Mark Currie
Head of Operations, The Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland
Recent past?
I have worked in events for the last 12 years. I’ve done a bit in sport, culture, TV and more recently music. I had the pleasure of working in Glasgow with DF Concerts for seven years where I was heavily involved in multiple stadium shows, green field concerts and my old favourite – T in the Park. I was lucky enough to work alongside some of the best minds in the business on some brilliant shows including Take That, The Stone Roses, the Killers, One Direction and many more.
Before that?
I studied Events and Entertainment Management in Glasgow and mixed a thin timetable with as much volunteering and work experience as I could get. After a spell in London with Endemol UK doing a couple of different TV shows I decided I preferred the glamour of mud, fencing and Portaloos and stayed in Glasgow for the rest of my degree working mainly with Glasgow Life on their sport and cultural events calendar. As much as I enjoyed the graft and multiple variations of being the ‘tea boy’s tea boy’, it was good to finally be involved with some real high profile projects. During this time I learned a lot under a good leader, Colin Hartley, and this helped shape my move on to DF Concerts.
Now?
I am now the Head of Operations for the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS), based at the Royal Highland Centre in Edinburgh. Day to day, I head up a team of 17 staff who are responsible for the maintenance of the facilities and estate, as well as providing support to the 200 events which we see at the venue throughout the year. The venue is a 300-acre site made up of six exhibition indoor exhibition spaces, 150 acres of car park and 150 acres of prime Showground. We are located next to the growing Edinburgh Airport and the main motorway links into the City. We can host multiple events on any given day and each day is completely different from the last. Each year we plan, deliver and host the prestigious Royal Highland Show where we see almost 200,000 attendees over 4 days. In the two years since I arrived, we have been investing heavily in the venue facilities to ensure that we not only enhance our existing client base experience, but are also attracting new and exciting events to the Centre.
Vision?
My personal vision for the venue is one of growth and enhancement. The key elements of scale and location are already established and with a focused plan of continued investment. We have created a brand new outdoor music arena space, which can host a full touring production and 40,000 screaming fans, and more recently we have upgraded our 1-mile racing circuit within the Showground to reignite the upcoming Ingliston Revival classic motoring festival in 2017. Our indoor halls now have the facilities to match their unrivalled flexibility and our brand new car parks will be attractive for any event. We will ultimately achieve this vision by creating a low risk venue option for all event organisers. The site provides fully plumbed internal and external toilets so no need for mass Portaloo bills, as well as miles of hardstanding that will help cut back on trackway, a full perimeter fence line, CCTV, lighting, high-speed fibre and a robust utilities provision.
Best Moment?
Throughout my career I have been lucky enough to have some cracking moments and memories. T in the Park certainly gave me some stories to dine out on for a while; however, probably my best moment came at this year’s Royal Highland Show. When I went for the interview for the job, the RHASS board put an issue to me, which had been causing them issues for decades. Each year, the conflict of livestock and people was inevitable as the main parades entered and egressed from the main ring. This led to long delays and the potential for a high-risk situation to arise. For the 2016 Show, I designed, on the back of a fag packet, a livestock crossing that put the animals over the top of the people. With a great design team and contractor in place, we built the crossing in record time and had it in place for the Show. So, my best moment was when the first Clydesdale horse passed over the top of an amazed crowd below and we knew we had succeeded and done it in style. The tunnel below is now kitted out with LEDs and we had some excellent creative from a local graffiti artist who has helped us create a spectacle in the middle of the Showground. A huge success!
Is Scotland the Perfect Stage?
It really is. Scotland, and in particular Glasgow, has invested incredibly well in recent years to establish itself as a safe pair of hands for any event. Our wee country has the beauty, history and people to add a touch of uniqueness to any concept, and it is complimented by modern facilities and a robust bank of professionals with the required experience to deliver them. Our global reputation continues to grow, however it is essential that government and local authorities continue to fund and support the growth of this exciting and vibrant industry.
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