August 7, 2025 • 35 mins
Jon Noonan: Transforming Event Spaces - One Decibel At A Time!
From student nightclub promotions to supplying global iconic events like Wimbledon, Royal Ascot, and Formula One, John Noonan has seen many sides of the event industry. As founder of Thorns Group, he takes us behind the scenes of event logistics - where 400 staff, 15 site managers and 150 lorry movements make the difference between chaos and success.
John also introduces his latest innovation: -45db - modular, sound-reduced structures that solve one of the industry’s toughest challenges, delivering up to 45 decibels of noise reduction for exhibition and event spaces.
Plus, his bold prediction: why Dubai is set to become the global center of events and why this should matter to every industry professional.
Production Credits:
Presented by: Ian Carless
Studio Engineer & Editor: Roy D'Monte
Executive Producers: Ian Carless & Joe Morrison
Produced by: EventNewsDXB & W4 Podcast Studio
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Ian Carless (00:19):
Thank you.
Lead or part of an in-houseteam.
I hope that this podcast givesyou some practical takeaways,
fresh perspectives and a deeperunderstanding of how things
really get done in one of theworld's most fast-moving event
markets.
And for season two, I'm superpleased to let you know that
Event News DXB is brought to youby Minus 45 dB, the team
(00:41):
transforming noisy event spacesinto slick, sound-reduced
environments.
From full-size conferencetheatres to compact meeting pods
, minus45db builds modularspaces that are quiet,
customisable and completelyturnkey, and they're sustainable
too smart design with zerowaste.
Check them out at minus45dbcom.
(01:06):
In this week's episode, I sitdown with John Noonan, an event
professional whose career spanseverything from promoting
student club nights in the UK tosupplying some of the biggest
events in the world, includingWimbledon, royal Ascot and
Formula One.
We talk about how he evolvedfrom nightlife into large-scale
logistics, why the supply chainis the backbone of every
(01:26):
successful event and how COVIDreshaped the relationship
between organisers and suppliers.
John also shares his thoughtson innovation, including his new
venture, minus 45 dB, and thedevelopment of modular,
sound-reduced structures thatare changing how we think about
space at events and exhibitions.
But what really stood out forme this week is John's take on
(01:48):
the Middle East market.
He believes this region isn'tjust growing, it's becoming the
global hub for the eventindustry, and if it's not on
your strategic roadmap, itprobably should be.
So let's get into it.
John, welcome to the podcast.
(02:12):
Hello, how are you doing?
I'm good.
Thank you very much.
Let's jump straight into it,shall we?
How did you get into events?
Jon Noonan (02:19):
It's an interesting question that and I have heard
some of your other ones and it'sone that you always ask.
It is.
I was listening to one earlierthis morning as well, and so
mine was very much along thatfalling into it.
I was saying before I was atthe university in Leeds.
Ian Carless (02:30):
Yeah.
Jon Noonan (02:31):
And every time I went out in Leeds I think for me
university was more of adrinking education as opposed to
university education.
Ian Carless (02:40):
Funny, that isn't it?
Jon Noonan (02:41):
Yeah, I mean, and Leeds is a great city, yeah, so
every time I went out I used tohave a few people that I bring
with me and then that kind ofgrew and grew and grew ending up
in promoting nightclubsfundamentally.
So it started with one night inone city and then a friend of
mine set up a business and wegrew to 15 nights across 15
(03:01):
cities across all UK, one of thebiggest student club night
operators in the UK.
And it was literally that sofrom going from drinking too
much to bringing loads of peopleto parties kind of got me into
events.
And then I felt like I got toocool for Chesney Hawks and
putting Chesney Hawks intonightclubs.
So I started more lifestylestuff so like Paul Van Dyck,
(03:25):
tiesto, sort of more culturalevents, yeah, and for things
like Gatecrasher and people solike those more iconic brands.
So I did that for a few years.
All the festivals, so all of thebig festivals like Leeds,
reading, coachella and all ofthose across the world.
And then I think I had my fillof festivals and went into sort
of more corporate, so moved sortof like upstream of it into the
supply chain, so bought afurniture company called thorns
(03:47):
group.
Okay, and thorns group does allof the large-scale events.
So formula one, grand prix,wimbledon, royal ascot on the
event side and on the exhibitionside all of the large
organizers for for that.
So there's a bit of a fall intoit.
Ian Carless (04:01):
Yeah, and then figure out what it looks like
when you're in it was there apoint for you where you kind of
went oh, hold on a minute, this,this, I'm actually quite
serious about this.
This has gone beyond something.
I just started university forfun, and obviously later you
went on to make money from it.
But at what point did you kindof go, huh it's a really good
question because I don't know.
Jon Noonan (04:19):
Basically because I think event I don't think
there's another industry whichis more enjoyable, and I think
that's the end product is thething, isn't it?
Yeah, so it's kind of like Ivery much had an ethos around as
long as you're enjoying it,then carry on with it and see
where it leads.
And then I was kind of in it.
I didn't know what else I coulddo.
To be honest with you, I mean,I've been doing it for so long.
(04:41):
He's kind of if I wasn't to dowhat else to go from a nightclub
promoter and that was a moveinto that more corporate sales
and marketing function.
Yeah, was my attempt to try andmove away from that events
thing.
Yeah, but I just can't get awayfrom it.
I don't know what else I woulddo.
I generally don't.
What did you study sport andrecreational development?
I mean it was, it was atrocious, I mean it's.
(05:03):
I was saying to Jack, who'sjust started with us, on the way
over here actually, that thepeople like that geared me up to
be a manager of a leisurecentre.
I mean that's what that degreereally sort of gave me.
So that's probably not who I am.
So luckily I fell into events,Otherwise I'd be in some
(05:23):
recreation centre.
Ian Carless (05:24):
So you moved on.
You bought a furniture rentalcompany.
I think that's now obviouslyevolved.
I don't know if it was at thetime, but it's now evolved into
the Thorns Group.
Tell us about the sort of scaleand scope of your operations
then across the UK, and I thinkyou're branching out here now as
well.
Jon Noonan (05:41):
Yeah, so for Thorns Group.
So I've got two companies,thorns group and minus 45 db.
So on thorns group we do.
So scale wise, on site rightnow we've probably got in the
region three, four hundred staff.
So the run of the summer, thesummer, is well and truly
amongst like on us.
So we go from chelsea flowershow, amd core flower show into
(06:01):
wimbledon, into Royal Ascot,into Formula One Grand Prix that
whole summer season.
So scale-wise it'scomprehensive.
It's 55 full-time staff, 400part-time staff.
I think we'll do 200 lorrymovements this week of goods in
goods out Warehousing of aquarter of a million square foot
in the UK Service in UK andEurope.
(06:24):
I think in June we'll probablybe in 15 countries delivering
events.
So it's a comprehensiveoperation.
Ian Carless (06:33):
Am I right in thinking that it wasn't this
size when you bought it?
Jon Noonan (06:36):
No, it wasn't.
No, no, no.
So we've grown, yeah.
I mean, the growth has been,interestingly, that pre the big
C that everybody in events lovestalking about.
That was obviously catastrophicfor us, yeah, but the output of
that, I think that managed torealign a lot of things for a
lot of people.
So, supply chain-wise, I thinkthat gave the supply chain the
(06:59):
opportunity to actually realizetheir value and that pushback
from look, look, we all knowthat everyone's got a p&l on the
budget to hit, I think a lot ofthe time that we absorbed that
as suppliers.
And I think what covid provedwas the supply chain is
absolutely integral toeverything with regards to
(07:21):
events, because without a supplychain it doesn't happen.
Yeah, yeah.
So that allowed us to realigneverything, reset everything and
then coming out, our firstevent was Formula One Grand Prix
, which was the test event forthe British government.
Ian Carless (07:33):
Not a bad one to come back with.
What was it about that part ofthe events industry that, really
, that made you take the plungeinto that?
Jon Noonan (07:40):
Because it was left field.
I mean the organisation side ofthings.
It was too long in the toothfor me.
I've done it for so many yearsand I've been like, truthfully,
we've been burnt from a lot ofcompanies where they either
folded or and left me high anddry.
So I wanted to find somethingwhich is a little bit more
secure.
And looking at exhibitions,exhibitions happen every single
year, like you know, on thewhole.
(08:01):
You know big ones, like if youtake the stuff like jitex and
arab health and all of those,they happen every single year,
so there's some security in that.
And then you're dealing with,like, big operators, so you're,
there's a little bit moresecurity in that.
So the security, really thatmade me go into that side of
things and that changed fromlifestyle for family.
I want to be around for my kids, like my daughters.
(08:23):
I've got two young daughters,my wife, I.
