all of the big festivals like Leeds, reading, coachella and all of those across the world. And then I think I had my fill of festivals and went into sort of more corporate, so moved sort of like upstream of it into the supply chain, so bought a furniture company called thorns group. Okay, and thorns group does all of the large-scale events. So formula one, grand prix, wimbledon, royal ascot on the event side and on the exhibition side all of the large organizers for for that. So there's a bit of a fall into it.

Ian Carless:

Yeah, and then figure out what it looks like when you're in it was there a point for you where you kind of went oh, hold on a minute, this, this, I'm actually quite serious about this. This has gone beyond something. I just started university for fun, and obviously later you went on to make money from it. But at what point did you kind of go, huh it's a really good question because I don't know.

Jon Noonan:

Basically because I think event I don't think there's another industry which is more enjoyable, and I think that's the end product is the thing, isn't it? Yeah, so it's kind of like I very much had an ethos around as long as you're enjoying it, then carry on with it and see where it leads. And then I was kind of in it. I didn't know what else I could do. To be honest with you, I mean, I've been doing it for so long. He's kind of if I wasn't to do what else to go from a nightclub promoter and that was a move into that more corporate sales and marketing function. Yeah, was my attempt to try and move away from that events thing. Yeah, but I just can't get away from it. I don't know what else I would do. I generally don't.

Jon Noonan:

What did you study sport and recreational development? I mean it was, it was atrocious, I mean it's. I was saying to Jack, who's just started with us, on the way over here actually, that the people like that geared me up to be a manager of a leisure centre. I mean that's what that degree really sort of gave me. So that's probably not who I am. So luckily I fell into events, Otherwise I'd be in some recreation centre.

Ian Carless:

So you moved on. You bought a furniture rental company. I think that's now obviously evolved. I don't know if it was at the time, but it's now evolved into the Thorns Group. Tell us about the sort of scale and scope of your operations then across the UK, and I think you're branching out here now as well.

Jon Noonan:

Yeah, so for Thorns Group. So I've got two companies, thorns group and minus 45 db. So on thorns group we do. So scale wise, on site right now we've probably got in the region three, four hundred staff. So the run of the summer, the summer, is well and truly amongst like on us. So we go from chelsea flower show, amd core flower show into wimbledon, into Royal Ascot, into Formula One Grand Prix that whole summer season. So scale-wise it's comprehensive. It's 55 full-time staff, 400 part-time staff. I think we'll do 200 lorry movements this week of goods in goods out Warehousing of a quarter of a million square foot in the UK Service in UK and Europe. I think in June we'll probably be in 15 countries delivering events. So it's a comprehensive operation.

Ian Carless:

Am I right in thinking that it wasn't this size when you bought it?

Jon Noonan:

No, it wasn't. No, no, no. So we've grown, yeah. I mean, the growth has been, interestingly, that pre the big C that everybody in events loves talking about. That was obviously catastrophic for us, yeah, but the output of that, I think that managed to realign a lot of things for a lot of people. So, supply chain-wise, I think that gave the supply chain the opportunity to actually realize their value and that pushback from look, look, we all know that everyone's got a p&l on the budget to hit, I think a lot of the time that we absorbed that as suppliers. And I think what covid proved was the supply chain is absolutely integral to everything with regards to events, because without a supply chain it doesn't happen. Yeah, yeah. So that allowed us to realign everything, reset everything and then coming out, our first event was Formula One Grand Prix, which was the test event for the British government.

Ian Carless:

Not a bad one to come back with. What was it about that part of the events industry that, really, that made you take the plunge into that?

Jon Noonan:

Because it was left field. I mean the organisation side of things. It was too long in the tooth for me. I've done it for so many years and I've been like, truthfully, we've been burnt from a lot of companies where they either folded or and left me high and dry. So I wanted to find something which is a little bit more secure.

