About me
My first business was Plastic Raygun records, set up with friends soon after graduating. I spent the following years travelling the world as one half of Phantom Beats, releasing records, DJing for hundreds of thousands of drunk people, and having a top ten hit with one of our artists.
I’m now a “creative industries ninja”, as coined by a friend, due to jumping around working on several different projects at once.
I am a creative industries consultant, working with lots of organisations, including the Welsh Assembly Government, and delivering talks on creative business etc…
I’m managing director of Dizzyjam, a brand new, and brilliant, merchandising service for the independent music industry. Launched Sept ’09 after years of “planning”.
I’m the founder of NOCCI, global network of creative, entrepreneurial, or just downright interesting folks. I founded this in 2007 but it is currently on an indefinite hiatus.
I sit on the board of directors for the Welsh Music Foundation, helping it represent, support and develop the commercially viable music sector in Wales.
Alongside Claire Scantlebury I run Ignite Cardiff, a regular informal community event that encourages people to share their ideas, passions and thoughts in 5 minute rapid-fire talks, and TEDxCardiff an event that brings world class speakers to Cardiff in order to inspire, inform and entertain. Both events are free, and organised voluntarily to encourage networking and knowledge transfer among the creative, web and business communities.
In early 2009 I set up a quick, temporary wifi map just for Cardiff, but the idea rapidly expanded to other cities and other countries. I am now in the process of setting up a global wifi map with Chris Duran. He lives in Australia, and we have never met. An internet business in the truest sense! It will be a “wikipedia of wifimaps”, and truly user generated.
I’m an occasional social media trainer (but very much don’t consider myself a true expert) and have helped my friend DK deliver sessions all over Europe to the likes of UNICEF.
I’m also training for a triathlon, and tend to like doing something a bit physically challenging each year. The more outrageous the better. 100km endurance walks and marathons completed I’m looking for 2011′s challenge already. Got an idea for skiing across the arctic circle, or walking to Outer Mongolia in moon boots? Let me know, as I might want to join you!
There’s lots of other bits and pieces. If you’d like to know more just get in touch…
Hi Neil
Your note in the tent made me laugh! Hope your on good form thought i would say hi
All the best
Nigel
Hi Neil,
Any chance you could add the option to subscribe to your blog by email? I’m too erractic in checking my Reader but would love to keep abreast of your writings easily (and lazily) by having them plonk into my inbox…
Hope you’re good, take care
Noreen
Hi Nigel,
Only just seen your comment. Hello!
Noreen. That’s added. Let me know if it does/doesn’t work for you.
Cheers!
Amazing what you find out innit. Just had a look at (and updated a couple of venues on) the Cardiff WiFi map.
Great resource.
Thanks Marc!
Brand new Wifimap site coming veeeery soon…
Coffee/pint sometime?
Hi Neil
Caught your talk at the Bath camp last week, very entertaining. I work with a couple of record labels (NRK and SUAD) so it was interesting to hear your story. If you should need any design or know of any labels that do be sure to give me a shout.
cheers
Adam
Thanks Adam. Glad you liked the talk!
Like your site – good stuff…
Will bear you in mind for future projects.
Cheers,
Neil
Hi Neil
Would like to meet up and talk about mentoring. In the process of setting up a mentoring programme for young social entrepreneurs in Wales.
Cheers Sam
Hey Neil,
I am really impressed by your wifi service having found it while compiling my own, and I was hoping you could permit me to embed it on my website, with full credit given of course!
I am working on an events listing website for Cardiff, which offers fully comprehensive listing on behalf of the venues, along with all sorts of other information services, and it seems like you are a guy who knows Cardiff very well! I would be very grateful for any feedback you could offer. The address is liveincardiff.co.uk and is still work in progress, but the information side of things is starting to take shape. My email address is liveincardiff[at]gmail if you feel the need to contact me directly!
I hope you’re well,
Gareth
Gareth,
You have mail!
Hello Neil
Will we be seeing you at the Emergence conference on the 28th October in Cardiff?
I have sent e-mails to Dizzyjam giving details.
This will be a rare opportunity to meet with two leaders in sustainability and the arts in an intimate seminar setting – Alison Tickell, Director of Julie’s Bicycle and Paul Allen, Director of The Centre For Alternative Technology (CAT).
Julie’s Bicycle have pioneered an analysis of the environmental impacts of bands, orchestras and touring theatrical and dance productions and now support the creative industries with practical tools for reducing their impacts and hence saving money.
CAT have been offering alternative visions of the future based on technological innovation for the last thirty years. Their Zero Carbon Britain report describes in detail the journey to a more sustainable future. Paul is challenging artists to develop positive visions of the future instead of the dystopian nightmares depicted by films such as Age of Stupid and The Day After Tomorrow.
John McGarth of National Theatre Wales will conduct his own analysis and there will be plenty of opportunity to share opinions and perspectives.
The arts and creative industries have a heavy impact on the environment and this is often overlooked. But this is one industry which can have a disproportionately positive impact. Change is coming whether we like it or not but we can be masters of that change if we embrace the cultural changes that accompany technological and environmental change. So if the arts don’t have something to say about the greatest threat humanity has yet faced then are they simply there for entertainment and the vanity of self expression?
Emergence is a Cynnal Cymru – Sustain Wales project developed in partnership with British Council and supported by Chapter, The RSA Fellowship, Culture Colony and UE Solutions Ltd.
Hi Rhodri,
I’m afraid I can’t make the event next week, but it looks very good.
I didn’t receive any email (can you try again to neil@… and I’ll tweet out about it).
Cheers!
Neil
Hiya Neil
I have recently set up my business Altern8media Ltd, we work with artists to develop and deliver promotional campaigns for our clients.
I follow you on Twitter and was a member of Nocci so am aware of your expertise and experience.
If possible I would really like to meet with you and discuss what Altern8media is all about as I think you may be interested and hopefully we can strike up a mutually beneficial relationship.
Please take a look at the site and I look forward to hearing from you!
Kind Regards
Gareth Daniel
07825 836 773
the website is http://www.altern8media.co.uk
Cheers!
JOCKSTRAP 5
Hi Neil, its ade from way back in the day when you guys did the student night at the Emporium and you decided having us 5 guys (Jockstraps) would be a goood idea! Well as you know it was but that another story, I am after some help please. Chris aka Guy Normass is heading to Sydney to live and work and play!! We are all meeting up end of October in Manchester and are planning on giving him a fab leaving present and I really need any photos old flyers etc you or any of the others may have. You can contact me on my work e-mail reception@heywoodmount.co.uk I would love to catch up thanks pal. Rememeber the Brittany Spears night….Zeus is sh*T being chanted by 800 students:) hope to speak soon thank you Ade