Heroes of VIP Hospitality: Stephen Doran
Between 1997 and 2018, Stephen Doran was either the project coordinator or director of the global torch and Baton relays for Sydney 2000, Manchester 2002, Melbourne 2006, Beijing 2008, Delhi 2010, London 2012, Sochi 2014 and the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.
He joined the event industry twenty-three years ago via an apprenticeship with the Australian Air Force and ten years in the New South Wales Police. Each relay contract lasted between two and three-and-a-half years before he would move on to the next one. He cunningly managed to retire from the industry before the Live Event lockdown, and is a partner with Poolwerx, Australasia's largest pool and spa maintenance franchise network.
What was the first Live Event hospitality programme that you attended, and what particular impressions did it make on you?
The Bathurst 1000 Car Race in New South Wales, Australia. Firstly working as a police officer in the mid 90s and then as a Sponsor Guest in 2001. The whole experience from wonderfully organised hotel arrangements, chartered flights and the hospitality shown throughout the whole experience was remarkable which made it an event to remember to this day. FA Cup semi-finals and National Rugby League Grand Final experience with the mighty Rabbitohs were also very memorable but without the hospitality arrangement.
And what is your favourite live event that you would encourage everyone to book when it goes on sale, and what makes it so special?
Any Grand Final event (Football, Rugby League, Union etc) with the team you support in the big dance would have to be at the top of the list, along with supporting your country at any event. I remember watching the Wallabies play Wales at the then Millennium Stadium, we won of course, but the echo of the Welsh national anthem was deafening and defining in my live event experience. Even though the Wallabies won, the mateship and the camaraderie between the supporters was just great to see. A good afternoon at the local Walkabout Hotel in Cardiff was had.
Who do you consider to be your business mentor or mentors, and what particular example[s] did they imprint on your business values?
My wife, Annemaree. She always said that if you have undertaken your background research, consulted and been methodical, don’t procrastinate, go with your gut feel based on the information in front of you.
I have always admired Sir Alex Ferguson and after reading his book ‘Leading’ there are elements of this that I have taken and blended into my business.
What was the most significant ‘Sliding Doors’ moment in your career, and how did this impact you?
I was a serving Police Officer in Parkes, New South Wales, when my rostered partner and I were watching the announcement of the host city for the 2000 Olympics. As soon as it was announced that Sydney was the winner, I turned to my on duty partner and said, 'I will be working on those Games’. Four years later, there I was and never turned back, spending the next 21 years working as a Games gypsy, like many others.
Impressionable moments
What was your favourite televised live sport event or moment that you remember from childhood, why did it make such a lasting impression on you?
The FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium. Every year our soccer club looked forward to this match. Most of us either supported Manchester United or Liverpool so back in those days we were pretty hopeful that one of those two would be in the final. The FA Cup Final was recognised the world over and the atmosphere at the ground was electrifying, even if we were watching it on TV at 1am in the morning. The colours (generally red or blue back then) covered the stadium and the chants didn’t stop the whole game.
Who was playing at the first concert you attended, where and when, and what do you remember of the experience?
Cold Chisel at the Sydney Entertainment Centre in December 1983. This was supposed to be Cold Chisel’s last ever concert so the crowds were really admiring the talent and electric enthusiasm of the lead Jimmy Barnes. Hell, who would of thought that 20 years on, they were still getting back together now and then for revival concerts.
What do you remember – across all genres - as the most emotional moment in television or film or a sporting event that has brought tears to your eyes?
Apart from the South Sydney Rabbitohs winning the 2014 Australian National Rugby League Grand Final, it would have to be the mighty Muhammad Ali lighting the Olympic Cauldron at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. Watching the greatest Heavyweight boxer of all time standing there shaking from his illness would have brought even the hardest of them to tears. I am a bit of a soft one though so there have been many teary moments, even in loss, such as when Greg Norman came so close on so many occasions to winning more major titles, only to lose by freak shots or his own demise.
One of the all-time great moments in Olympic history as Muhammad Ali lights the Olympic flame at the start of the 1996 Atlanta Games. Later on during the same games, he would receive a replacement for his ‘lost’ 1960 Olympic boxing gold medal.
What was your childhood or earliest ambition?
To play football in England.
Which experience had the biggest impact on your life and how you see the world?
I’ve been lucky enough to live and work in many locations around the world, each of them offering a wonderful life full of cultural experiences, all of them very different to the other. Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games was my first ever overseas journey so that sits vivid in my memory. One thing that rings true though is that each country has different working cultures and you must adapt your way of communication and strategy to ensure your presence is a worthwhile experience for your client.
If your 20-year-old self could see you now, what would he think and what advice would you pass back to your younger self?
How lucky you have been to be able to live and work across the globe. Grab every opportunity you can and don’t be afraid to take a leap of faith from time to time.
Recommendations
What’s the best, most useful word from another language that you aren’t fluent in?
Pijiu 啤酒 (beer in Mandarin).
What is your favourite rule to break?
Late night chocolate.
Which minor character in either real-life, history or fiction do you want to know more information about and why?
I am a sport fanatic, particularly where Australia or Australians are involved and succeed at the highest level against the odds. For me, Australian Paralympian Kurt Fearnley meets that criteria and is a true gentleman.
Who is your favourite new artist?
What is an indulgence you could never forgo?
Long black coffee with a dash of milk
What is the technology or device you cannot do without?
My iMac.
What are the best books you’ve read in the past year?
Alex Ferguson - Leading and James Patterson’s Postcard Killers
What are the three most rewarding podcasts, newspapers apps, or IG and Twitter accounts you follow and why?
Now that we have settled down near the beach, Facebook pages providing vital information about local activities and events. I also follow Hugh Jackman, a very talented and inspirational Aussie.
Tell us something even your colleagues might not know about you …
I was personally introduced to Her Majesty The Queen. I also have a collection of every Winter and Summer Olympic Torch since Sydney 2000.
If you’re awake at 2am what is it generally that you are worrying about?
I quite often become anxious when I am about to embark upon something that is new or challenging.
What is the first sentence from the best novel to be written about the coronavirus?
More than a common cold….
What have you always really dreamed of doing or being, but are resigned to the fact you will never achieve?
Playing professional football in the UK.
What is an example of karma that you experienced in your own professional life, and which you would use as a cautionary tale to others?
I once left a Police training day early so I could go and play football. That same game, I tore my cruciate ligament and was out for a season. Don’t take shortcuts.