Five Minutes with.. Robbie Macrae
Before Robbie stepped down from his role as AAPPAC EXCO Member and Director of Auckland Live and Auckland Conventions, Venues & Events, he managed to share a little bit about his experiences over the past two decades and gave us a sneak peek into what’s to come in the future for him!
Read more about Robbie’s time with Auckland Live here.
Robbie standing outside the Aotea Centre stage door.
You have had such a colourful and exciting career with Auckland Live and Auckland Conventions these past two decades! Tell us what is one thing you will miss the most after leaving the organisation?
The people – all the committed and passionate staff; our presenting companies and festivals; and all the artists who have performed with us. It’s been such a pleasure to work with everyone.
April 2020, The Book of Mormon premiered in NZ at The Civic.
Auckland Live has always been an active member of AAPPAC and have hosted two wonderful AAPPAC Conferences before – what are two of your fondest memories of the Association and its members?
The annual conferences have always been special. It’s always been an opportunity to visit different countries and centres and learn about new cultures leading to direct shared experiences. Out of that has been the opportunity to make lifetime colleagues and friends. There are then the treasures of ideas which you can take home and see if they work in your organisation.
And then there has been the bus trips. It’s usually not an AAPPAC conference without a bus trip – sometimes long and sometimes short. I think the shortest was probably from the hotel to The Esplanade in Singapore – about 60 seconds – but it might have rained! An amazing trip was barefoot walking on the red clay in the Forest Park in Mt. Gyejoksan, Daejeon.
Taken outside Aotea Te Pokapū – Aotea Centre in Auckland, on NZ Music Tee Shirt Day . Robbie is wearing a tee shirt featuring iconic NZ band Th’ Dudes.
We’ve gained so much from your support and leadership as our AAPPAC EXCO Member. What are some hopes and aspirations you have for the future of AAPPAC and its role within this region?
I hope the organisation continues to grow and the connection with the Business Circle prospers. I think it is important to connect with the wider industry and make connections both within and externally. To some extent I miss the Singapore Arts Market from the early days which AAPPAC was very much connected with.
I think there are opportunities to train and develop staff in various disciplines through secondments. It’s not always easy when dealing sometimes with cultural and language issues, but we should be able to overcome these things
What’s next for you?
I’m going to take a little sabbatical for a few months and spend time with family and friends. I’m then working on my consulting firm, RRM Management. I’m hoping to specialise in venue project management, local and international programming and producing with an arts meets commerce mindset. I’ll see where that takes me and I’m always ready to discuss ideas anyone has. I’ll need to become a Business Circle member!
Robbie loves a musical, and Mary Poppins at Aotea Te Pokapū – Aotea Centre in 2012 was no exception!
What is one song that best describes your journey with Auckland Live (or AAPPAC) and why?
One of my favourite musicals is the 1959 “Gypsy: A musical fable”. It’s big and bold, full of ambition and passion against all odds. At the end of show, the final song is “Roses Turn” and something which speaks to all of us –
“If I could have been…I would have been…
And that’s show business!”
What is the greatest risk you have ever taken?
Moving to Auckland, New Zealand in 2003 from Melbourne! It was a new job, a new country and I knew no one. It was me and my two cats.
It was a risk worth taking as now it is my home with wonderful colleagues and friends made over the years.