Greg Hitchen is Group CEO of Terrapinn Events, the privately-owned conference and exhibition company founded by chairman Tony Steel 35 years ago in Sydney, Australia. It operated as a subsidiary of Euromoney in the 1990s. The $80m-revenue company (EBIT of 20%) is now based in London and operates 100 events each year, principally in life sciences, transportation, health, and technology. But its ancestry in B2B magazine publishing is, perhaps, revealed by the way that the company derives 42% of its revenue from sponsorship, 36% from exhibitors, and 22% from delegates.
It has principal operating units in New York, Singapore, Sydney, Dubai, and London and employs 330 people. Its most successful events are: World Vaccine Congress, World Aviation Festival, Seamless, Solar and Storage Live, Edutech, Home Delivery World, and Connected Britain.
Hitchen joined Terrapinn at the beginning of its life and his career. He is an economics graduate from the University of Western Australia.
What were your earliest career ambitions?
When I left university, I wanted to be a rock and roller or a finance/business journalist. The former was a real flashes and flames story and the latter was almost impossible in Perth, Western Australia.
My first real job was a management traineeship with a major Australian bank. What I learnt was that I did not want a job like that and, looking back, I am so glad that I took some risks and did not pursue a traditional career path.
How did you come to join Terrapinn?
I joined Terrapinn because I needed a new career and conferences sounded like something that matched my skills and interests. (Like so many at the time, I was completely unaware of the events industry.) I duly joined as a Conference Producer in November 1988.
Terrapinn, at this time, was known as Australian Investment Publishing and had just started a side business in conferences. When I joined, there were three other people doing events and another 12 doing publishing.
What have been your main achievements?
Our success stems from the great team we have at Terrapinn, including our chairman and founder, Tony Steel. Our collective key achievements have been:
- Transitioning the company from a high-volume conference producer to a high-value exhibitions and congress company;
- Helping to create a cogent, global business system and culture;
- Helping to create and develop many of our global event brands;
- Developing leaders at Terrapinn and for the industry at large;
- Identifying, closing and integrating acquisitions;
- Helping to create a profitable international business.
What’s so special about the company?
We are organic, creative and entrepreneurial and have created the majority of our event brands. In the words of Russell Wilcox, executive chair of Clarion (and former Terrapinn employee) :“Terrapinn has got soul.”
We “get” both exhibitions and conferences and value the contribution of each to a customer-valuable event.
We highly value networking and experience and have been doing this for over two decades.
We are a genuinely global business and have been since the early nineties. Our journey has been from the south to the north, unusually, and to do this successfully we needed an edge that we retain.
We are private company that is not owned by private equity.
We have always embraced change and continue to absorb many influences.
Which other events would you most like to own?
I really admire SXSW. It is authentic, sooo creative and is extremely well regarded. But the thing that sets it apart, for me, is that it was not created by an events corporation but by a group of passionate individuals who gave it the space to grow.
What is your primary role?
I consider myself an editor-in-chief, finding and facilitating ideas – big and small – that create economic value across all products and disciplines. I am still intimately involved in event brand creation and development; and, increasingly, I am seeking acquisition and partnership opportunities.
I spend my time researching, networking (live and digitally) and communicating with senior managers and the Terrapinn board/central management – I really try to inject ideas and mentorship into every interaction. Unsurprisingly, all these activities are things that I really enjoy.
What will be the longterm impact of the pandemic on events?
Primarily, in my view, the Covid hiatus has made all stakeholders truly appreciate the value of face to face events and made them realise that other media do not come close. Terrapinn has a very positive long-term view on the future of live events. Secondly, it has opened up the possibilities of digital in enhancing the customer proposition; and in engaging with our customers year round. We are excited about the prospect of the metaverse. Thirdly, collaborative tech is enabling a more effective enterprise.
Terrapinn’s revenues and attendance in 2022 are both higher than in 2019.
Which other companies do you most admire?
I really admire The Economist newspaper. The breadth, depth and integrity of their coverage of international business and economy is unrivalled. It continues to give us many ideas. Their trust-guaranteed independence is extremely important. I also admire Closer Still and Fortem for their events industry entrepreneurship.
What are the best lessons you have learned?
Attitude trumps all and resilience is essential. Express gratitude at every opportunity. Put First Things First (in the Covey sense.) Mentor in every interaction. Mind Map everything. Live in the moment and enjoy life. Stay curious and always be learning. Never be complacent. Stay humble.
