#ThisIsWhyWeDoIt : Dougie Crosbie

I started working at Cameron 5 years ago as Stores Manager, working my way up to Hire Manager – overseeing the logistics and operational workings of the furniture hire process. But my route to Cameron started 16 years ago, when I kicked off my career in the events industry.

From pyrotechnics to zombies. . .never a dull moment!

I qualified as a Sound Engineer and began working in Event Production and Management at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. My favourite memory of this time is probably working with pyrotechnics – all I’ll say is, it’s amazing what you can do with a 9-volt battery!

I was also a guitarist in a band at the time, and we got to perform in the lots of great Glasgow venues, like The Barrowlands, and we even went on a European tour.

When I came back from touring, I worked for a while as a chauffeur – often taking celebrities to events and concerts. Ringo Starr is the one that sticks in my mind. But that might be because I managed to get lost with him in the car! Let’s just say his tour manager wasn’t very happy…

Oops.

I was also in charge of the local crew for the filming of World War Z in Glasgow – working insane 90-hour weeks, but loving every minute of it! It was our job to clean up after stunts in the city centre, which was no mean feat! Being part of this project was an incredible opportunity, especially given how much it has benefitted Glasgow and boosted the film industry in Scotland.

Make events happen

I’ve been lucky to experience a lot of different aspects of the events industry in my career so far – both on stage and behind it! – and I now enjoy putting these skills into practice at Cameron.

The best thing about my job has to be the constant changes and improvements in the industry, and drawing on my past experiences to deliver results.

At the end of the day, whatever the brief, the objective is always the same – make events happen. I like that everything is all systems go, and a bit Mission Impossible! That said, in all my years, I’ve never had a request that we can’t deliver – no matter the constraints, with a good team and a dose of adrenaline, you can get it done. It’s incredible really.

Stay ahead of the curve

Because the industry changes so rapidly, we have to be on the ball and get ahead of trends – especially when it comes to theming. When I first started, it was all white leather, plastic and chrome; now it’s more rustic, with woods, copper and gunmetal. We have to have our finger on the pulse of design and fashion. And, even more importantly, we stay ahead of the game by listening to our clients and reacting to what they want.