I want to be around for themand I don't think that that
event, life, gives you theopportunity to be present on a
whole, like all the time, andnot that this does, but it gives
me more opportunity to be morepresent with my, my family yeah
so that was quite a big driverfor me now, obviously you didn't
go into it blind.
Ian Carless (08:44):
You were.
You're part of the eventindustry anyway.
Yeah, what parts of thebusiness have surprised you in
the years since I?
Jon Noonan (08:50):
think people think that it's really easy to move a
piece of furniture from here tohere and in principle it is.
So I try to frame our businessas we're a logistics company
which just so happens to movefurniture, and the reason I do
that is because the back enginelike anybody can buy this table,
like we could buy 100 of thesetables we could buy 100 black
(09:12):
ones or white ones, yellow ones,anybody can do that but what is
that engine behind it to makethat happen?
So when you're deliveringmultiple events, when you're
organizing 400 staff on site,you've got 15 full-time site
managers, you've got wholeoperations function.
You've got 150 lorry movements,you've got all of those pieces.
But then you've got to move apiece from there to here, but
it's got to go back here to getquality checked and then back
(09:34):
out.
That at volume is quite franklyterrifying and I don't know how
I have an amazing team like theteam are absolutely incredible
which has allowed me to developminus 45 db.
Without those guys it wouldn'tbe possible yeah but that is
horrifying, like when you walkin and you see lorries leaving
(09:56):
backwards and forwards.
You've got your warehouses fullof people cleaning, prepping,
loading.
Just that engine is absolutelyastonishing.
Yeah, and I definitelyunderestimated that.
Ian Carless (10:10):
Well, we'll come on to minus 45 dB in a minute, but
I wanted to stick with yourevent company first.
What trends are you seeing nowin the industry?
With your event company first,what trends are you seeing now
in the industry, and are you ledby design first or sort of
client demands for want of abetter word.
Jon Noonan (10:25):
Yeah, that's a good question.
I think that my preference isalways collaborative.
So what I would like is, if wetake a marquee event, say
Wimbledon or the Grand Prix orsomething like that, my
preference would always be thatwe sit with the clients, we
understand what they want toachieve from and, look, we're a
(10:45):
small part of the puzzle, likewe are, we're furniture.
But I think when you turn up toan event, whilst we are the
lackeys of, you know of theevent world, the structures are,
you know, all the big, the bigboys that come in.
We're last in, first out.
We have plenty of furnitureshere.
Come on, just hurry up, whichwe're okay with.
But it makes a big impact.
When you walk into a room, thefurniture is actually probably
(11:07):
the first.
People just take the structuresfor granted because they're
there.
But people really pay attentionto the furniture when they come
in, whether it's good, bad orindifferent.
So we like to sit with clientsand look what is a five-year
plan?
What does that look like?
How can we phase the furniturefrom year one?
So if, if you take a tieredhospitality, it might be year
(11:27):
one, the furniture that weinvest in goes into the premium
suites and then you can phasethat through.
So really sort of be morestrategic about what the look
and feel because it's part ofwhat look and feel of the event
looks like.
So that's our preference.
We do operate.
We try to move away fromtransactional just because it's
we want long-term relationships.
As soon as it's transactionalit's kind of like I want 10
(11:47):
chairs, 10 tables.
It's like okay, cool, there'sno depth to it and I think that
comes in like the relationshipsthat we need to build in that
for longevity.
We far rather the consultative,long-term approach as opposed
to that transactional, but we doboth.
Ian Carless (12:06):
Now moving on.
I know you've started a newbusiness Minus 45DB.
Do you want to tell us a bitabout that?
Yeah, it's a really excitingbusiness.
Jon Noonan (12:15):
What?
Ian Carless (12:16):
is it?
Jon Noonan (12:17):
Oh yeah, what is it?
Yeah, good shout, yeah, talkingas if everybody knows how
indulgent of me.
So we've got patent granted onthe product.
So it's a modular, a soundreduced modular structure
company and that is anythingfrom a 2.4 meter by 2.4 meter up
to a 10.8 by 50 meters andeverything is sound reduced as
(12:43):
up to 45 decibels and currentlyis in internal, so anything in
temporary structure or withinvenue.
But we've also just had a testbuild in the UK for our outdoor
structure, which should becoming in January 26th.
So if you imagine a temporarystructure, an exhibition hall,
and you want to do breakoutmeetings or podcast rooms or
keynote theatres or anythinglike that that can be branded,
(13:07):
that it's air conditioned, thatit's sound reduced, that can be
built really quickly, then thisis a solution.
Ian Carless (13:13):
Okay, what prompted you to move in this direction?
Was this something that youwere getting demand for or from
clients, or was it somethingthat you were out one day and
went?
Hmm?
Jon Noonan (13:22):
Yeah, it was a bit of both.
Within Thornsfield we've got adraping company and the draping
offers, woolsears Drape offers12 to 18 decibel reduction.
Right, it's ungainly, it'sunsightly.
It serves a purpose for certainscenarios.
Yeah, ungainly, it's unsightly,it's, it serves a purpose for
certain scenarios.
Yeah, but I've been to so manyshows and so many events where
(13:44):
you walk in and you I mean youcan't hear any, like you can't
hear anything you're trying tohear.
Everybody I'm speaking to issaying that this is an issue.
So about seven years ago westarted developing version one
and me and my ox director, I,was like I need to do this.
And he says the venn diagramthat I I used on that was speed
of putting it up.
It's got to be quick for events, so it has to be one or two
days, like that's it.
(14:04):
The sound reduction has toachieve a sufficient level to be
comprehensive enough, but nottoo much, because of the other,
the speed and the price.
And if we can find somethingthat sits in the middle of that,
I think we've got something.
And then version 37 is the onewe launched and we could have
gone to 40, 50, 60, but it tookseven years.
(14:26):
I was like, right, we have tocome out with something,
otherwise we'll just bedeveloping this forever in a
warehouse and never come tomarket.
So that's where it came from.
So it was that understandingthat everybody was talking about
it.
Nothing existed, so wedeveloped it, and it seems weird
me saying it's a really goodproduct.
Ian Carless (14:41):
Is this something you've done in-house, then?
Because I think to myself, okay, I want to make a soundproof
room, you know, and you talkabout seven years of, obviously,
development.
I'm sort of thinking to myself,okay, if I wanted to make a
soundproof room, who would Icall?
Yeah, quite, or were you?
Were you fortunate that,obviously with the team in the
background that you have, thatyou were able to do this
in-house, or have you had to goout of house as well for help in
(15:02):
developing this?
Jon Noonan (15:02):
So all the IP and we own all of it, but we have
obviously engaged withspecialists so to make sure.
So the first starting point waswhat's actually possible?
So we do an attenuation report,which is a sound report in all
fundamental, of what the, thesound, ambient sound, is, and
then you identify what part ofthe wave we want to reduce and
(15:25):
then we start start building.
So you start structured.
So does that work?
No, does this work?
No, right, okay, well, we'refinding that the my operations
director is is great at gettingstuff done.
So it's kind of like well,that's not good enough.
Find another, another solution.
Yeah, that stage too long.
Find another solution.
And then we've got variousexperts that we draw upon to
offer advice.
(15:46):
So it's not been all in-house,but we manufacture all.
We've got our solemanufacturing partner who has
been helping with us with thedevelopment.
We've got the patent granted,which is great, fantastic.
We've got the patent granted,which is great, and we've got
global patent pending and so sothat's great.
But yeah, it's a combination.
You know, there's only onecompany in the world that does
the locking mechanisms thatwe've managed to find and we've
(16:07):
had to modify them and stufflike.
So it's been a bit of a laborof love really what's been the
trickiest part of this?
Ian Carless (16:13):
because, I mean, I'm by no means an expert in the
area of sound, but obviouslyrunning a podcast studio and my
background was televisionproduction before, so I am sort
of familiar with the area and Iam also familiar with how
difficult it is, for example, tosoundproof a room.
Yeah, and I think that's animportant distinction is that
you're not offering soundproofstructures you're offering
(16:33):
dampened yes, so what's been themost you know.
Immediately then, when you saidthe interlocking part, I know, I
know I I have an old airstreamtrailer that we converted into a
into a podcast studio as well,and trying to do the sound
dampening, for that was, yeah,it was a nightmare the shape.
So yeah, the shape, and thenand then the other thing was
just like you know, obviouslyit's old, it's 1950 something.
(16:56):
So metal gaps it's metal, it'sa tin can isn't it the gaps?
between the I mean windows don'thelp as well, and then you know
the seals between the windows.
There's so many things, there'sso many areas where I know
sound can leak through both inand out, and in your case, when
you're designing something forexhibitions, you're trying to
keep the noise out.
