“SO MUCH TO DO. LUCKY I PLAN ON LIVING TO 120!”

Will Glendinning

“SO MUCH TO DO. LUCKY I PLAN ON LIVING TO 120!”

Will Glendinning

PRODUCER, DESIGNER, ADVENTURER & ENTREPRENEUR

Will has been responsible for some of the most ambitious events, marketing campaigns and entertainment in recent history and has run and built multi-million pound businesses. He’s had his work praised in Parliament, is an author, speaker and regularly features in mainstream media. In between all of that he can be found off on weird an wonderful adventures.

Despite many doubters, Will made it through school and to one of the UK’s leading Universities: Warwick. In theory anyway, Will was studying Mechanical Engineering. The reality though was that Will wanted to put together large events. One of the largest events any University produced in the UK was the Warwick Law Ball. This meant Will had to join the Warwick Law Society, another prestigious organisation; traditionally preserved for top-flight lawyers. Joining the society required vigorous electioneering and campaigning.

It was through this process Will discovered what great creativity could do and in turn, with the election won, the power and impact of live events and activity. He also spent a great deal of time trundling round the country in his orange VW Beetle. And yes – he used to have hair too!

Will’s professional career began at Imagination, one of the largest and most respected design and event agencies on the planet. Initial years were spent touring shows and events around the globe before settling in for two years working on the Millennium Dome (remember that?).

Come 2000, Will spent his remaining years at Imagination on all manner of corporate events for some of the World’s best known brands and delivered two of the largest corporate events ever staged for the Ford Motor Company – requiring the construction of new roads and buildings across Europe and taking on some herculean challenges.

Will’s full CV can be found below.

Will joined Innovision in 2005 and became their Managing Director as the company went through rapid growth. In three busy years he helped double the turnover and significantly raised the company’s profile. As well as being MD, Will helped the Royal Navy celebrate the bicentennial of the Battle of Trafalgar and took full responsibility for the delivery of Le Grand Depart – when the Tour de France visited the UK in 2007 – to this day still the largest single event the UK has ever hosted. His work was praised in Parliament (UK Government) as an example of how major events should be delivered.

Will’s full CV can be found below.

Will’s entrepreneurial exploits began in 2008. Will founded Allium that year, a professional services firm transforming the business, creation and delivery of live events, in 2011 it became a multimillion pound company.

Highlights have included working on large swathes of activity as a supplier to the 2012 Olympics and Paralympic Games in London. Creating new major events from the ground up. Helping design and create business plans for new venues. He also helps other organisations and agencies and in 2014 was the Event Director of the NATO Summit in Wales – hosting 50 world leaders – he spent a great deal of time at No. 10.

Will also has interests in various online businesses.

The entrepreneuring continues, and Will still loves working on all manner of live events so works with and supports a wide range of event agencies, brands and public sector organisations.

Will’s full CV can be found below.

Will has literally written the book on live events, with one title specific to sports events “The Ultimate Guide to Event Management” published by SportsBusiness, and he has a second book looking at all things ‘live’ coming soon.

The Ultimate Guide to Event Management looks at the architecture of sports events and events associated with sport, and provides insight and practical advice.

For further information or to purchase the book visit Sport Business.

As a passionate advocate of the live medium and its possibilities, Will provides commentary on live events, the business surrounding them, creating them and making them happen.

He features regularly on mainstream TV and radio, in print and online.

His depth of experience and humorous anecdotes make his talks around the world fascinating, at times controversial and fascinating.

Get more info about Will’s appearances and features here.

Will’s passion for adventure can probably be traced back to his childhood and the improvised zip lines created between towering pine trees.

Later in life though, and free from any parental retribution,  Will’s adventures mainly involve snow or water. From exploring mountainous regions with little more than a helicopter and snowboard or, sailing to Antarctica to freedive under the ice and with stunning wildlife. Will’s adventures will continue . . . ‘space’ is just over (ok – well over) the horizon.

Below is a full CV, or the highlights anyway, of Will’s work throughout his career.

2008 – DATE: ALLIUM / CONTRACT SERVICES

Will founded Allium in 2008 to provide specialist services to those working across the live environment, and also produces and project manages live events and activity. Will also provides his own contract and freelance services trading as Allium. Highlights include:

Author

Author of  “Sports Event Management, The Ultimate Industry Guide”, published by SportBusiness’s book:

Design & Production

Event Director (on behalf of M-is) of the 2014 NATO Summit in Wales. The largest ever gathering of it’s type, hosting 50 world leaders over two days with delegates totalling 2,500 and media totalling 1,800.

Supporting the Greater London Authority with a range of cultural projects across the Mayor of London’s “Summer Like No Other” and the “London 2012 Festival”. Allium were the producers of the largest ever free outdoor arts festival across London with some 400 artists from countries around the world performing over 7 weeks.

