Since ACA Live began life back in 2009, we’ve worked hard to build a name for ourselves as a leader in the creative event production space. Now we’re looking to the future, building on these solid foundations to attract attention from some of the biggest brands out there.
To achieve these dreams, we needed some extra support to kick down the doors of the powerful and influential to get ourselves a seat at the table. With that in mind, meet Zak Roby – our new Commercial Director.
WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF?
I’m Zak, a father of three, and I’ve been working in sales and marketing for 25 long years now. I’ve done the whole multi-billion pound adland agency thing but nothing I did was ever going to change the shape of the business that noticeably or even make a dent, in all honesty.
When I first met with Adam and Alex at ACA Live, I was really really impressed with the work the team’s done so far – and with their willingness to try something a bit different. I’m so excited to help shape the future direction we’re going to take.
CAN YOU TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOU THAT MIGHT SURPRISE PEOPLE?
I went on Come Dine With Me back in 2019 – and won! It was hugely expensive and completely exhausting. And I’ve never been so drunk for so many nights in a row in my life. I did a really technical menu, including a confit of duck, which was so much harder to get right than I thought it would be.
I used to think I knew my way around a kitchen, and then I met my partner. We had a birthday dinner for someone in the family recently and she did four courses for the 12 of us, including baking a focaccia. She always makes everything from scratch, we never eat anything ready-made at home. When we first met, I was bragging to her that I could cook. She said: “I’m sure you can, let me do dinner for you.” Wow, was I put in my place – I was totally blown away.
WHAT ARE YOUR AMBITIONS AT ACA LIVE AND HOW DO YOU ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS?
My plan was always to start quickly and make a really big noise. I work on the type of events that people want to be a part of, the stuff that you turn on your TV and say ‘that’s so cool’. It’s what people like me and the rest of the team get out of bed for.
We bring that same energy to everything we do at ACA Live but we need the right people to know that. My job is to get the door open and make sure we’re getting a shot at the big-ticket events.
I’m the guy that doesn’t give up, I really enjoy what I do and I make sure I get results. Once that’s done, I say ‘there’s the door, there’s the dinner, eat up’. There are plenty of people who are more talented than me at that stuff so, at that point, I hand it over to them and let them work their magic.
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR CAREER HIGHLIGHTS SO FAR?
Working on some of the tenders to the Olympic Games has got to be up there. Everyone wants to get to the top 1% in their industry, to have that moment when someone asks about what you do and you get really excited about giving them your answer.
It’s great to be able to say that you’ve worked on an event for 3,000 people in Orlando for some engineering firm they’ve never heard of but dropping a name like the Olympics is really cool.
WHAT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE EVENTS SECTOR HAVE YOU GOT YOUR EYE ON?
I think that the post-COVID world offers us a chance to do things differently, rather than just repeating what might have worked in the past. I’m a massive geek, so anything around tech is going to grab my attention.
Recently I’ve been taking a deep dive into the world of AI and machine learning. I’m also really fascinated by the power of data and digital analytics. But it’s no use having the technology if you don’t use it in service of the client. It’s all about making sure that the right content reaches the right audiences. Otherwise you’re just shouting at everyone (or no one).
• Speak to the ACA Live team today to see how we can help your brand.