So what's been the trickiestpart of this thing develop?
(17:17):
I mean, you mentioned theinterlocking thing.
I can imagine that might.
For me, that raises a red flag.
Jon Noonan (17:22):
Yeah, the modularity of it is a challenging part and
this is so inherently.
That is the challenge, becausepeople and you're absolutely
right to do the distinctionbetween soundproofing and
sound-reduced and I've steeredaway from it completely to say,
look, I will say to you it's notsoundproof, but I don't think
the layman actually appreciatesthe difference.
So we don't say soundproof.
(17:44):
The amount of people that havesaid to me is this soundproof?
Is this soundproof?
I'm like no, it's not.
I'm like, oh, I'm like no, it'ssound reduced, like soundproof
is, like that's not this, notthis, this is sound reduced.
And until you speak to anexpert, that is a nuance, it is
a considerable nuance, is, andtrying to get that across to
people is is a challenge nowI've seen, obviously there's a,
(18:06):
there's, you know the the smallsort of sound, soundproof, sound
dampened booths that you seethey've become quite commonplace
now.
Ian Carless (18:13):
I mean in the cafe next door, for example, yeah,
there's a small, almosttelephone booth size.
That's right.
What's the big?
You mentioned it earlier, I'veforgotten.
But what's the biggeststructure that you can build and
what stops you going beyondthat?
Jon Noonan (18:25):
the biggest one is 10.8 meters by 50 meters long.
Right, the thing that stops isthat is the structural
calculations, so the weightoverhead.
So it's probably worth saying,because we're an ip like
intellectual-led company,there's always developments
going on.
We've already got 4.5 metersinternal clearance on the radar,
wider than 10.8 meters, doubletier, double decks.
(18:48):
All of this stuff is in thebackground being worked on, but
it's structural calculations, sowe will be able to do it.
It's just a matter of where dowe prioritize that?
Everyone that we've beenspeaking to, and globally, had
been talking about indoor,outdoor.
So the outdoor solution for usis the obvious next thing, which
is why we prioritize that, andwe've got our, you know, test
(19:08):
build.
That happened last week,another one next week yeah so
that will come out.
As soon as that's out, we canthen look at four and a half
meters bigger.
I mean, we're constantly beingasked can it do this, can it do
this, can it?
And it's like either yes, itcan, or it will be able to.
Ian Carless (19:22):
You know we take that stuff seriously I've got a
bit of a nerdy question for youthere.
I know you mentioned the theattenuation report that you did,
and obviously you've must havecome away with a sort of an
average of the sort of, like youmentioned, ambient noise levels
that works for inside aconference or an exhibition
space.
How does that differ foroutdoors?
Jon Noonan (19:40):
yeah, that's a good question.
I don't know yet.
No, no, exactly, just quicklymake a phone call.
Yeah, I don't know the.
It's going to be interestingwith regards to that because and
particularly for the outdoor,because it will be built on deck
.
So you then got an addedchallenge around sound coming
(20:01):
underneath, which you don't havewhen it's built on venue floor.
Yeah, so there's a whole hostof stuff.
So what we tend to do is, oncewe know that we can build it and
it's the right build, then westart doing the attenuation
reports to understand whatthat's like, because we've got a
solution that works.
Now it's, what does that looklike?
And we think that some of theso we lay on heavy deck or on we
(20:25):
can put some like dampening,yeah, before we lay on, so we
don't think there's gonna beanything from underneath.
But then that external ambientnoise, yeah, is a bit of a is a
bit of a challenge, but we thinkwe've overcome it.
But the test builds that we'vegot we think it's okay and yeah,
and to your point, we're nottrying to get zero right.
So what we're trying to do is asignificant reduction versus a
non-soundproof solution.
Ian Carless (20:46):
Yeah, and I'm guessing there must be
limitations as well.
I mean whether you're indoorsor outdoors.
I mean, you know if metallicaset up next door, if you know
you're gonna hear them.
Yeah, you know if an ambulancegoes by or a fire engine or
whatever.
There's obviously those one-offnoises that do occur and
there's no way around thosereally.
Jon Noonan (21:04):
Exactly.
Ian Carless (21:04):
Without building a completely soundproof room,
which is just not going to becost effective.
Jon Noonan (21:08):
Yeah, and that's hopefully people understand that
, and I think the people thatwe're engaged with and this is
why I'm so fervent in sayingthat we're not sound like.
I don't want anybody to thinkthat we're soundproof.
It's not taken away from whatwe do, because what we do is
fantastic, but it's just arather set a level of
expectation of what what it is.
It's a really good product, butif you want soundproof, speak
(21:29):
to a sound specialist to buildit and it'll cost you the cost
of the house.
Yeah, so speak to those guys.
It's not us.
Yeah, we'll do your temporarystuff.
It can be built really quickly.
You can build it in two days ora day and take it down and
store it for you and then bringit back next year.
We can do that really well.
Your clients and customers havean amazing event.
(21:49):
But if it's soundproof you want, then speak to a specialist.
Ian Carless (21:53):
And so so far, then .
I mean, I know you justlaunched it in this market, but
in the UK, for example, what arethe applications that people
are using this for the most?
Jon Noonan (22:03):
Yeah, I think there's been bites of weird and
wonderful ones.
There's some really cool,particularly when you start
getting those experientialagencies.
There's some really cool briefsof roadshows, like global
roadshows, various large-scaleevents or what it might be like
deep experiential events wherethere you want to use it as an
(22:25):
immersive studio or immersivewalkthrough with back-to-back
linking rooms.
So all of that stuff's reallycool and that's what we get
excited about because in allintents and purposes without
speaking about my company it's ablack box right.
So it's trying to get thatbreadth of thought, which is
where the experiential agenciesbecause they're so creative,
they can see the potential in it.
(22:45):
So when you start talking forthe big agencies and the small
agencies, but the creativeagencies, they get it, they see
it and they're like, oh, wow, ifonly I could have a
sound-reduced space.
And that's why we kind of callit sound reduce spaces, because
create the space.
You know we can put baffling inso you can create an experience
.
That's when people get it thereyou can start.
And because we're early on thejourney, it's going to take a
(23:06):
bit of time to to get there, butas soon as they do and as soon
as somebody uses it or youintroduce them to it.
I love sitting in front of.
We've just had um a, our firstoriginal director starting at
UAU, and I've spent a couple ofweeks out here with him.
Jack and I go into a meetingand I'll say, just so you know,
this is what tends to happen, soI introduce this and then this
(23:28):
happens and then they'll askquestions and this thing he was
sat there and he's going, thisguy, of course.
And the first meeting we sat inthere was eight people and it
followed that and he was likewalked out.
He's like, oh my gosh, bro, andhe's just people engage with it
straight away and it's really,really refreshing Because when
(23:50):
they see it, they just get itand it's like he's creating.
I'm used to trying to talk topeople about furniture Everyone.
I'm used to trying to talk topeople about furniture Everyone.
And you speak to any you speakto, like all the structure, boys
and stuff.
They're like oh, I'm trying toget rid of my furniture.
And here I am, can I speak toyou about furniture?
And they're like, oh God, justgo away.
And now it's like when youspeak to like those or anybody
(24:11):
else, it's kind of like, oh,actually it's quite nice to
actually be wanted a little bitbecause furnished people we hate
it.
Ian Carless (24:16):
Yeah, now you mentioned you're just setting up
here in the UAE.
How's the experience of beingworking here in the Middle East,
in terms of setting up abusiness and operating, versus
back in the UK?
Jon Noonan (24:28):
It always comes back to culture.
I think and I'm not naive orarrogant enough to think that
we're just going to come intothe region and it's going to be
like everything's's going to besort of like you know, singing
daisies or whatever but that thecultural difference is.
I've spent a lot of time outhere, so I've been out here for
two and a half years regularlyto try and understand and and
(24:50):
get underneath the skin of it.
I think there are certainpositive, like everything
positives and and challenges.
I think the positives are Ithink this region is open for
business and it's.
It's so refreshing and I thinksomebody else mentioned it and I
think it might have been umevent house where, like when I
go back to the uk, it's almostlike a deflating balloon and I
(25:12):
don't mean that in, you knowlike it's just constantly
talking about recession or howbad the government's doing or
how events are struggling.
And then you come out here andeveryone's talking about how
amazing it is and it's just thatmindset and I know they're two
very different markets.
But when you come out here youwalk away buoyed because it's
like, oh, he's driving, everyoneseems to be driving forward.
(25:34):
Now the example I try to use iswe were looking at warehousing
and I was just taking on a newwarehouse in in the uk and I had
to go through four months oflegals and I sat with the agent
just to try and get thecontracts drawn up and make sure
.