Jon Noonan:

And looking at exhibitions, exhibitions happen every single year, like you know, on the whole. You know big ones, like if you take the stuff like jitex and arab health and all of those, they happen every single year, so there's some security in that. And then you're dealing with, like, big operators, so you're, there's a little bit more security in that. So the security, really that made me go into that side of things and that changed from lifestyle for family. I want to be around for my kids, like my daughters. I've got two young daughters, my wife, I. I want to be around for them and I don't think that that event, life, gives you the opportunity to be present on a whole, like all the time, and not that this does, but it gives me more opportunity to be more present with my, my family yeah so that was quite a big driver for me now, obviously you didn't go into it blind.

Ian Carless:

You were. You're part of the event industry anyway. Yeah, what parts of the business have surprised you in the years since I?

Jon Noonan:

think people think that it's really easy to move a piece of furniture from here to here and in principle it is. So I try to frame our business as we're a logistics company which just so happens to move furniture, and the reason I do that is because the back engine like anybody can buy this table, like we could buy 100 of these tables we could buy 100 black ones or white ones, yellow ones, anybody can do that but what is that engine behind it to make that happen? So when you're delivering multiple events, when you're organizing 400 staff on site, you've got 15 full-time site managers, you've got whole operations function. You've got 150 lorry movements, you've got all of those pieces. But then you've got to move a piece from there to here, but it's got to go back here to get quality checked and then back out. That at volume is quite frankly terrifying and I don't know how I have an amazing team like the team are absolutely incredible which has allowed me to develop minus 45 db.

Jon Noonan:

Without those guys it wouldn't be possible yeah but that is horrifying, like when you walk in and you see lorries leaving backwards and forwards. You've got your warehouses full of people cleaning, prepping, loading. Just that engine is absolutely astonishing. Yeah, and I definitely underestimated that.

Ian Carless:

Well, we'll come on to minus 45 dB in a minute, but I wanted to stick with your event company first. What trends are you seeing now in the industry? With your event company first, what trends are you seeing now in the industry, and are you led by design first or sort of client demands for want of a better word.

Jon Noonan:

Yeah, that's a good question. I think that my preference is always collaborative. So what I would like is, if we take a marquee event, say Wimbledon or the Grand Prix or something like that, my preference would always be that we sit with the clients, we understand what they want to achieve from and, look, we're a small part of the puzzle, like we are, we're furniture. But I think when you turn up to an event, whilst we are the lackeys of, you know of the event world, the structures are, you know, all the big, the big boys that come in. We're last in, first out.

Jon Noonan:

We have plenty of furnitures here. Come on, just hurry up, which we're okay with. But it makes a big impact. When you walk into a room, the furniture is actually probably the first. People just take the structures for granted because they're there. But people really pay attention to the furniture when they come in, whether it's good, bad or indifferent. So we like to sit with clients and look what is a five-year plan? What does that look like? How can we phase the furniture from year one? So if, if you take a tiered hospitality, it might be year one, the furniture that we invest in goes into the premium suites and then you can phase that through. So really sort of be more strategic about what the look and feel because it's part of what look and feel of the event looks like. So that's our preference.

Jon Noonan:

We do operate. We try to move away from transactional just because it's we want long-term relationships. As soon as it's transactional it's kind of like I want 10 chairs, 10 tables. It's like okay, cool, there's no depth to it and I think that comes in like the relationships that we need to build in that for longevity. We far rather the consultative, long-term approach as opposed to that transactional, but we do both.

Ian Carless:

Now moving on. I know you've started a new business Minus 45DB. Do you want to tell us a bit about that? Yeah, it's a really exciting business.

Jon Noonan:

What?

Ian Carless:

is it?

Jon Noonan:

Oh yeah, what is it? Yeah, good shout, yeah, talking as if everybody knows how indulgent of me. So we've got patent granted on the product. So it's a modular, a sound reduced modular structure company and that is anything from a 2.4 meter by 2.4 meter up to a 10.8 by 50 meters and everything is sound reduced as up to 45 decibels and currently is in internal, so anything in temporary structure or within venue. But we've also just had a test build in the UK for our outdoor structure, which should be coming in January 26th. So if you imagine a temporary structure, an exhibition hall, and you want to do breakout meetings or podcast rooms or keynote theatres or anything like that that can be branded, that it's air conditioned, that it's sound reduced, that can be built really quickly, then this is a solution.