Curated all the live entertainment inside the Olympic Park for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Design and development of an experiential ‘amorous’ light show on London’s South bank for Durex to promote a new product line.

Executive Producer of ‘Mysterious Circles’ for GPJ (George P Johnson) – a huge brand experience for Samsung spanning 3 continents to launch a range of marketing initiatives prior to the World Cup in 2014 World Cup in Rio. Projecting huge images across Sugarloaf Mountain and other mountains in Rio. Huge imagery across the screens of Times Square and an otherworldly installation of ‘crop circles’ and alien objects across London. Simultaneous action across three continents.

Produced the UEFA Champions Festival 2011 for the FA and UEFA, a huge festival with multiple sponsor pavilions and experiential marketing stands across a large portion of Hyde Park in London.

Created the Dextro Energy Triathlon World Championship London for Upsolut from the ground up. The elite and mass participation triathlon major sporting event in central London in 2009. Continued to support the event’s growth in 2010 and as it became a key test event in 2011 prior to the 2012 event.

The development and management of the One Movement (sport and cultural) festivals across the Olympic and Paralympic host boroughs in London for the East London Business Alliance (ELBA) and funded by the Olympic Lottery Distributor. Key legacy projects in 2011 and 2012 to get kids back into sport – a government commitment as part of its 2012 plans.

Specialist Consultancy

Consultancy and support to Argent on the redevelopment and potential event space in Gas Holder No. 8, part of the Kings Cross (London) regeneration.

Consultancy and support to Argent on the redevelopment of the Thomas Heatherwick designed victorian coal yard retail development at Kings Cross.

Consultancy for Transport for London in preparation for the return of Le Tour de France to London post 2007.

Consultancy to Russian agencies, helping with their expansion and development plans.

Design, development and delivery of the UK’s bid for the 2015 World Rowing Championships in Strathclyde, Scotland.

Consultancy and ongoing Project Management for the successful bid and subsequent planning of the 2018 European Sports Championships.

Procurement and contracting consultancy to London 2012– the organisers of the 2012 Olympics and Paralympic Games in London – on contracts up to c. £50m

Various projects across the sport, arts and marketing sectors; including consultancy for DCMS and The Royal Parks and a range of other activity.

2005 – 2008 INNOVISION

Will joined Innovision in 2005. Becoming Managing Director, Will saw the company become one of the most innovative and fastest-growing event and marketing agencies in the UK. Aside from running the company, specific project highlights included:

Tour de France in the UK, 2007

Will was Event Director (responsible for planning and delivery) of one of the largest and most successful events the UK has ever hosted. Le Grand Depart, the start of the Tour de France in London and Kent in 2007 for TfL. Recognised in Parliament as a proof of the UK’s ability and a model on which to base 2012 planning: http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2006-07/1865

Battle of Trafalgar . . . in 2005

Will was the Executive Producer of the Battle of Trafalgar bicentennial celebrations in London. A highly complex hour-long theatrical spectacle taking over London’s Trafalgar Square and surrounding architecture.

Will also worked on numerous ventures for, amongst other: the ECB, Vertu, Suzuki, Fiat, Saatchi & Saatchi, Sagatiba, NICE Car Company, The London Eye and One Earth and he also helped win the contract to stage the London leg of the Red Bull Air Race.

1997 – 2005: IMAGINATION

Will spent almost nine years at Imagination, one of the largest and most respected design and event agencies in the world. His work included: consultancy for the government of Qatar and the Asian Games (DAGOC). Development and subsequently authoring of proposals for the Athens 2004 Olympics (ATHOC) and Turin 2006 Winter Olympics ceremonies (TOROC). Successful development and execution of various projects from exhibitions and conferences through to concerts, ceremonies and entertainment for (amongst others): Ford, Mazda, RBS, British Telecom, UEFA / Euro 2004, New West End Committee, Barclays and Ericsson. Other notable highlights included:

Millennium Dome

One of three Project Managers responsible for the fast-track development, build and fitout of the enormous Journey Zone (for Ford) and Talk Zone (for BT) in the Millennium Dome, Greenwich.

Some of the World’s Largest Corporate Events

Will worked as Technical Director for vast car launches for Ford across Europe involving the building of roads and communication infrastructures, new buildings, complex experiential entertainment and various permanent and temporary works. Some of the largest corporate events in history.

International Financial Roadshows

Will successfully executed over 40 touring events, each of which typically visited 30 international cities across all continents in just two weeks. These roadshows were produced primarily to attract global investors to IPOs. Clients included NTT Do Co Mo, China Telecom, Alitalia and Argentaria.

 1994 – 1997 UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK

Mechanical Engineering Degree, BEng (Hons)