Landlord and I sat with theagent in jebel ali and uh, and I
said so, uh, trying to get myschedule sorted.
(25:56):
I said so, uh, you know, if Iwas to, you know agree terms now
like when could I be in?
And he was like, well, if yougive me the checks, we'll come
back to that today.
You can be in on friday, that'sright.
This is like this is wednesday.
I was like, and then, and thenI was like checks, so so I can
walk through the airport withouthaving to take my passport out,
but you know, I've got to giveyou a check.
(26:18):
It's like bizarre.
So that that dichotomy between,um, driving things forward and
then still having that sort oflegacy stuff was, is, is a
challenge and I think oncethings are set up it's better,
but it's quite.
It can be quite challengingjust because it feels like and
again, it's because we're notI'm not used to it in the uk, I
(26:40):
know what to do over here it'slike it feels like I need to do
this and then I'll do it andthey go oh no, you need to do
this and this.
Now.
It's like cool, oh, now youneed to do this and it just
feels like it's what you knowstart, stop, start, stop.
But the cultural piece I thinkthe the most exciting thing
about this is that the region isbooming and it's really
(27:01):
refreshing and people are reallyengaged and you can go from
meeting the biggest agencies inthe world to some tiny agencies
and everyone's the same and it'squite collaborative, which you
don't get in the UK.
So in the UK everyone's quitesiloed and quite isolated,
whereas here people are morethan willing to say oh, do you
know what you need to speak to,and do an introduction.
(27:22):
And I was saying to Jack thatit's like a breadcrumb thing
where you speak to one and theysay, oh, you need to speak to
this person, and then you followthat and then you go oh, no,
you need to speak to thesepeople, and then the support
that we've had out here.
So, people, it's been fantastic, you know saying I know you
should be speaking to these,these people, because they're,
you know, great at doing x, yand z, whereas you wouldn't
necessarily get that in the uk.
So there's quite a lot oflearning in there.
(27:44):
But I think that also comesfrom a place of like, being
humble, like I mean it's, it'sokay to how else you're going to
get into a region as a smallbusiness.
You can't just come in thinkingyou're like big shot, you've
got to.
You know humbly be asked forsupport, I suppose yeah.
Ian Carless (28:01):
Just this is not related, but as somebody who, as
I said, who's worked acrossmultiple markets, what do you
think the perception is of Dubaias an event destination is
outside of Dubai.
Jon Noonan (28:14):
Changing.
Ian Carless (28:15):
In what sense?
Jon Noonan (28:17):
I think it's going to be centre of the world.
I think you're to be centre ofthe world.
I think your.
My personal opinion is I thinkif this isn't part of your
strategic plan, then youprobably need to readdress it.
Wow, and the reason I think thatis because the way that the
government's set up here is thatthey are driven by one sole
(28:41):
thing, which is driving thisregion forward.
And even if you think about the, the stuff that's happening
with regards to airports wherethey're moving the airports, to
why they're moving that, what'shappening with dubai world trade
center, expo city world youstart looking at all of those
interactions about the strategicmoves that they're all making
and then you start thinkingbroaden that about the routes in
(29:01):
.
So some of the stuff that'sgoing on, that goes on at the
airport with regards to chargesfor airlines and all it's all
driven to drive people into theregion.
So I think they did 55 millionpeople into they had to buy last
year.
Yeah, I think they want to do150 million in the next 10 years
, per year, in 10 years time.
So imagine how easy it is foran event organizer to go with
(29:23):
thousands of hotels.
There's a plane coming inprobably every 10 seconds from
all over the world.
It's central for everybody.
The weather's great on the wholebeen a bit hot recently, yeah,
but on the whole, very, veryit's got everything you know
levels of service, hotels,amazing.
So and people say it'ssaturated.
(29:44):
I don't think it is, but I meanit's not for me to say I'm not
an expert.
I mean all these agencies thatsay it's saturated is right for
them.
But I think there's going to beso many more events.
Expo City wants to do 300events a year, I think yeah
that's right.
They're going to make it happen,you know, I think they're going
to make it, so I think it'd beremiss to ignore it.
I think you need to re.
I mean, that's why we're here.
Yep, you know, we see it, wesee it.
(30:06):
It's that's why we're here.
This is the second place thatwe're opening after our, the
place that we know.
Yeah, so we're in region.
You know, we're not operatingfrom the UK.
We're housing here, officeshere, stock in region, ready to
go.
We're here, you know.
So I think that's a key bit,because some of the optics, some
(30:26):
of them is, yeah, we're in UAE.
It's like, you know, youhaven't got an office got no
staff, you know.
Ian Carless (30:33):
I know it says it on the bottom of your website
Exactly, but yeah, I can bethere in 12 hours, exactly.
Well done, before we wrap up,I've got a couple of quick fire
questions for you, fairly quickfire anyway.
One event you'll never forgetbeing part of and it's probably
for the wrong reasons, actually.
Jon Noonan (30:50):
That's all right, it doesn't matter it's got to be
uh, summer sound system 2007,which was uh prodigy, chemical
brothers, hot chip and markronson, and we had to cancel on
the sunday because somebodybuilt was staged the wrong way
and the wind blew the rain inand chemical brothers wouldn't
go on stage because they wereafraid of getting electrocuted
(31:13):
well, you probably just answeredthe next quick fire question,
which was most high stressmoment you've had to manage on
site.
that that was quite highlystressful.
Yeah, biggest pet peeve in acreative brief.
I mean we could spend an houron that.
Yeah, we could.
I would like to.
If there was one thing I couldchange, and it was one thing, it
would be Please come back andsay and it's not, look, we're
(31:36):
all businesses Like weunderstand that it doesn't fit
within your budget or it's notwhat you're looking for, but we
actively say, look, budget is anumber, right, that's a number.
What we're concerned about islong-term.
And I know people are reallytime poor.
I understand that.
But you say, look, guys, it'stoo expensive.
Or, yeah, clients are like no,like it's just quick because
(32:00):
it's the right thing to do.
But I know everyone's time poor.
But please just come back.
Yeah, it's a bit frustrating.
Ian Carless (32:04):
And if you weren't doing this, what would you be
doing?
Jon Noonan (32:06):
Actually I don't know, probably be in prison or
something Promoting stuff, yeah,I mean, that's really tough,
it's a tough.
It's great when you're young.
Yeah, it, that's a really tough, it's a tough it's great when
you're young.
Yeah, it's fantastic, so thehours become a little bit well
also.
I'm in bed by the time now bythe time.
I was getting ready to go out,so I hear you sundown this is
(32:28):
the new going out yeah, exactly,I love it.
Yeah, I would probably try andmake my wife do as much as
possible to, as possible tosupport us and me retire with my
two girls.
Ian Carless (32:41):
Lastly, one piece of advice you'd give to people
wanting to get into the eventindustry.
Jon Noonan (32:46):
I think it comes down to.
I think do what you love.
I think that's if you don'tlove it, you're not going to
last in it for stars, because ifit's not a passion, there's no
way you're putting the time in.
So I think you have to do whatyou love.
And what was really nice aboutthe the one that I listened to
with the event house guys isthat they loved formula one and
(33:06):
then they managed to lean intoformula one.
I thought that was fantastic.
So I think it kind of says saysto that.
I didn't get to the end, butmaybe they said similar but um,
I think you've got to love it,because if you don't, you it's
not going to work for you.
And the amount of the amount ofdivorces and, you know, people
being burnt out from it is sohigh that unless that love or
(33:28):
passion's there, it's just notgoing to work.
So, yeah, find, find there youlove and go for it and mental
health.
Ian Carless (33:33):
That's a big one we could spend another hour
talking about.
Jon Noonan (33:36):
I won't get into that right now.
100%.
Ian Carless (33:39):
Last but not least, we ask all our guests this, and
this one should be fairly easyfor you, given your previous
incarnations in work.
What's on your playlist?
I'm a music fan.
I know you are.
What's on your playlist rightnow?
Jon Noonan (33:53):
Right now I am listening, and this is going to
be horrifying, but my Spotifyhas been hijacked by my
daughters.
Right now I am listening andthis is going to be horrifying,
but my Spotify has been hijackedby my daughters.
Okay so, taylor Swift, taylorSwift, but more Sabrina
Carpenter?
Oh, of course, yes, but what Ilike listening to is I'm going
back to a bit of the old school,a bit of old school hip hop, a
(34:14):
bit of Jay-Z in the midst of abit of U2.
Yesterday, I tend to get in agroove of like being addicted to
certain bits and I'm trying tosort of broaden it out.
But yeah, going back to, I usedto really love old school hip
hop, so I'm getting back to thatFantastic Job.