Ian Carless:

Okay, what prompted you to move in this direction? Was this something that you were getting demand for or from clients, or was it something that you were out one day and went? Hmm?

Jon Noonan:

Yeah, it was a bit of both. Within Thornsfield we've got a draping company and the draping offers, woolsears Drape offers 12 to 18 decibel reduction. Right, it's ungainly, it's unsightly. It serves a purpose for certain scenarios. Yeah, ungainly, it's unsightly, it's, it serves a purpose for certain scenarios. Yeah, but I've been to so many shows and so many events where you walk in and you I mean you can't hear any, like you can't hear anything you're trying to hear. Everybody I'm speaking to is saying that this is an issue.

Jon Noonan:

So about seven years ago we started developing version one and me and my ox director, I, was like I need to do this. And he says the venn diagram that I I used on that was speed of putting it up. It's got to be quick for events, so it has to be one or two days, like that's it. The sound reduction has to achieve a sufficient level to be comprehensive enough, but not too much, because of the other, the speed and the price. And if we can find something that sits in the middle of that, I think we've got something. And then version 37 is the one we launched and we could have gone to 40, 50, 60, but it took seven years. I was like, right, we have to come out with something, otherwise we'll just be developing this forever in a warehouse and never come to market. So that's where it came from. So it was that understanding that everybody was talking about it. Nothing existed, so we developed it, and it seems weird me saying it's a really good product.

Ian Carless:

Is this something you've done in-house, then? Because I think to myself, okay, I want to make a soundproof room, you know, and you talk about seven years of, obviously, development. I'm sort of thinking to myself, okay, if I wanted to make a soundproof room, who would I call? Yeah, quite, or were you? Were you fortunate that, obviously with the team in the background that you have, that you were able to do this in-house, or have you had to go out of house as well for help in developing this?

Jon Noonan:

So all the IP and we own all of it, but we have obviously engaged with specialists so to make sure. So the first starting point was what's actually possible? So we do an attenuation report, which is a sound report in all fundamental, of what the, the sound, ambient sound, is, and then you identify what part of the wave we want to reduce and then we start start building. So you start structured. So does that work? No, does this work? No, right, okay, well, we're finding that the my operations director is is great at getting stuff done. So it's kind of like well, that's not good enough. Find another, another solution. Yeah, that stage too long. Find another solution. And then we've got various experts that we draw upon to offer advice.

Jon Noonan:

So it's not been all in-house, but we manufacture all. We've got our sole manufacturing partner who has been helping with us with the development. We've got the patent granted, which is great, fantastic. We've got the patent granted, which is great, and we've got global patent pending and so so that's great. But yeah, it's a combination. You know, there's only one company in the world that does the locking mechanisms that we've managed to find and we've had to modify them and stuff like. So it's been a bit of a labor of love really what's been the trickiest part of this?

Ian Carless:

because, I mean, I'm by no means an expert in the area of sound, but obviously running a podcast studio and my background was television production before, so I am sort of familiar with the area and I am also familiar with how difficult it is, for example, to soundproof a room. Yeah, and I think that's an important distinction is that you're not offering soundproof structures you're offering dampened yes, so what's been the most you know.

Ian Carless:

Immediately then, when you said the interlocking part, I know, I know I I have an old airstream trailer that we converted into a into a podcast studio as well, and trying to do the sound dampening, for that was, yeah, it was a nightmare the shape. So yeah, the shape, and then and then the other thing was just like you know, obviously it's old, it's 1950 something. So metal gaps it's metal, it's a tin can isn't it the gaps?

