John Whittington

‘Going out with a Bang!’

Following a training as a stage manager at The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, I enjoyed a career in the UK repertory theatre as a stage and company stage manager, from 1978 to 1983. After that, and for the next twenty years, I worked as a creative producer and project director in the brand expression and events industry, including several years as a production and client director at ‘Imagination‘. In 1993 I launched my own production company, ‘World Events’ the name of which I later changed to ‘One World Communications’ to reflect the broader range of marketing communications and brand expression services it offered to corporate clients.

Looking for other ways to satisfy my thirst for learning as well as to express meaning I began, in 2001, to train as a coach. As a result I spent two years transitioning into a very different career – personal and professional development. In the summer of 2003 I was invited to respond to what was to be my last creative event ‘brainstorm’ – which was also the first public event I had ever worked on. The brief was to put London back ‘on the international map’ at New Year, every year.

In a competitive pitch amongst production companies and other creative thinkers across Europe the invitation was to develop a range of memorable and iconic event based ideas to celebrate the dawning of the new year in London. I felt that it would be better to challenge the brief and pitch just one powerful, singular idea – with an emphasis on it as a photo opportunity rather than an event. The idea and execution would have to be so impactful that it would win the bid, ensure front page coverage and then occupy the hearts and minds of the public across the UK and then the worldwide.

My suggestion was simply to use fireworks to transform The London Eye into the world’s largest ‘Catherine Wheel’ at midnight (one ‘whizz’ around for every ‘bong’) and then follow that with a short sequence of lights, music and pyrotechnics. A complete surprise and photo-opportunity to ensure global coverage. An idea that could turn into an event if the budget for security and marshalling could be found which seemed doubtful at the time.

The sketch and notes I made during that one-hour creative pitch meting are below.

The idea won the bid and has been produced, expanded and evolved every year since by some of the world’s leading practitioners. 

The concept became an event and a London fixture, eagerly anticipated at midnight every New Year and enjoyed by many millions across the world. My contribution was simply the idea – the detailed design and delivery was all taken care of by the production companies and many creatives, designers, engineers and producers that took it on it’s long journey to fruition and subsequent evolution. 

It was a fantastic way for me to bring my career in the events industry to a close and head off in a fresh direction.
This page celebrates that.