Agency correspondent Heather Nicholls sits down with CEO of EVT Media, Gareth Gallagher, to talk about his career within the events industry, how the industry is changing and his new book ‘Eventually Gareth’.
Gareth Gallagher grew up dreaming of a career in music, but after falling ill at the age of 16, those plans changed. Instead, he began working at a small events agency, in his hometown of Newbury. One day, after a member of the events team left unexpectedly, his boss asked if anyone was interested in travelling around Europe for three months to run events. Gallagher volunteered, and that decision marked the start of his 25-year (and counting) career in the events industry.
He has worked for various global events agencies and is now the CEO of EVT Media, a creative event agency and the founder of Earthbound. Now, Gallagher is sharing his experiences and anecdotes in his book, Eventually Gareth, which is described as a “professional confessional” that reveals the behind-the-scenes realities of working in events. The book addresses key themes such as crisis management, addiction, mental health, and the challenges of working in the high-pressure events industry. Through his book, talks, and personal reflections, he says he aims to inspire change and provide support to those navigating similar challenges.
Mental health advocacy:
Gallagher says he hopes his book will serve as a call to action, and spark a dialogue about creating a healthier, more sustainable future for industry professionals. He discusses the intersection of mental health and the events industry, shedding light on the personal struggles that shaped his journey. While achieving incredible milestones and experiencing amazing opportunities through his career, such as getting to work in 42 countries and to live in seven, he also faced significant mental health challenges, exacerbated by the stress and demands of the industry. He explains that the difficult side of the industry, such as the long hours and the periods of time away from home, is often underestimated because of the glamourous side, such as the travel and the cultures that you get to experience.
Through therapy, counselling, and recovery, Gallagher uncovered the deeper motivations behind his career choice, driven by a need for validation stemming from childhood experiences. He says: “I sought validation and went into a career where I got amazing validation by turning people’s dreams into reality. Over the years, I’ve done incredible things – and been a mess along the way.”
Gallagher now advocates for meaningful change within the industry, calling on the events industry to prioritise mental health through support systems, regular check-ins, and healthier work environments. His book serves as both a healing process and a call to action, attempting to spark dialogue about creating a healthier, more sustainable future for industry professionals.
He says: “My one ask of the industry is to step up to the challenge of mental health. I’d like to see the industry offer mental health support before, during, and after events. Regular check-ins and counselling can help”. He explained that he would like to see post-event debriefs, which allows people to feel seen and heard, especially after dealing with aggressive clients or significant challenges.
He continues: “I’m a massive advocate for the event planner, without us, there’s no event.
“Budgets are tighter than ever, staffing is tighter than ever, and agencies need to make money while clients want value. Staffing always suffers, and that takes a toll on mental health.”
Having faced addiction in his early years, Gallagher is now sober and reflects on his experiences in his book. He shares how the demanding, high-pressure culture of the events industry fuelled his reliance on drugs and alcohol as a coping mechanism. He explains how when he was starting out in the industry, if there wasn’t booze at an event, it wasn’t an event, but he can now see the industry becoming ‘tamer’, with events including alcoholic and non-alcoholic options equally.
He says: “I don’t blame the industry for the fact that I’m an addict and alcoholic, but the industry fuelled it. You align yourself with the idea that this is just how it is but the damages and long-term effects on people are significant. That’s one reason I wrote the book.”
Crisis management:
During his career Gallagher has been in some incredibly dangerous situations, including three sets of bombings in Turkey and India, an earthquake in Bangkok in 2009 and a major cyclone in Macau. These all happened while he was running events and looking after people. He covers this heavily in the book, titling one chapter ‘The Bermuda Triangle, Bombs, and Earthquake’.
As a result of his experiences, he now speaks actively in the industry about the importance of crisis management, hosting talks on the subject. He wants to make sure that people understand the repercussions of when something goes wrong and how to train their teams. He explained that he is always surprised when he finds out that a lot of event planners don’t have a suitable answer for what they would do if someone died at their event, beyond logistical planning.
He says: “Most people don’t because nobody wants to think about it, but the reality is, it happens. It’s happened to me multiple times, and you have to be able to deal with it. Challenges, like surviving natural disasters and managing crises, have taught me resilience and given me the ability to teach others.”
Technology and the changing industry:
Gallagher’s career has allowed him to work on top line events and extraordinary projects and to travel and explore different cultures. He explains that taking a vision from a flip chart and turning it into a reality is one of the greatest awards and allows people to connect in a joyful way. He has seen a lot of changes, from technology advances to more focus on mental health within the industry.
He has seen the use of technology within events advance rapidly. Now, AI and analytics can streamline tasks, create opportunities and identify trends but
Gallagher believes that the ‘human touch’, which transforms an event from a gathering to an experience, will always be needed within the event industry.
He says: “It’s about understanding people, their emotions and what makes a moment memorable. AI and technology are great tools, but the creativity and empathy required to bring an event to life will always be uniquely human.”
Gallagher’s UK press launch is set for Friday 27 June and will feature exclusive announcements about his book.
Earthbound, a mental health festival dedicated to raising awareness about addiction and hunger is coming to London on Saturday 28 June, with Gallagher featuring in flash mobs around central London.