Ian Carless:

between the I mean windows don't help as well, and then you know the seals between the windows. There's so many things, there's so many areas where I know sound can leak through both in and out, and in your case, when you're designing something for exhibitions, you're trying to keep the noise out. So what's been the trickiest part of this thing develop? I mean, you mentioned the interlocking thing. I can imagine that might. For me, that raises a red flag.

Jon Noonan:

Yeah, the modularity of it is a challenging part and this is so inherently. That is the challenge, because people and you're absolutely right to do the distinction between soundproofing and sound-reduced and I've steered away from it completely to say, look, I will say to you it's not soundproof, but I don't think the layman actually appreciates the difference. So we don't say soundproof. The amount of people that have said to me is this soundproof? Is this soundproof? I'm like no, it's not. I'm like, oh, I'm like no, it's sound reduced, like soundproof is, like that's not this, not this, this is sound reduced. And until you speak to an expert, that is a nuance, it is a considerable nuance, is, and trying to get that across to people is is a challenge now I've seen, obviously there's a, there's, you know the the small sort of sound, soundproof, sound dampened booths that you see they've become quite commonplace now.

Ian Carless:

I mean in the cafe next door, for example, yeah, there's a small, almost telephone booth size. That's right. What's the big? You mentioned it earlier, I've forgotten. But what's the biggest structure that you can build and what stops you going beyond that?

Jon Noonan:

the biggest one is 10.8 meters by 50 meters long. Right, the thing that stops is that is the structural calculations, so the weight overhead. So it's probably worth saying, because we're an ip like intellectual-led company, there's always developments going on. We've already got 4.5 meters internal clearance on the radar, wider than 10.8 meters, double tier, double decks. All of this stuff is in the background being worked on, but it's structural calculations, so we will be able to do it. It's just a matter of where do we prioritize that? Everyone that we've been speaking to, and globally, had been talking about indoor, outdoor. So the outdoor solution for us is the obvious next thing, which is why we prioritize that, and we've got our, you know, test build. That happened last week, another one next week yeah so that will come out.

Jon Noonan:

As soon as that's out, we can then look at four and a half meters bigger. I mean, we're constantly being asked can it do this, can it do this, can it? And it's like either yes, it can, or it will be able to.

Ian Carless:

You know we take that stuff seriously I've got a bit of a nerdy question for you there. I know you mentioned the the attenuation report that you did, and obviously you've must have come away with a sort of an average of the sort of, like you mentioned, ambient noise levels that works for inside a conference or an exhibition space. How does that differ for outdoors?

Jon Noonan:

yeah, that's a good question. I don't know yet. No, no, exactly, just quickly make a phone call. Yeah, I don't know the. It's going to be interesting with regards to that because and particularly for the outdoor, because it will be built on deck. So you then got an added challenge around sound coming underneath, which you don't have when it's built on venue floor. Yeah, so there's a whole host of stuff.

Jon Noonan:

So what we tend to do is, once we know that we can build it and it's the right build, then we start doing the attenuation reports to understand what that's like, because we've got a solution that works. Now it's, what does that look like? And we think that some of the so we lay on heavy deck or on we can put some like dampening, yeah, before we lay on, so we don't think there's gonna be anything from underneath. But then that external ambient noise, yeah, is a bit of a is a bit of a challenge, but we think we've overcome it. But the test builds that we've got we think it's okay and yeah, and to your point, we're not trying to get zero right. So what we're trying to do is a significant reduction versus a non-soundproof solution.

Ian Carless:

Yeah, and I'm guessing there must be limitations as well. I mean whether you're indoors or outdoors. I mean, you know if metallica set up next door, if you know you're gonna hear them. Yeah, you know if an ambulance goes by or a fire engine or whatever. There's obviously those one-off noises that do occur and there's no way around those really.

Jon Noonan:

Exactly.

Ian Carless:

Without building a completely soundproof room, which is just not going to be cost effective.

