With the increased focus on all things virtual over the past few months, we thought it was high time we introduced you properly to our super-duper audio-visual (AV) technicians! Jose Hachuel and Liam Florence have been busy supporting the roll-out of our new online events service, but how did they come to be in the role?
After studying Journalism in his home country of Spain, Jose arrived in Glasgow and decided it was time for a career change so undertook a course in Sound Engineering (lucky for us!). After a stint at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Jose came to work at the Technology and Innovation Centre (TIC) and has been with us since June 2016.
Liam became a member of the team back in spring 2019 after studying Audio Technology at college in Aberdeen. With an impressive freelance career behind him working in theatres and at gigs, Liam thought it was time to settle down and find a permanent role. Fortunately for us, Glasgow and TIC ‘ticked’ all the boxes!
There have been a number of highlights for both Jose and Liam over the years, with one of the most noteworthy being a few years back when Jose filmed Rita Ora in concert! Of course, there are even more glamourous moments than that; working for the BBC for three days at the Scottish Curling Championships where Liam forgot his gloves so was sporting some rather fetching frostbite; the numerous trips to Edinburgh to assist with productions at the Edinburgh International Festival; visiting the very exotic Aberdeen to work at the Lemon Tree, a local music venue, and last but not least, a trip to the Emirates Arena just down the road to operate sound for a BBC broadcast at a recent boxing championship .
Working in the live events industry doesn’t come without its challenges though and both Liam and Jose have shown their ability to deal with difficult situations whilst under extreme time pressure. From problems with microphones, celebrities thinking they’re AV experts and tannoy systems not working as they should, ‘that moment when everything comes together’ provides a great feeling of satisfaction and a wonderful sense of pride.
Whilst Jose and Liam usually support our face-to-face events, 2020 saw them turn their attention to delivering events online which they have both fully embraced. Both keep up to speed with new technology by participating in online groups where they regularly share best practice and support fellow technicians across the world. This has set them in good stead over the past few months when they have been working with internal clients to produce events using our new OnAIR platform. When we asked what helpful tips they could give to future clients running an online event, they suggested:
- Make sure that all parties have a clear role including presenters, hosts, technicians and support staff
- Don’t forget that personnel is still required to make the event a success even though there isn’t a physical space to be managed
- Consider adapting the original face-to-face agenda to a friendlier online version with clear sections, plenty refreshment breaks and shorter plenaries and breakout sessions.
So, how do they envisage the future for both virtual and face-to-face events? Well, like all of us, Jose and Liam can’t wait to see our lovely clients and delegates back in TIC where people can interact and enjoy a much needed coffee and a chat. Whilst online events are a brilliant stop gap for keeping us connected and bringing people together in tough times, there’s nothing better than being in a bustling environment with colleagues and friends, when it is safe to do so. One clear advantage of online events is the positive impact they are having on sustainability and with live-streaming and hybrid events allowing people to attend meetings from across the globe without actually having to travel, it’s likely that the online element will be here to stay and may very well become the norm. If it does, then we’ll be ready! With Jose and Liam on the team, we’re good to go!
We’d love to hear from you if you have an idea for an online event so please do get in touch. As always, we’re here to help, it doesn’t have to be about events at all – if you just fancy a chat then we’re always happy to oblige. Stay safe everyone.