Ian Carless (34:31):
Thank you very much for coming in on the podcast.
Jon Noonan (34:33):
It's a pleasure.
Thanks so much for your time.
Best of luck for the future.
Thank you, cheers.
Ian Carless (34:42):
Event News DXB is brought to you by Minus 45 dB,
the team transforming noisyevent spaces into slick,
sound-reduced environments.
Check them out at minus45dbcom.
This episode was presented bymyself, ian Carlos, the studio
engineer and editor was RoyDeMonte.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Lead or part of an in-houseteam.
I hope that this podcast givesyou some practical takeaways,
fresh perspectives and a deeperunderstanding of how things
really get done in one of theworld's most fast-moving event
markets.
And for season two, I'm superpleased to let you know that
Event News DXB is brought to youby Minus 45 dB, the team
(00:41):
transforming noisy event spacesinto slick, sound-reduced
environments.
From full-size conferencetheatres to compact meeting pods
, minus45db builds modularspaces that are quiet,
customisable and completelyturnkey, and they're sustainable
too smart design with zerowaste.
Check them out at minus45dbcom.
(01:06):
In this week's episode, I sitdown with John Noonan, an event
professional whose career spanseverything from promoting
student club nights in the UK tosupplying some of the biggest
events in the world, includingWimbledon, royal Ascot and
Formula One.
We talk about how he evolvedfrom nightlife into large-scale
logistics, why the supply chainis the backbone of every
(01:26):
successful event and how COVIDreshaped the relationship
between organisers and suppliers.
John also shares his thoughtson innovation, including his new
venture, minus 45 dB, and thedevelopment of modular,
sound-reduced structures thatare changing how we think about
space at events and exhibitions.
But what really stood out forme this week is John's take on
(01:48):
the Middle East market.
He believes this region isn'tjust growing, it's becoming the
global hub for the eventindustry, and if it's not on
your strategic roadmap, itprobably should be.
So let's get into it.
John, welcome to the podcast.
(02:12):
Hello, how are you doing?
I'm good.
Thank you very much.
Let's jump straight into it,shall we?
How did you get into events?
Jon Noonan (02:19):
It's an interesting question that and I have heard
some of your other ones and it'sone that you always ask.
It is.
I was listening to one earlierthis morning as well, and so
mine was very much along thatfalling into it.
I was saying before I was atthe university in Leeds.
Ian Carless (02:30):
Yeah.
Jon Noonan (02:31):
And every time I went out in Leeds I think for me
university was more of adrinking education as opposed to
university education.
Ian Carless (02:40):
Funny, that isn't it?
Jon Noonan (02:41):
Yeah, I mean, and Leeds is a great city, yeah, so
every time I went out I used tohave a few people that I bring
with me and then that kind ofgrew and grew and grew ending up
in promoting nightclubsfundamentally.
So it started with one night inone city and then a friend of
mine set up a business and wegrew to 15 nights across 15
(03:01):
cities across all UK, one of thebiggest student club night
operators in the UK.
And it was literally that sofrom going from drinking too
much to bringing loads of peopleto parties kind of got me into
events.
And then I felt like I got toocool for Chesney Hawks and
putting Chesney Hawks intonightclubs.
So I started more lifestylestuff so like Paul Van Dyck,
(03:25):
tiesto, sort of more culturalevents, yeah, and for things
like Gatecrasher and people solike those more iconic brands.
So I did that for a few years.
All the festivals, so all of thebig festivals like Leeds,
reading, coachella and all ofthose across the world.
And then I think I had my fillof festivals and went into sort
of more corporate, so moved sortof like upstream of it into the
supply chain, so bought afurniture company called thorns
(03:47):
group.
Okay, and thorns group does allof the large-scale events.
So formula one, grand prix,wimbledon, royal ascot on the
event side and on the exhibitionside all of the large
organizers for for that.
So there's a bit of a fall intoit.
Ian Carless (04:01):
Yeah, and then figure out what it looks like
when you're in it was there apoint for you where you kind of
went oh, hold on a minute, this,this, I'm actually quite
serious about this.
This has gone beyond something.
I just started university forfun, and obviously later you
went on to make money from it.
But at what point did you kindof go, huh it's a really good
question because I don't know.
Jon Noonan (04:19):
Basically because I think event I don't think
there's another industry whichis more enjoyable, and I think
that's the end product is thething, isn't it?
Yeah, so it's kind of like Ivery much had an ethos around as
long as you're enjoying it,then carry on with it and see
where it leads.
And then I was kind of in it.
I didn't know what else I coulddo.
To be honest with you, I mean,I've been doing it for so long.
(04:41):
He's kind of if I wasn't to dowhat else to go from a nightclub
promoter and that was a moveinto that more corporate sales
and marketing function.
Yeah, was my attempt to try andmove away from that events
thing.
Yeah, but I just can't get awayfrom it.
I don't know what else I woulddo.
I generally don't.
What did you study sport andrecreational development?
I mean it was, it was atrocious, I mean it's.
(05:03):
I was saying to Jack, who'sjust started with us, on the way
over here actually, that thepeople like that geared me up to
be a manager of a leisurecentre.
I mean that's what that degreereally sort of gave me.
So that's probably not who I am.
So luckily I fell into events,Otherwise I'd be in some
(05:23):
recreation centre.
Ian Carless (05:24):
So you moved on.
You bought a furniture rentalcompany.
I think that's now obviouslyevolved.
I don't know if it was at thetime, but it's now evolved into
the Thorns Group.
Tell us about the sort of scaleand scope of your operations
then across the UK, and I thinkyou're branching out here now as
well.
Jon Noonan (05:41):
Yeah, so for Thorns Group.
So I've got two companies,thorns group and minus 45 db.
So on thorns group we do.
So scale wise, on site rightnow we've probably got in the
region three, four hundred staff.
So the run of the summer, thesummer, is well and truly
amongst like on us.
So we go from chelsea flowershow, amd core flower show into
(06:01):
wimbledon, into Royal Ascot,into Formula One Grand Prix that
whole summer season.
So scale-wise it'scomprehensive.
It's 55 full-time staff, 400part-time staff.
I think we'll do 200 lorrymovements this week of goods in
goods out Warehousing of aquarter of a million square foot
in the UK Service in UK andEurope.
(06:24):
I think in June we'll probablybe in 15 countries delivering
events.
So it's a comprehensiveoperation.
Ian Carless (06:33):
Am I right in thinking that it wasn't this
size when you bought it?
Jon Noonan (06:36):
No, it wasn't.
No, no, no.
So we've grown, yeah.
I mean, the growth has been,interestingly, that pre the big
C that everybody in events lovestalking about.
That was obviously catastrophicfor us, yeah, but the output of
that, I think that managed torealign a lot of things for a
lot of people.
So, supply chain-wise, I thinkthat gave the supply chain the
(06:59):
opportunity to actually realizetheir value and that pushback
from look, look, we all knowthat everyone's got a p&l on the
budget to hit, I think a lot ofthe time that we absorbed that
as suppliers.
And I think what covid provedwas the supply chain is
absolutely integral toeverything with regards to
(07:21):
events, because without a supplychain it doesn't happen.
Yeah, yeah.
So that allowed us to realigneverything, reset everything and
then coming out, our firstevent was Formula One Grand Prix
, which was the test event forthe British government.
Ian Carless (07:33):
Not a bad one to come back with.
What was it about that part ofthe events industry that, really
, that made you take the plungeinto that?
Jon Noonan (07:40):
Because it was left field.
I mean the organisation side ofthings.
It was too long in the toothfor me.
I've done it for so many yearsand I've been like, truthfully,
we've been burnt from a lot ofcompanies where they either
folded or and left me high anddry.
So I wanted to find somethingwhich is a little bit more
secure.
And looking at exhibitions,exhibitions happen every single
year, like you know, on thewhole.
(08:01):
You know big ones, like if youtake the stuff like jitex and
arab health and all of those,they happen every single year,
so there's some security in that.
And then you're dealing with,like, big operators, so you're,
there's a little bit moresecurity in that.
So the security, really thatmade me go into that side of
things and that changed fromlifestyle for family.
I want to be around for my kids, like my daughters.
(08:23):
I've got two young daughters,my wife, I.
I want to be around for themand I don't think that that
event, life, gives you theopportunity to be present on a
whole, like all the time, andnot that this does, but it gives
me more opportunity to be morepresent with my, my family yeah
so that was quite a big driverfor me now, obviously you didn't
go into it blind.
Ian Carless (08:44):
You were.
You're part of the eventindustry anyway.
Yeah, what parts of thebusiness have surprised you in
the years since I?
Jon Noonan (08:50):
think people think that it's really easy to move a
piece of furniture from here tohere and in principle it is.
