The industry farewells David Grant

The industry farewells David Grant
By admin


Meetings and Events Australia has paid tribute to renowned event organiser David Grant who lost his fight to a brain tumour earlier this week, passing away aged 55 in his McMahons Point home on Sydney’s lower North Shore.

Grant was the talent behind countless unforgettable Sydney shindigs over the years. Not least, Grant’s team pulled off a massive 400 events during the 2000 Sydney Olympics as well as orchestrating Australia’s big bash at the Athens Olympic Games.

In over three decades of working in events, he won a raft of awards. In 2005 was honoured with an Order of Australia (AM), and in 2014 he received the Australian Event Awards Lifetime Achievement Award.

MEA chairman Simon Baggs recalled Grant as an “industry icon, a friend and an occasional larrikin”.

“His audacious and highly creative approach raised the bat for the Australian events industry, time and time again, as it did in Olympic circles and across the world,” he said.

“As a creative force, he genuinely pushed back the boundaries of what was possible, rewriting the event rulebook through his constant thirst for inspiration outside our industry and his deep interest in what made audiences tick.

“He inspired us with his unwillingness to roll out the usual ideas in a safe, predictable fashion. He never failed to surprise, and sometimes shock, his audience with experiences that they would talk about for decades after.”

Baggs offered “sincere condolences” to Grant’s family on behalf of the members, board and staff of MEA.

 

Featured Image: dailytelegraph.com.au

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