If a live event is done properly, all the headlines will go to the stars on stage. However, as anyone working in this industry is all too aware, behind every show is a hardworking crew operating quietly and efficiently to ensure that the artists look and sound spectacular, wherever in the world they are. As events get bigger, the logistical management behind them must also grow, with everything from crew travel and training to accreditation and artist liaison requiring constant care and attention, often in the form of painstaking manual updates to endless spreadsheets. This is a headache that Ieva Irbina and Alex Wiseman are looking to remove from productions with their new company, The Event Verse.
“The old-fashioned way of spreadsheets has worked previously for many events, but it is a lot of manual work, so if we can remove that admin, it not only reduces the capacity for human error but also leaves people more time and headspace to focus on what is happening and making the event run as smoothly as possible,” Irbina began.
On a mission to “revolutionise the event industry by seamlessly integrating cutting-edge technology with deep operational wisdom and an unwavering commitment to excellence”, The Event Verse aims to empower organisers to elevate their events to new heights.
The company was born in Saudi Arabia after Wiseman and Irbina’s former employer which helped deliver MDLBEAST events for several years decided against continuing in the region. “We met with MDBLEAST to discuss if we wanted to take over some of the logistics and artist scope,” Wiseman explained. “It was the ideal time for us to set up a company that is technology forward, developing systems and bringing them into the accreditation, logistics, artist liaison, hospitality and event operation side of events.”
With Wiseman heading up the logistics and Irbina controlling the artist side, the initial aim is to provide continuity to MDLBEAST. “We’ve taken over the development of the MDLBEAST Crew Hub and are pushing that forward into a new release later this year,” Wiseman revealed.
As a Saudi-based company, one of the key aims for The Event Verse is to ensure that local Saudi talent is nurtured. “I remember back when I was starting out at 16 years old, there was someone who saw something in me and gave me a chance, and that is what we want to do here in Saudi,” Irbina stated. “There are so many Saudi nationals and Saudi-based young people who want to enter the industry, and we can offer them that leg up and help them grow.”
The company has already onboarded around a third of its Saudi-based workforce, and it’s also developing an impressive network of freelancers who can be called upon during particularly busy periods. “We’re delighted to see our network growing so quickly,” Wiseman reported. “We want to build a sustainable business and give back to the country where the company got its start.”
A major advancement for this year is the work The Event Verse is doing alongside travel management company, TAG, integrating their workflow into the MDLBEAST Crew Hub. “Initially, we only had the flights integrated, but now we’ve gone one step further and integrated accommodation into that as well,” Wiseman revealed. “So, flights and accommodation that are booked by TAG synchronise automatically through to our crew system so that we can both report on that data, but also the crew members have a single area to go to with all the information they need.”
With a raft of technology that is being developed and rolled out constantly, The Event Verse team believe that the Middle East and specifically Saudi Arabia is at the forefront of development in the field. “We’ve definitely had an advantage in terms of development because of the commitment that the MDLBEAST team, especially Executive Director of Events Michael Jobson, has shown in making this work,” Wiseman commented. “From the top level down, we’re getting the support we need to create a system that will work for every department, because the leadership recognise that this has the potential to revolutionise how festival sites operate.”
The Event Verse takes great pride in being able to offer “the perfect artist journey”, and Irbina has extensive personal experience in working with high-level artist teams – not least during Soundstorm 2023 [see TPiMEA46], when Metallica’s Production Manager, John Mulder, singled her out for special praise. “The festival has thousands of workers, but there was one person I was so impressed with, Ieva Irbina,” he told TPiMEA. “She had 250 vehicles to take care of, yet she remained completely calm. I would say she represents the festival as a whole – calm, organised, spot on.”
When presented with Mulder’s praise, Irbina reacted humbly. “John is one of the most experienced heads out there and he can tell if something is good or not straight away,” she smiled. “So, I can only be grateful that we got the opportunity to work together and demonstrate our capabilities and how good it can be to play a festival in Saudi Arabia.”
Looking to the future, the co-founders are excited about the potential of the business. “The company was born in the Middle East and that will always be at our heart, but we see no reason why the business can’t expand globally – especially into the United States,” Wiseman commented. “We’re always looking into different ways that we can do that and how the technology works on the other side of the world in different conditions and for different applications.”
“Who knows? Maybe in five years we’ll have our own academy helping to train young people who want to enter the industry and become the next generation of event professionals,” Irbina speculated. “Anything is possible, but right now we’re entering a massive events season in the Middle East, and we’re fully focussed on getting that right.”
Photos: The Event Verse