So I try to frame our businessas we're a logistics company
which just so happens to movefurniture, and the reason I do
that is because the back enginelike anybody can buy this table,
like we could buy 100 of thesetables we could buy 100 black
(09:12):
ones or white ones, yellow ones,anybody can do that but what is
that engine behind it to makethat happen?
So when you're deliveringmultiple events, when you're
organizing 400 staff on site,you've got 15 full-time site
managers, you've got wholeoperations function.
You've got 150 lorry movements,you've got all of those pieces.
But then you've got to move apiece from there to here, but
it's got to go back here to getquality checked and then back
(09:34):
out.
That at volume is quite franklyterrifying and I don't know how
I have an amazing team like theteam are absolutely incredible
which has allowed me to developminus 45 db.
Without those guys it wouldn'tbe possible yeah but that is
horrifying, like when you walkin and you see lorries leaving
(09:56):
backwards and forwards.
You've got your warehouses fullof people cleaning, prepping,
loading.
Just that engine is absolutelyastonishing.
Yeah, and I definitelyunderestimated that.
Ian Carless (10:10):
Well, we'll come on to minus 45 dB in a minute, but
I wanted to stick with yourevent company first.
What trends are you seeing nowin the industry?
With your event company first,what trends are you seeing now
in the industry, and are you ledby design first or sort of
client demands for want of abetter word.
Jon Noonan (10:25):
Yeah, that's a good question.
I think that my preference isalways collaborative.
So what I would like is, if wetake a marquee event, say
Wimbledon or the Grand Prix orsomething like that, my
preference would always be thatwe sit with the clients, we
understand what they want toachieve from and, look, we're a
(10:45):
small part of the puzzle, likewe are, we're furniture.
But I think when you turn up toan event, whilst we are the
lackeys of, you know of theevent world, the structures are,
you know, all the big, the bigboys that come in.
We're last in, first out.
We have plenty of furnitureshere.
Come on, just hurry up, whichwe're okay with.
But it makes a big impact.
When you walk into a room, thefurniture is actually probably
(11:07):
the first.
People just take the structuresfor granted because they're
there.
But people really pay attentionto the furniture when they come
in, whether it's good, bad orindifferent.
So we like to sit with clientsand look what is a five-year
plan?
What does that look like?
How can we phase the furniturefrom year one?
So if, if you take a tieredhospitality, it might be year
(11:27):
one, the furniture that weinvest in goes into the premium
suites and then you can phasethat through.
So really sort of be morestrategic about what the look
and feel because it's part ofwhat look and feel of the event
looks like.
So that's our preference.
We do operate.
We try to move away fromtransactional just because it's
we want long-term relationships.
As soon as it's transactionalit's kind of like I want 10
(11:47):
chairs, 10 tables.
It's like okay, cool, there'sno depth to it and I think that
comes in like the relationshipsthat we need to build in that
for longevity.
We far rather the consultative,long-term approach as opposed
to that transactional, but we doboth.
Ian Carless (12:06):
Now moving on.
I know you've started a newbusiness Minus 45DB.
Do you want to tell us a bitabout that?
Yeah, it's a really excitingbusiness.
Jon Noonan (12:15):
What?
Ian Carless (12:16):
is it?
Jon Noonan (12:17):
Oh yeah, what is it?
Yeah, good shout, yeah, talkingas if everybody knows how
indulgent of me.
So we've got patent granted onthe product.
So it's a modular, a soundreduced modular structure
company and that is anythingfrom a 2.4 meter by 2.4 meter up
to a 10.8 by 50 meters andeverything is sound reduced as
(12:43):
up to 45 decibels and currentlyis in internal, so anything in
temporary structure or withinvenue.
But we've also just had a testbuild in the UK for our outdoor
structure, which should becoming in January 26th.
So if you imagine a temporarystructure, an exhibition hall,
and you want to do breakoutmeetings or podcast rooms or
keynote theatres or anythinglike that that can be branded,
(13:07):
that it's air conditioned, thatit's sound reduced, that can be
built really quickly, then thisis a solution.
Ian Carless (13:13):
Okay, what prompted you to move in this direction?
Was this something that youwere getting demand for or from
clients, or was it somethingthat you were out one day and
went?
Hmm?
Jon Noonan (13:22):
Yeah, it was a bit of both.
Within Thornsfield we've got adraping company and the draping
offers, woolsears Drape offers12 to 18 decibel reduction.
Right, it's ungainly, it'sunsightly.
It serves a purpose for certainscenarios.
Yeah, ungainly, it's unsightly,it's, it serves a purpose for
certain scenarios.
Yeah, but I've been to so manyshows and so many events where
(13:44):
you walk in and you I mean youcan't hear any, like you can't
hear anything you're trying tohear.
Everybody I'm speaking to issaying that this is an issue.
So about seven years ago westarted developing version one
and me and my ox director, I,was like I need to do this.
And he says the venn diagramthat I I used on that was speed
of putting it up.
It's got to be quick for events, so it has to be one or two
days, like that's it.
(14:04):
The sound reduction has toachieve a sufficient level to be
comprehensive enough, but nottoo much, because of the other,
the speed and the price.
And if we can find somethingthat sits in the middle of that,
I think we've got something.
And then version 37 is the onewe launched and we could have
gone to 40, 50, 60, but it tookseven years.
(14:26):
I was like, right, we have tocome out with something,
otherwise we'll just bedeveloping this forever in a
warehouse and never come tomarket.
So that's where it came from.
So it was that understandingthat everybody was talking about
it.
Nothing existed, so wedeveloped it, and it seems weird
me saying it's a really goodproduct.
Ian Carless (14:41):
Is this something you've done in-house, then?
Because I think to myself, okay, I want to make a soundproof
room, you know, and you talkabout seven years of, obviously,
development.
I'm sort of thinking to myself,okay, if I wanted to make a
soundproof room, who would Icall?
Yeah, quite, or were you?
Were you fortunate that,obviously with the team in the
background that you have, thatyou were able to do this
in-house, or have you had to goout of house as well for help in
(15:02):
developing this?
Jon Noonan (15:02):
So all the IP and we own all of it, but we have
obviously engaged withspecialists so to make sure.
So the first starting point waswhat's actually possible?
So we do an attenuation report,which is a sound report in all
fundamental, of what the, thesound, ambient sound, is, and
then you identify what part ofthe wave we want to reduce and
(15:25):
then we start start building.
So you start structured.
So does that work?
No, does this work?
No, right, okay, well, we'refinding that the my operations
director is is great at gettingstuff done.
So it's kind of like well,that's not good enough.
Find another, another solution.
Yeah, that stage too long.
Find another solution.
And then we've got variousexperts that we draw upon to
offer advice.
(15:46):
So it's not been all in-house,but we manufacture all.
We've got our solemanufacturing partner who has
been helping with us with thedevelopment.
We've got the patent granted,which is great, fantastic.
We've got the patent granted,which is great, and we've got
global patent pending and so sothat's great.
But yeah, it's a combination.
You know, there's only onecompany in the world that does
the locking mechanisms thatwe've managed to find and we've
(16:07):
had to modify them and stufflike.
So it's been a bit of a laborof love really what's been the
trickiest part of this?
Ian Carless (16:13):
because, I mean, I'm by no means an expert in the
area of sound, but obviouslyrunning a podcast studio and my
background was televisionproduction before, so I am sort
of familiar with the area and Iam also familiar with how
difficult it is, for example, tosoundproof a room.
Yeah, and I think that's animportant distinction is that
you're not offering soundproofstructures you're offering
(16:33):
dampened yes, so what's been themost you know.
Immediately then, when you saidthe interlocking part, I know, I
know I I have an old airstreamtrailer that we converted into a
into a podcast studio as well,and trying to do the sound
dampening, for that was, yeah,it was a nightmare the shape.
So yeah, the shape, and thenand then the other thing was
just like you know, obviouslyit's old, it's 1950 something.
(16:56):
So metal gaps it's metal, it'sa tin can isn't it the gaps?
between the I mean windows don'thelp as well, and then you know
the seals between the windows.
There's so many things, there'sso many areas where I know
sound can leak through both inand out, and in your case, when
you're designing something forexhibitions, you're trying to
keep the noise out.
So what's been the trickiestpart of this thing develop?
(17:17):
I mean, you mentioned theinterlocking thing.
I can imagine that might.
For me, that raises a red flag.
Jon Noonan (17:22):
Yeah, the modularity of it is a challenging part and
this is so inherently.
That is the challenge, becausepeople and you're absolutely
right to do the distinctionbetween soundproofing and
sound-reduced and I've steeredaway from it completely to say,
look, I will say to you it's notsoundproof, but I don't think
the layman actually appreciatesthe difference.
