ADIPEC Opening Ceremony
In 2019 I served as Executive Producer with Action Impact for the Opening Ceremony of ADIPEC in Abu Dhabi – one of the world’s largest energy conferences.
The ceremony featured a keynote address by Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, CEO of ADNOC, alongside global industry leaders including Condoleezza Rice.
The stage design centred on a fully automated LED system, with large-format screens moving in choreographed sequences to support a narrative exploring the future of energy and data. At the time, it represented the largest deployment of LED technology for an event in Abu Dhabi and involved considerable research and development.
Delivered within a politically and commercially sensitive environment, the production required the integration of advanced stage automation, disciplined storytelling and careful stakeholder management – resulting in a measured and high-impact opening to a globally significant industry gathering.
Photo courtesy of Action Impact.
Samsung Mysterious Symbols
Serving George P. Johnson and their client Samsung Electronics, I served as Executive Producer on a confidential marketing campaign forming part of a global, multi-platform product launch.
Inspired by a fantasy sci-fi football narrative, the campaign followed elite players attempting to defend the world from an alien invasion – blending sport, spectacle and cinematic storytelling.
In the early phase, enigmatic symbols appeared across multiple cities and media channels with no overt brand attribution, building intrigue and anticipation.
The reveal unfolded overnight: oversized “football meteorites,” marked with the same enigmatic symbols, appeared embedded in a football pitch in East London. At the same time, the symbols dominated digital screens in Times Square, New York, and were projected onto Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro.
The synchronised activation created immediate international impact, culminating in the public unveiling of Samsung’s new device to a primed global audience.
Photo courtesy of George P. Johnson.
London 2012 Cultural Olympiad - Showtime
In 2012 I served as Executive Producer of Showtime, the largest free outdoor arts festival ever staged in London and a core component of the Mayor of London Presents programme within the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad to create a summer like no other on behalf of the Greater London Authority.
Working with producers: Bridey Watson, David Belshaw, Mel Wilds, Vashti Waite and Dave Reeves, Showtime extended the spirit of the Olympic and Paralympic Games beyond ticketed venues, delivering free, high-energy performances directly into high streets, parks and town centres across all 33 London boroughs.
Over the course of the Games period, the programme comprised approximately 5,000 performances by hundreds of artists, reaching live audiences in excess of half a million Londoners.
The festival operated as a distributed city-wide production model – simultaneously active across multiple boroughs – requiring coordination across local authorities, cultural partners and community stakeholders during one of the most high-profile periods in the capital’s history.
Showtime formed part of a mulitmillion pound cultural investment surrounding London 2012 and played a central role in ensuring the Games were experienced not only inside venues, but across the fabric of the city itself.
Photo courtesy of the Greater London Authority.
Photo courtesy of the Greater London Authority.
Photo courtesy of the Greater London Authority.
Photo courtesy of the Greater London Authority.
Photo courtesy of the Greater London Authority.
Photo courtesy of the Greater London Authority.
Photo courtesy of the Greater London Authority.
Photo courtesy of the Greater London Authority.
Photo courtesy of the Greater London Authority.
Photo courtesy of the Greater London Authority.
Photo courtesy of the Greater London Authority.
UEFA Champions League Festival
As Executive Producer, I led the delivery of the 2011 UEFA Champions Festival for UEFA and The Football Association. The eight-day, free-to-attend celebration was staged at Speakers’ Corner in Hyde Park ahead of the UEFA Champions League Final at Wembley Stadium.
Designed as the official fan hub for the Final, the Festival transformed Hyde Park into a large-scale football destination open to all – including those without match tickets.
The programme combined trophy experiences, live performance, interactive skills zones, coaching clinics, exhibition matches and curated heritage content celebrating the history of European competition.
Highlights included public access to both the men’s and women’s Champions League trophies, the “Ultimate Champions” exhibition match featuring international legends, a purpose-built 500-seat Theatre of Champions, and an official Museum of Champions showcasing rare memorabilia.
Ambassadors Gary Lineker and Graeme Le Saux supported the programme, which ran daily for eight consecutive days and culminated ahead of the Final at Wembley.
Delivered in one of London’s most visible public spaces, the Festival required close coordination across city authorities, security services, local residents and stakeholders, and UEFA – to create a free, inclusive and globally visible civic celebration around one of the world’s most-watched sporting events.
