Director, Deep Hard 'n' Funky; co-director, ALT TV

Ricky says those in the business must be prepared to take big risks to achieve success.

Name: Ricky Newby
Age: 29
Role: Director, Deep Hard 'n' Funky; co-director, ALT TV
Working hours: 72 hours a week, night and day and weekends
Average pay: $100,000 one year, lose $100,000 the next
Qualifications: Partially completed a Bachelor of Arts

Describe how you got this job?

At Auckland University 10 years ago a friend and I were DJing at parties we organised for no money. I realised there was a gap in the clubbing market and set up the Deep Hard'n Funky brand seven years ago, which was a paid event.

Now it is the biggest dance party in New Zealand and takes place twice a year. I also work on contract for event promotions company Metro Entertainment on shows such as the Summadayze Festival, Thirst, the Fashion Week official party, Cream, and events at the Met and Code nightclubs.

Through advertising with George FM, I met the founder Thane Kirby. He approached me with an opportunity of a lifetime. We managed to get the last free-to-air UHF TV frequency for Auckland. We launched music station ALT TV on November 14, last year.

Describe what you do?

Basically the general promotion of dance events. I organise the marketing which involves all the advertising, the distribution of the flyers, posters and advertisements, booking the acts, setting up the event production wise, sponsorship and general administration. At ALT TV, I am the station manager, looking after the day-to-day running of the business.

What have you had to do to succeed at this job?

I got into the dance scene at the right time. The industry was hitting a boom period. Success relies on hard work and being prepared to risk everything on every event.

Working alongside the big players in the industry is good and making connections along the way. For ALT TV, time will tell. It is a major achievement to have got this far.

What sort of training or experience do you need?

Having a background in marketing would help, especially when you are working with a lot of radio stations and alongside big corporate sponsors.

For promotions and TV, you need a broad range of skills. Over the years you learn what event should be marketed in a certain way.

What skills and qualities do you need?

You need to be a risk taker. The entertainment industry is very risky and Auckland is so hard to please. You want a good knowledge of the dance industry.

Trends change all the time and you have to be on top of things.

Best part of the job?

Selling out a big show and having everything go as planned and thousands of people having a good time at something you have put together.

Plus getting to not only promote but to meet some of the great DJs and producers that have inspired me over the years. Giving Auckland something different to watch on TV is great and also developing a team of like-minded people.

Worst part of the job?

Sometimes you can spend three or four months on an event and you can lose a lot of money. You have to be prepared to deal with that and choose the right event for the right time.

Most challenging part?

Keeping ahead of the competition. When I started you could pick a weekend in any given month and you would be the only show in town for that month.

Now there would be three or four other shows each weekend. Also, keeping the acts happy. Starting something from scratch again and building a new brand with ALT TV is challenging.

How do you define success in this job?

Keeping the majority of people happy and not losing too much money.

What are your career hopes for future?

I'd like to be able to stay in this industry for as long as I can.

If I wanted a job like yours how would I go about it?

The best thing to do is to get yourself involved in the industry and see how things go. Meet the right people.

What advice would you have for someone contemplating a career like yours?

Having a thick skin helps as a lot of criticism comes your way. You have to answer to the public and it is hard keeping everyone happy.

Be an opportunist, keep your head up and follow your dream.