So we don't say soundproof.
(17:44):
The amount of people that havesaid to me is this soundproof?
Is this soundproof?
I'm like no, it's not.
I'm like, oh, I'm like no, it'ssound reduced, like soundproof
is, like that's not this, notthis, this is sound reduced.
And until you speak to anexpert, that is a nuance, it is
a considerable nuance, is, andtrying to get that across to
people is is a challenge nowI've seen, obviously there's a,
(18:06):
there's, you know the the smallsort of sound, soundproof, sound
dampened booths that you seethey've become quite commonplace
now.
Ian Carless (18:13):
I mean in the cafe next door, for example, yeah,
there's a small, almosttelephone booth size.
That's right.
What's the big?
You mentioned it earlier, I'veforgotten.
But what's the biggeststructure that you can build and
what stops you going beyondthat?
Jon Noonan (18:25):
the biggest one is 10.8 meters by 50 meters long.
Right, the thing that stops isthat is the structural
calculations, so the weightoverhead.
So it's probably worth saying,because we're an ip like
intellectual-led company,there's always developments
going on.
We've already got 4.5 metersinternal clearance on the radar,
wider than 10.8 meters, doubletier, double decks.
(18:48):
All of this stuff is in thebackground being worked on, but
it's structural calculations, sowe will be able to do it.
It's just a matter of where dowe prioritize that?
Everyone that we've beenspeaking to, and globally, had
been talking about indoor,outdoor.
So the outdoor solution for usis the obvious next thing, which
is why we prioritize that, andwe've got our, you know, test
(19:08):
build.
That happened last week,another one next week yeah so
that will come out.
As soon as that's out, we canthen look at four and a half
meters bigger.
I mean, we're constantly beingasked can it do this, can it do
this, can it?
And it's like either yes, itcan, or it will be able to.
Ian Carless (19:22):
You know we take that stuff seriously I've got a
bit of a nerdy question for youthere.
I know you mentioned the theattenuation report that you did,
and obviously you've must havecome away with a sort of an
average of the sort of, like youmentioned, ambient noise levels
that works for inside aconference or an exhibition
space.
How does that differ foroutdoors?
Jon Noonan (19:40):
yeah, that's a good question.
I don't know yet.
No, no, exactly, just quicklymake a phone call.
Yeah, I don't know the.
It's going to be interestingwith regards to that because and
particularly for the outdoor,because it will be built on deck
.
So you then got an addedchallenge around sound coming
(20:01):
underneath, which you don't havewhen it's built on venue floor.
Yeah, so there's a whole hostof stuff.
So what we tend to do is, oncewe know that we can build it and
it's the right build, then westart doing the attenuation
reports to understand whatthat's like, because we've got a
solution that works.
Now it's, what does that looklike?
And we think that some of theso we lay on heavy deck or on we
(20:25):
can put some like dampening,yeah, before we lay on, so we
don't think there's gonna beanything from underneath.
But then that external ambientnoise, yeah, is a bit of a is a
bit of a challenge, but we thinkwe've overcome it.
But the test builds that we'vegot we think it's okay and yeah,
and to your point, we're nottrying to get zero right.
So what we're trying to do is asignificant reduction versus a
non-soundproof solution.
Ian Carless (20:46):
Yeah, and I'm guessing there must be
limitations as well.
I mean whether you're indoorsor outdoors.
I mean, you know if metallicaset up next door, if you know
you're gonna hear them.
Yeah, you know if an ambulancegoes by or a fire engine or
whatever.
There's obviously those one-offnoises that do occur and
there's no way around thosereally.
Jon Noonan (21:04):
Exactly.
Ian Carless (21:04):
Without building a completely soundproof room,
which is just not going to becost effective.
Jon Noonan (21:08):
Yeah, and that's hopefully people understand that
, and I think the people thatwe're engaged with and this is
why I'm so fervent in sayingthat we're not sound like.
I don't want anybody to thinkthat we're soundproof.
It's not taken away from whatwe do, because what we do is
fantastic, but it's just arather set a level of
expectation of what what it is.
It's a really good product, butif you want soundproof, speak
(21:29):
to a sound specialist to buildit and it'll cost you the cost
of the house.
Yeah, so speak to those guys.
It's not us.
Yeah, we'll do your temporarystuff.
It can be built really quickly.
You can build it in two days ora day and take it down and
store it for you and then bringit back next year.
We can do that really well.
Your clients and customers havean amazing event.
(21:49):
But if it's soundproof you want, then speak to a specialist.
Ian Carless (21:53):
And so so far, then .
I mean, I know you justlaunched it in this market, but
in the UK, for example, what arethe applications that people
are using this for the most?
Jon Noonan (22:03):
Yeah, I think there's been bites of weird and
wonderful ones.
There's some really cool,particularly when you start
getting those experientialagencies.
There's some really cool briefsof roadshows, like global
roadshows, various large-scaleevents or what it might be like
deep experiential events wherethere you want to use it as an
(22:25):
immersive studio or immersivewalkthrough with back-to-back
linking rooms.
So all of that stuff's reallycool and that's what we get
excited about because in allintents and purposes without
speaking about my company it's ablack box right.
So it's trying to get thatbreadth of thought, which is
where the experiential agenciesbecause they're so creative,
they can see the potential in it.
(22:45):
So when you start talking forthe big agencies and the small
agencies, but the creativeagencies, they get it, they see
it and they're like, oh, wow, ifonly I could have a
sound-reduced space.
And that's why we kind of callit sound reduce spaces, because
create the space.
You know we can put baffling inso you can create an experience
.
That's when people get it thereyou can start.
And because we're early on thejourney, it's going to take a
(23:06):
bit of time to to get there, butas soon as they do and as soon
as somebody uses it or youintroduce them to it.
I love sitting in front of.
We've just had um a, our firstoriginal director starting at
UAU, and I've spent a couple ofweeks out here with him.
Jack and I go into a meetingand I'll say, just so you know,
this is what tends to happen, soI introduce this and then this
(23:28):
happens and then they'll askquestions and this thing he was
sat there and he's going, thisguy, of course.
And the first meeting we sat inthere was eight people and it
followed that and he was likewalked out.
He's like, oh my gosh, bro, andhe's just people engage with it
straight away and it's really,really refreshing Because when
(23:50):
they see it, they just get itand it's like he's creating.
I'm used to trying to talk topeople about furniture Everyone.
I'm used to trying to talk topeople about furniture Everyone.
And you speak to any you speakto, like all the structure, boys
and stuff.
They're like oh, I'm trying toget rid of my furniture.
And here I am, can I speak toyou about furniture?
And they're like, oh God, justgo away.
And now it's like when youspeak to like those or anybody
(24:11):
else, it's kind of like, oh,actually it's quite nice to
actually be wanted a little bitbecause furnished people we hate
it.
Ian Carless (24:16):
Yeah, now you mentioned you're just setting up
here in the UAE.
How's the experience of beingworking here in the Middle East,
in terms of setting up abusiness and operating, versus
back in the UK?
Jon Noonan (24:28):
It always comes back to culture.
I think and I'm not naive orarrogant enough to think that
we're just going to come intothe region and it's going to be
like everything's's going to besort of like you know, singing
daisies or whatever but that thecultural difference is.
I've spent a lot of time outhere, so I've been out here for
two and a half years regularlyto try and understand and and
(24:50):
get underneath the skin of it.
I think there are certainpositive, like everything
positives and and challenges.
I think the positives are Ithink this region is open for
business and it's.
It's so refreshing and I thinksomebody else mentioned it and I
think it might have been umevent house where, like when I
go back to the uk, it's almostlike a deflating balloon and I
(25:12):
don't mean that in, you knowlike it's just constantly
talking about recession or howbad the government's doing or
how events are struggling.
And then you come out here andeveryone's talking about how
amazing it is and it's just thatmindset and I know they're two
very different markets.
But when you come out here youwalk away buoyed because it's
like, oh, he's driving, everyoneseems to be driving forward.
(25:34):
Now the example I try to use iswe were looking at warehousing
and I was just taking on a newwarehouse in in the uk and I had
to go through four months oflegals and I sat with the agent
just to try and get thecontracts drawn up and make sure
.
Landlord and I sat with theagent in jebel ali and uh, and I
said so, uh, trying to get myschedule sorted.
(25:56):
I said so, uh, you know, if Iwas to, you know agree terms now
like when could I be in?
And he was like, well, if yougive me the checks, we'll come
back to that today.
You can be in on friday, that'sright.
This is like this is wednesday.
I was like, and then, and thenI was like checks, so so I can
walk through the airport withouthaving to take my passport out,
but you know, I've got to giveyou a check.