Jon Noonan:

Yeah, and that's hopefully people understand that, and I think the people that we're engaged with and this is why I'm so fervent in saying that we're not sound like. I don't want anybody to think that we're soundproof. It's not taken away from what we do, because what we do is fantastic, but it's just a rather set a level of expectation of what what it is. It's a really good product, but if you want soundproof, speak to a sound specialist to build it and it'll cost you the cost of the house. Yeah, so speak to those guys. It's not us. Yeah, we'll do your temporary stuff. It can be built really quickly. You can build it in two days or a day and take it down and store it for you and then bring it back next year. We can do that really well. Your clients and customers have an amazing event. But if it's soundproof you want, then speak to a specialist.

Ian Carless:

And so so far, then. I mean, I know you just launched it in this market, but in the UK, for example, what are the applications that people are using this for the most?

Jon Noonan:

Yeah, I think there's been bites of weird and wonderful ones. There's some really cool, particularly when you start getting those experiential agencies. There's some really cool briefs of roadshows, like global roadshows, various large-scale events or what it might be like deep experiential events where there you want to use it as an immersive studio or immersive walkthrough with back-to-back linking rooms. So all of that stuff's really cool and that's what we get excited about because in all intents and purposes without speaking about my company it's a black box right. So it's trying to get that breadth of thought, which is where the experiential agencies because they're so creative, they can see the potential in it. So when you start talking for the big agencies and the small agencies, but the creative agencies, they get it, they see it and they're like, oh, wow, if only I could have a sound-reduced space. And that's why we kind of call it sound reduce spaces, because create the space. You know we can put baffling in so you can create an experience. That's when people get it there you can start. And because we're early on the journey, it's going to take a bit of time to to get there, but as soon as they do and as soon as somebody uses it or you introduce them to it. I love sitting in front of. We've just had um a, our first original director starting at UAU, and I've spent a couple of weeks out here with him. Jack and I go into a meeting and I'll say, just so you know, this is what tends to happen, so I introduce this and then this happens and then they'll ask questions and this thing he was sat there and he's going, this guy, of course. And the first meeting we sat in there was eight people and it followed that and he was like walked out. He's like, oh my gosh, bro, and he's just people engage with it straight away and it's really, really refreshing Because when they see it, they just get it and it's like he's creating.

Jon Noonan:

I'm used to trying to talk to people about furniture Everyone. I'm used to trying to talk to people about furniture Everyone. And you speak to any you speak to, like all the structure, boys and stuff. They're like oh, I'm trying to get rid of my furniture. And here I am, can I speak to you about furniture? And they're like, oh God, just go away. And now it's like when you speak to like those or anybody else, it's kind of like, oh, actually it's quite nice to actually be wanted a little bit because furnished people we hate it.

Ian Carless:

Yeah, now you mentioned you're just setting up here in the UAE. How's the experience of being working here in the Middle East, in terms of setting up a business and operating, versus back in the UK?

Jon Noonan:

It always comes back to culture. I think and I'm not naive or arrogant enough to think that we're just going to come into the region and it's going to be like everything's's going to be sort of like you know, singing daisies or whatever but that the cultural difference is.

Jon Noonan:

I've spent a lot of time out here, so I've been out here for two and a half years regularly to try and understand and and get underneath the skin of it. I think there are certain positive, like everything positives and and challenges. I think the positives are I think this region is open for business and it's. It's so refreshing and I think somebody else mentioned it and I think it might have been um event house where, like when I go back to the uk, it's almost like a deflating balloon and I don't mean that in, you know like it's just constantly talking about recession or how bad the government's doing or how events are struggling. And then you come out here and everyone's talking about how amazing it is and it's just that mindset and I know they're two very different markets. But when you come out here you walk away buoyed because it's like, oh, he's driving, everyone seems to be driving forward. Now the example I try to use is we were looking at warehousing and I was just taking on a new warehouse in in the uk and I had to go through four months of legals and I sat with the agent just to try and get the contracts drawn up and make sure. Landlord and I sat with the agent in jebel ali and uh, and I said so, uh, trying to get my schedule sorted. I said so, uh, you know, if I was to, you know agree terms now like when could I be in? And he was like, well, if you give me the checks, we'll come back to that today. You can be in on friday, that's right. This is like this is wednesday. I was like, and then, and then I was like checks, so so I can walk through the airport without having to take my passport out, but you know, I've got to give you a check. It's like bizarre. So that that dichotomy between, um, driving things forward and then still having that sort of legacy stuff was, is, is a challenge and I think once things are set up it's better, but it's quite. It can be quite challenging just because it feels like and again, it's because we're not I'm not used to it in the uk, I know what to do over here it's like it feels like I need to do this and then I'll do it and they go oh no, you need to do this and this. Now. It's like cool, oh, now you need to do this and it just feels like it's what you know start, stop, start, stop.

