38
INSIDE LOOK
PATRICK FALLON GROUP CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER AT BYRNE EQUIPMENT RENTAL TPMEA’S STEW HUME CHECKED IN WITH BYRNE’S GCOO TO TALK ABOUT HIS 25-YEAR HISTORY WITH THE COMPANY AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY IN THE GCC REGION.
Founded in the early ‘90s, Byrne Equipment Rental has become one of the largest plant and equipment rental companies within the Middle East. With over 20 offices throughout the GCC, the group offers a range of products & services from temporary power, aerial access equipment, modular sanitation facilities and temporary structures for multiple industries. Fallon talked TPMEA through his background, some of the changes he has seen within the events industry and the part which Byrne has played in the development of the Middle East’s events market.
ME
“I joined Byrne in 1994,” recalled Fallon, “in a business development role. In 1996 I became the General Manager and then the Group GM in 2000. As part of a change of ownership when HSBC private equity acquired the business in 2008, I took on the role of Group Chief Operating Officer, a role I continue in today working alongside a great team of that has grown to be almost 1,500 people across the group.” Over the years, one of the developing sectors for Byrne has been the live events market. The Byrne business has been at the coal face of these developments and has weathered some
of the greatest changes in the industry. “I can remember one of the first trips I made to Dubai in 1992, before officially starting with Byrne. I got to attend a concert held on the lawns of the Dubai Creek golf & Yacht Club which was a really big deal at the time. I remember hearing that this event was not the norm and when it came to live events in the region, there really wasn’t much going on.” Although Byrne’s main interest has always been in the construction and O&G industry amongst others, Fallon explained how the appetite for entertainment in the region has