(26:18):
It's like bizarre.
So that that dichotomy between,um, driving things forward and
then still having that sort oflegacy stuff was, is, is a
challenge and I think oncethings are set up it's better,
but it's quite.
It can be quite challengingjust because it feels like and
again, it's because we're notI'm not used to it in the uk, I
(26:40):
know what to do over here it'slike it feels like I need to do
this and then I'll do it andthey go oh no, you need to do
this and this.
Now.
It's like cool, oh, now youneed to do this and it just
feels like it's what you knowstart, stop, start, stop.
But the cultural piece I thinkthe the most exciting thing
about this is that the region isbooming and it's really
(27:01):
refreshing and people are reallyengaged and you can go from
meeting the biggest agencies inthe world to some tiny agencies
and everyone's the same and it'squite collaborative, which you
don't get in the UK.
So in the UK everyone's quitesiloed and quite isolated,
whereas here people are morethan willing to say oh, do you
know what you need to speak to,and do an introduction.
(27:22):
And I was saying to Jack thatit's like a breadcrumb thing
where you speak to one and theysay, oh, you need to speak to
this person, and then you followthat and then you go oh, no,
you need to speak to thesepeople, and then the support
that we've had out here.
So, people, it's been fantastic, you know saying I know you
should be speaking to these,these people, because they're,
you know, great at doing x, yand z, whereas you wouldn't
necessarily get that in the uk.
So there's quite a lot oflearning in there.
(27:44):
But I think that also comesfrom a place of like, being
humble, like I mean it's, it'sokay to how else you're going to
get into a region as a smallbusiness.
You can't just come in thinkingyou're like big shot, you've
got to.
You know humbly be asked forsupport, I suppose yeah.
Ian Carless (28:01):
Just this is not related, but as somebody who, as
I said, who's worked acrossmultiple markets, what do you
think the perception is of Dubaias an event destination is
outside of Dubai.
Jon Noonan (28:14):
Changing.
Ian Carless (28:15):
In what sense?
Jon Noonan (28:17):
I think it's going to be centre of the world.
I think you're to be centre ofthe world.
I think your.
My personal opinion is I thinkif this isn't part of your
strategic plan, then youprobably need to readdress it.
Wow, and the reason I think thatis because the way that the
government's set up here is thatthey are driven by one sole
(28:41):
thing, which is driving thisregion forward.
And even if you think about the, the stuff that's happening
with regards to airports wherethey're moving the airports, to
why they're moving that, what'shappening with dubai world trade
center, expo city world youstart looking at all of those
interactions about the strategicmoves that they're all making
and then you start thinkingbroaden that about the routes in
(29:01):
.
So some of the stuff that'sgoing on, that goes on at the
airport with regards to chargesfor airlines and all it's all
driven to drive people into theregion.
So I think they did 55 millionpeople into they had to buy last
year.
Yeah, I think they want to do150 million in the next 10 years
, per year, in 10 years time.
So imagine how easy it is foran event organizer to go with
(29:23):
thousands of hotels.
There's a plane coming inprobably every 10 seconds from
all over the world.
It's central for everybody.
The weather's great on the wholebeen a bit hot recently, yeah,
but on the whole, very, veryit's got everything you know
levels of service, hotels,amazing.
So and people say it'ssaturated.
(29:44):
I don't think it is, but I meanit's not for me to say I'm not
an expert.
I mean all these agencies thatsay it's saturated is right for
them.
But I think there's going to beso many more events.
Expo City wants to do 300events a year, I think yeah
that's right.
They're going to make it happen,you know, I think they're going
to make it, so I think it'd beremiss to ignore it.
I think you need to re.
I mean, that's why we're here.
Yep, you know, we see it, wesee it.
(30:06):
It's that's why we're here.
This is the second place thatwe're opening after our, the
place that we know.
Yeah, so we're in region.
You know, we're not operatingfrom the UK.
We're housing here, officeshere, stock in region, ready to
go.
We're here, you know.
So I think that's a key bit,because some of the optics, some
(30:26):
of them is, yeah, we're in UAE.
It's like, you know, youhaven't got an office got no
staff, you know.
Ian Carless (30:33):
I know it says it on the bottom of your website
Exactly, but yeah, I can bethere in 12 hours, exactly.
Well done, before we wrap up,I've got a couple of quick fire
questions for you, fairly quickfire anyway.
One event you'll never forgetbeing part of and it's probably
for the wrong reasons, actually.
Jon Noonan (30:50):
That's all right, it doesn't matter it's got to be
uh, summer sound system 2007,which was uh prodigy, chemical
brothers, hot chip and markronson, and we had to cancel on
the sunday because somebodybuilt was staged the wrong way
and the wind blew the rain inand chemical brothers wouldn't
go on stage because they wereafraid of getting electrocuted
(31:13):
well, you probably just answeredthe next quick fire question,
which was most high stressmoment you've had to manage on
site.
that that was quite highlystressful.
Yeah, biggest pet peeve in acreative brief.
I mean we could spend an houron that.
Yeah, we could.
I would like to.
If there was one thing I couldchange, and it was one thing, it
would be Please come back andsay and it's not, look, we're
(31:36):
all businesses Like weunderstand that it doesn't fit
within your budget or it's notwhat you're looking for, but we
actively say, look, budget is anumber, right, that's a number.
What we're concerned about islong-term.
And I know people are reallytime poor.
I understand that.
But you say, look, guys, it'stoo expensive.
Or, yeah, clients are like no,like it's just quick because
(32:00):
it's the right thing to do.
But I know everyone's time poor.
But please just come back.
Yeah, it's a bit frustrating.
Ian Carless (32:04):
And if you weren't doing this, what would you be
doing?
Jon Noonan (32:06):
Actually I don't know, probably be in prison or
something Promoting stuff, yeah,I mean, that's really tough,
it's a tough.
It's great when you're young.
Yeah, it, that's a really tough, it's a tough it's great when
you're young.
Yeah, it's fantastic, so thehours become a little bit well
also.
I'm in bed by the time now bythe time.
I was getting ready to go out,so I hear you sundown this is
(32:28):
the new going out yeah, exactly,I love it.
Yeah, I would probably try andmake my wife do as much as
possible to, as possible tosupport us and me retire with my
two girls.
Ian Carless (32:41):
Lastly, one piece of advice you'd give to people
wanting to get into the eventindustry.
Jon Noonan (32:46):
I think it comes down to.
I think do what you love.
I think that's if you don'tlove it, you're not going to
last in it for stars, because ifit's not a passion, there's no
way you're putting the time in.
So I think you have to do whatyou love.
And what was really nice aboutthe the one that I listened to
with the event house guys isthat they loved formula one and
(33:06):
then they managed to lean intoformula one.
I thought that was fantastic.
So I think it kind of says saysto that.
I didn't get to the end, butmaybe they said similar but um,
I think you've got to love it,because if you don't, you it's
not going to work for you.
And the amount of the amount ofdivorces and, you know, people
being burnt out from it is sohigh that unless that love or
(33:28):
passion's there, it's just notgoing to work.
So, yeah, find, find there youlove and go for it and mental
health.
Ian Carless (33:33):
That's a big one we could spend another hour
talking about.
Jon Noonan (33:36):
I won't get into that right now.
100%.
Ian Carless (33:39):
Last but not least, we ask all our guests this, and
this one should be fairly easyfor you, given your previous
incarnations in work.
What's on your playlist?
I'm a music fan.
I know you are.
What's on your playlist rightnow?
Jon Noonan (33:53):
Right now I am listening, and this is going to
be horrifying, but my Spotifyhas been hijacked by my
daughters.
Right now I am listening andthis is going to be horrifying,
but my Spotify has been hijackedby my daughters.
Okay so, taylor Swift, taylorSwift, but more Sabrina
Carpenter?
Oh, of course, yes, but what Ilike listening to is I'm going
back to a bit of the old school,a bit of old school hip hop, a
(34:14):
bit of Jay-Z in the midst of abit of U2.
Yesterday, I tend to get in agroove of like being addicted to
certain bits and I'm trying tosort of broaden it out.
But yeah, going back to, I usedto really love old school hip
hop, so I'm getting back to thatFantastic Job.
Ian Carless (34:31):
Thank you very much for coming in on the podcast.
Jon Noonan (34:33):
It's a pleasure.
Thanks so much for your time.
Best of luck for the future.
Thank you, cheers.
Ian Carless (34:42):
Event News DXB is brought to you by Minus 45 dB,
the team transforming noisyevent spaces into slick,
sound-reduced environments.
Check them out at minus45dbcom.
This episode was presented bymyself, ian Carlos, the studio
engineer and editor was RoyDeMonte.
Thank you.
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