5 Things Event Professionals Can Learn From Extreme Unicycling
I started performing at live events aged 17 and for the bulk of my 12 year career, I made my living from the events industry. I even met my wife, an events coordinator herself, through my work and although I can't guarantee this article will help you pull, my experience at events; local, international, outdoor, indoor, televised or utterly forgettable, can give you a helping hand in coordinating, running or contributing to events of all kinds.
- People Skills
If you're a people working with people, this skill is essential but more than most, the events industry relies on communicating effectively with three very different peoples; your audience, your client and your team. There may be times where an audience is unresponsive to the mind-blowing, world class stunts they see before them. Your client may be ruthlessly demanding or your team mates may decide they won't do the agreed number of shows until they've drank their Red Bull from a bejewelled goblet. None of these problems can be resolved by trying to convince these parties that YOUR needs are more important. You also have to consider than some people are better motivated by carrots and some sticks. One of the most important skills I've managed to acquire over the years is that of emotional ju-jitsu; proposing solutions to my problems presented as in the better interest of the other party e.g. "I really like your idea but I think we could get you more by doing it like this". Of course, this isn't all Machiavellian tactics. If you truly have the needs of others at the heart of your decisions, everyone, including you, wins. Events are essentially a service industry, you are providing something, so always remember to find a way to provide something for everyone.
2. Flexibility
Familiarise yourself with Murphy's Law, because everything goes wrong, it makes you sound like you've managed to intellectualise the sh*t hitting the fan when it does. I don't think I've ever done a gig where what was planned, actually happened. Whether it be a power source not being provided, a performer being held up by travel disruption or the damp spectre that haunts every outdoor event in Britain, the rain. You'll always need a plan B. It's actually a very liberating concept and means you'll never be at the mercy of circumstance. Always be able to work in a smaller space. Always be able to go longer or shorter than the allotted time you thought you had. If you're working outdoors, there's obviously a limit to what you can do with inclement weather but always try and find something to contribute. When my team and I performed at the World Endurance Championship, a 4 hour race event in Bahrain, we were provided with staging that was set up when we got there, with no prior knowledge of how well it would suit our display. Being a motor racing event, once the race started, the deafening noise of engines meant the banter from our MC, the music and every other audio element was rendered mute. You make it work and by staying flexible, you always bring value.
3. Organisation
Another no brainer but staying organise will save you time, money and probably add years on your life. I'm totally disorganised, most of the time. I'm the kind of guy who is so comfortable and confident in my ability to execute numbers 1 and 2 above, that it's almost a badge of honour to be disorganised and still survive. Sadly, to date, I am yet to receive such a badge. Arrive early. If you need a pass to enter, make sure you have it. If there are road closures, make sure you know when and where and get there with plenty of time. We regularly perform at Ride London, Europe's largest free cycling event, where the roads around central London and the City are closed for families to ride their bikes. Due to poor organisation, I ended up abandoning my car in the shadow of St Paul's Cathedral and running to Guildhall. At a Sky Ride show, a now defunct series of local events to promote cycling, we ended up driving our cars through a public park, like some urban rally, in order to avoid road closures. Documentation like risk assessments and insurance should be easily accessible. I'd recommend keeping copies in the cloud so you're not reliant on a single hard drive. Send your invoice off before the event. Your client may not process it until after but the last thing you want is to not get paid because you can't be bothered doing admin. If you have equipment, bring spares. Invest in some travel chargers that hook up to your car or additional battery packs to avoid the dreaded black screen.
4. Experience
It's the same old dichotomy, you can't get a job without experience but you can't get experience without the job. This is a tricky one and you really need to be strict with yourself but I would recommend, the first year of establishing your career, be prepared to work for as little as possible, perhaps nothing. If you can go to a client and volunteer in exchange for experience/exposure, not only does it show initiative and a work ethic, you're providing them with something for nothing so you have an immediate advantage. The opportunity that was the catalyst for me becoming a professional Unicyclist, was performing as part of "Transgression", a 30 day Extreme Sports show in the Edinburgh Fringe, featuring (now adays) international superstar Danny MacAskill. I got paid exactly 0p but I was 19 years old and this was a chance to be in the guide book, the local press, on the same stage as some of the greatest entertainers in history, a stage which many pay to be on. Whether or not said exposure/experience directly contributed to my success, it was a crash course in intensive performance and it gave me the confidence to create a career. Now, you MUST place a deadline on this. Inevitably, if people get something for half price, they won't value it at full price. That's why, back in the day, you'd only ever go to Pizza Express and the cinema on Orange Wednesday. If you give a client something for free, they will expect it for free, so make it clear what you're offering and where you stand with the offer. This doesn't just apply to people like me working as independent contractors. My first job was as a gym instructor and I got it because I offered to work for free in exchange for the experience and by the end of my first day, I'd been offered a full time position. Any opportunity to get your foot in the door, to make contacts, to work with famous brands, in your first year, should be grasped with both hands. However, come year 2 or 3, the art now becomes in only saying yes to the right things. In the creative industry, there are so many jobs available if you're willing to be paid in "exposure". First of all, exposure won't keep your lights on but second, not all exposure is dollars, some of it is Ugandan shillings.
5. Do Your Research
And this brings us full circle as this relates to People Skills. If you are working for a prestigious company, if your events are based around comic books, plumbing, a famous charity, music, sports etc. you MUST have at least a basic knowledge on that subject. I'm not suggesting you waste hours watching division 3 football games to prepare you for working at Wembley stadium but if you are putting on an event for a certain demographic, it's likely those attending have a passion for it. If you can, in some small way, identify, understand and maybe even share that passion, you're going to take your people skills to the next level. Merely for practicality, if someone asks you a question about your company or what they do and you can't answer it, you look disinterested at best and foolish at worst. From my point of view, if I'm pitching to an event that has a specific theme attached, I start my email off displaying a basic understanding of that theme. I may even design my pitch in order to tailor what I'm offering. If you think this has a limit, here's the most obscure example I can provide. Back in 2016, we had the pleasure of performing at the Royal Highland Show, one of the biggest agricultural shows in the UK. When pitching to them, I suggested that rather than our normal obstacles, we integrate a tractor. They thought it was a great idea and we got the job. Now, I could probably write an entire article entitled "How an Extreme Unicyclist got his hands on a tractor" but needless to say, that bespoke approach, went a long way. Do your research, know your clients inside out and you'll produce a working relationship that's unique and tailored to their needs.
If you'd like to hear more about my experience, if you want to hire me to work on your event or if you need help finding a tractor, drop me a message and let's continue the conversation.