Fiat 500 Launch
Whilst Managing Director of Innovision, I served as Executive Producer for the launch of the Fiat 500 at the London Eye.
The brief was to reintroduce an iconic car through an equally iconic London landmark.
The evening combined a live concert featuring Mika and The Feeling with a globally broadcast brand event hosting hundreds of VIP guests.
In a defining moment, the new Fiat 500 was elevated within one of the Eye’s capsules to the top of the wheel, overlooking the London skyline.
Additional capsules were converted into live broadcast studios, enabling international media partners to share the launch with audiences worldwide.
Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is one of the United Kingdom’s most internationally recognised cultural events – a globally televised spectacle combining military precision, music and state-level ceremony.
I was appointed to work with the Tattoo its senior stakeholders and partners to explore and lead the creative development of new formats suitable for potential international presentation.
Extending a nationally symbolic institution into overseas environments required careful consideration of cultural diplomacy, host-nation sensitivities and the preservation of artistic and cultural integrity.
The work operated at the intersection of creativity, protocol and international partnership.
Photo: xlibber, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Dubai Parks and Resorts Grand Opening
In 2016 I served as Executive Producer at Action Impact for the Grand Opening of Dubai Parks and Resorts – then the largest theme park destination in the Middle East.
The brief – create a single, coherent opening experience spanning multiple global IPs, international stakeholders and senior government leadership.
We constructed a purpose-built theatre floating on the resort’s central lake and delivered a live production integrating film, music, character performance and emerging technology.
Opened by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the event featured a live performance by Academy Award-winning composer Alan Menken and incorporated the first large-scale drone show staged in the region.
With a cast including Shrek, The Smurfs and Legoland characters, it was a high-profile, technically complex and politically visible launch – designed to promote the UAE as a global entertainment destination. A full integrated multi-intellectual property spectacle under head-of-state visibility.
Photo courtesy of Action Impact.
Photo courtesy of Action Impact.
Photo courtesy of Action Impact.
Photo courtesy of Action Impact.
Photo courtesy of Action Impact.
Photo courtesy of Action Impact.
Photo courtesy of Action Impact.
Her Majesty The Queen's Platinum Jubilee
I served as Executive Producer for ‘A Gallop Through History’, working alongside Simon Brooks-Ward and HPower on a four-night production culminating in a live ITV broadcast watched by millions.
The event was attended by Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II – one of her final public appearances – placing the production at the centre of a moment of profound national significance.
With a cast of more than 1,000 performers, the show combined large-scale equestrian choreography, theatrical staging and live performance.
It was led by household names including Tom Cruise, Dame Helen Mirren, Damian Lewis, Omid Djalili, Adjoa Andoh, Gregory Porter, Martin Clunes, Keala Settle, Alan Titchmarsh and Katherine Jenkins.
This historic event required considerate creative development and seamless integration across broadcast, equestrian performance, royal protocol and live audience delivery within a highly visible national context.
Photo © Steve Parsons/PA - courtesy of HPower.
Tour de France
As overarching Event Director, working with the Mayor of London, Transport for London and the UK Government, I led the delivery of the Tour de France’s 2007 Grand Départ in London and the South East of the UK.
The event included an opening ceremony, the central London prologue, and Stage 1 running from London to Kent before the race continued to France.
At the time, it was without precedent in the UK. Many of the governance structures, operational templates and cross-agency models now considered standard practice had to be created.
More than 20,000 people worked on the event. Over two million attended in person. Hundreds of millions watched globally.
Its success was formally recognised in an Early Day Motion in Parliament as “an excellent showcase for the United Kingdom and its ability to stage major sporting events as London prepares to host the Olympic Games in 2012.”
It remains one of the defining demonstrations of what coordinated ambition with effective leadership can achieve at scale and established foundations for national event governance models.
Photo by John Pannell - CC BY 2.0 - via Wikimedia Commons
Events in Space
It was inevitable. Events, marketing and tourism are beginning to extend beyond Earth.
Weightless performances have already happened. Media stunts too. Now brands are exploring what meaningful presence in space might look like – beyond spectacle.
Most of these conversations are confidential. But I’m increasingly asked to help translate ambition into something real – concepts that are creatively compelling, technically viable and commercially grounded.
If you’re considering activity off-planet, let’s talk. I can still (for now) be found on Earth.