Jon Noonan:

But the cultural piece I think the the most exciting thing about this is that the region is booming and it's really refreshing and people are really engaged and you can go from meeting the biggest agencies in the world to some tiny agencies and everyone's the same and it's quite collaborative, which you don't get in the UK.

Jon Noonan:

So in the UK everyone's quite siloed and quite isolated, whereas here people are more than willing to say oh, do you know what you need to speak to, and do an introduction. And I was saying to Jack that it's like a breadcrumb thing where you speak to one and they say, oh, you need to speak to this person, and then you follow that and then you go oh, no, you need to speak to these people, and then the support that we've had out here. So, people, it's been fantastic, you know saying I know you should be speaking to these, these people, because they're, you know, great at doing x, y and z, whereas you wouldn't necessarily get that in the uk. So there's quite a lot of learning in there. But I think that also comes from a place of like, being humble, like I mean it's, it's okay to how else you're going to get into a region as a small business. You can't just come in thinking you're like big shot, you've got to. You know humbly be asked for support, I suppose yeah.

Ian Carless:

Just this is not related, but as somebody who, as I said, who's worked across multiple markets, what do you think the perception is of Dubai as an event destination is outside of Dubai.

Jon Noonan:

Changing.

Ian Carless:

In what sense?

Jon Noonan:

I think it's going to be centre of the world. I think you're to be centre of the world. I think your. My personal opinion is I think if this isn't part of your strategic plan, then you probably need to readdress it.

Jon Noonan:

Wow, and the reason I think that is because the way that the government's set up here is that they are driven by one sole thing, which is driving this region forward. And even if you think about the, the stuff that's happening with regards to airports where they're moving the airports, to why they're moving that, what's happening with dubai world trade center, expo city world you start looking at all of those interactions about the strategic moves that they're all making and then you start thinking broaden that about the routes in. So some of the stuff that's going on, that goes on at the airport with regards to charges for airlines and all it's all driven to drive people into the region. So I think they did 55 million people into they had to buy last year. Yeah, I think they want to do 150 million in the next 10 years, per year, in 10 years time. So imagine how easy it is for an event organizer to go with thousands of hotels. There's a plane coming in probably every 10 seconds from all over the world. It's central for everybody.

Jon Noonan:

The weather's great on the whole been a bit hot recently, yeah, but on the whole, very, very it's got everything you know levels of service, hotels, amazing. So and people say it's saturated. I don't think it is, but I mean it's not for me to say I'm not an expert. I mean all these agencies that say it's saturated is right for them. But I think there's going to be so many more events. Expo City wants to do 300 events a year, I think yeah that's right.

Jon Noonan:

They're going to make it happen, you know, I think they're going to make it, so I think it'd be remiss to ignore it. I think you need to re. I mean, that's why we're here. Yep, you know, we see it, we see it. It's that's why we're here. This is the second place that we're opening after our, the place that we know. Yeah, so we're in region. You know, we're not operating from the UK. We're housing here, offices here, stock in region, ready to go. We're here, you know. So I think that's a key bit, because some of the optics, some of them is, yeah, we're in UAE. It's like, you know, you haven't got an office got no staff, you know.

Ian Carless:

I know it says it on the bottom of your website Exactly, but yeah, I can be there in 12 hours, exactly. Well done, before we wrap up, I've got a couple of quick fire questions for you, fairly quick fire anyway. One event you'll never forget being part of and it's probably for the wrong reasons, actually.

