What do you like most about working for the industry?
I love the incredible amount of teamwork and ingenuity required to bring events to life. I’m also very inspired by the long lasting and life changing impact these experiences can have on those involved; not only those in the audience, but those on stage (from the novice to the seasoned professional) and the countless number of people working behind the scenes to make it all happen.
How and why did you end up working in the events industry?
I started performing as a youngster in my big brothers’ high-school musicals and continued to tread the boards for the next 20 or so years of my life. However, it was always the organisational and operational magic of the work going on behind the scenes that really inspired me. I started out in production and company management for theatrical shows, then managed operations of large music and cultural festivals, then worked in venue hire and concert and event management back in the likes of the theatres and music venues where it all began!
What do you like most about your role at Ungerboeck?
As a Customer Success Manager, I get the opportunity to work directly with customers to make sure they’re happy! What’s not to like!? I get to help make our software users’ lives easier by ensuring the system is set up and being used in a way that genuinely supports their needs and workflows. Honestly, the day I came across Ungerboeck’s mission statement - “Empowering people who bring people together” - I knew Ungerboeck was the right place for me as it felt like the perfect extension of everything I’ve loved about my roles in the industry to date.
What have been the lessons you’ve learned in the events industry?
That it takes a village! You simply can’t make an event happen without an incredible amount of teamwork - those who come up with the ideas and those who design it, those who tell others about it and those who come along, those who walk out onto the stage and those behind the scenes making it happen, those who supply and look after the venues and equipment and those managing the finances and reporting long after the curtain has come down and, of course, countless others! To truly acknowledge and appreciate the contribution of each person in putting on an event - this is what makes the experience so incredibly wonderful.
What is your best memory working in the performing arts industry?
I think my best memory would be calling my first stage show, donning the headset at the stage manager’s console in the darkness side-of-stage, feeling like the driver of a finely tuned state-of-the-art vehicle with an incredible team around me.
What are 3 words to describe Ungerboeck?
Extensive. Connected. Supportive.
When you think of the future of the events industry, what do you think will be the “next thing(s)” we are all talking about?
As an industry and as individuals, we have come through an incredible period of isolation, fragmentation, and immense challenge. As we reopen, rebuild, and recover, I feel that a focus on meaningful, engaged, connected and lasting communities is going to be key to our success; not just for those we appeal to, but for ourselves, our teams, and all those within our industry. The events industry has an incredible capacity to bring people together and it is an incredibly powerful place for this conversation to start, to resonate and to be amplified.
What keeps you busy, outside of work?
Outside of work my main joy is singing with a gorgeous swing-jazz band called The Swinging Cat’s Pyjamas and a choir, Vox Chops, and getting to perform around Melbourne at music venues, dance halls, wine bars, jazz clubs, folk festivals, and the like!
What’s the best concert or performance you have ever been to?
One of the most memorable performances that comes to mind is a production of the musical, Evita that was performed in the Minack Theatre near Land’s End in Cornwall. The venue is a truly breathtaking amphitheatre that is carved into the Cornish clifftops overlooking the Celtic Sea! The performance was wonderful, and the experience was truly unforgettable!
Tell us something about yourself that others might not know?
As some might be able to tell from my surname, I have Dutch heritage and, to fulfill the cliché, our family are heavily involved in flower farming! Several of my uncles, aunties, cousins, and brothers are involved in farming, distribution, and floristry – with my aunty being one of the largest growers of tulips in Victoria!