Jon Noonan:

That's all right, it doesn't matter it's got to be uh, summer sound system 2007, which was uh prodigy, chemical brothers, hot chip and mark ronson, and we had to cancel on the sunday because somebody built was staged the wrong way and the wind blew the rain in and chemical brothers wouldn't go on stage because they were afraid of getting electrocuted well, you probably just answered the next quick fire question, which was most high stress moment you've had to manage on site.

Jon Noonan:

that that was quite highly stressful. Yeah, biggest pet peeve in a creative brief. I mean we could spend an hour on that. Yeah, we could. I would like to. If there was one thing I could change, and it was one thing, it would be Please come back and say and it's not, look, we're all businesses Like we understand that it doesn't fit within your budget or it's not what you're looking for, but we actively say, look, budget is a number, right, that's a number. What we're concerned about is long-term. And I know people are really time poor. I understand that. But you say, look, guys, it's too expensive. Or, yeah, clients are like no, like it's just quick because it's the right thing to do. But I know everyone's time poor. But please just come back. Yeah, it's a bit frustrating.

Ian Carless:

And if you weren't doing this, what would you be doing?

Jon Noonan:

Actually I don't know, probably be in prison or something Promoting stuff, yeah, I mean, that's really tough, it's a tough. It's great when you're young. Yeah, it, that's a really tough, it's a tough it's great when you're young. Yeah, it's fantastic, so the hours become a little bit well also. I'm in bed by the time now by the time. I was getting ready to go out, so I hear you sundown this is the new going out yeah, exactly, I love it.

Jon Noonan:

Yeah, I would probably try and make my wife do as much as possible to, as possible to support us and me retire with my two girls.

Ian Carless:

Lastly, one piece of advice you'd give to people wanting to get into the event industry.

Jon Noonan:

I think it comes down to. I think do what you love. I think that's if you don't love it, you're not going to last in it for stars, because if it's not a passion, there's no way you're putting the time in. So I think you have to do what you love. And what was really nice about the the one that I listened to with the event house guys is that they loved formula one and then they managed to lean into formula one. I thought that was fantastic. So I think it kind of says says to that. I didn't get to the end, but maybe they said similar but um, I think you've got to love it, because if you don't, you it's not going to work for you. And the amount of the amount of divorces and, you know, people being burnt out from it is so high that unless that love or passion's there, it's just not going to work. So, yeah, find, find there you love and go for it and mental health.

Ian Carless:

That's a big one we could spend another hour talking about.

Jon Noonan:

I won't get into that right now. 100%.

Ian Carless:

Last but not least, we ask all our guests this, and this one should be fairly easy for you, given your previous incarnations in work. What's on your playlist? I'm a music fan. I know you are. What's on your playlist right now?

Jon Noonan:

Right now I am listening, and this is going to be horrifying, but my Spotify has been hijacked by my daughters. Right now I am listening and this is going to be horrifying, but my Spotify has been hijacked by my daughters. Okay so, taylor Swift, taylor Swift, but more Sabrina Carpenter? Oh, of course, yes, but what I like listening to is I'm going back to a bit of the old school, a bit of old school hip hop, a bit of Jay-Z in the midst of a bit of U2. Yesterday, I tend to get in a groove of like being addicted to certain bits and I'm trying to sort of broaden it out. But yeah, going back to, I used to really love old school hip hop, so I'm getting back to that Fantastic Job.

Ian Carless:

Thank you very much for coming in on the podcast.

Jon Noonan:

It's a pleasure. Thanks so much for your time. Best of luck for the future. Thank you, cheers.

Ian Carless:

Event News DXB is brought to you by Minus 45 dB, the team transforming noisy event spaces into slick, sound-reduced environments. Check them out at minus45dbcom. This episode was presented by myself, ian Carlos, the studio engineer and editor was Roy DeMonte. Thank you.