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.

“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

““We’re only nine months into the new structure but I’m sure our partners would agree that we have developed a model within the GCC which is very transferable to other regions.”

Byrne Equipment Rental, Patrick Fallon.

dramatically affected its business model. “I would say in the UAE specifically it accounts for about 30% of our business,” stated the GCOO. “Since the mid ‘90s onwards, there was a real increase in sports, leisure and entertainment.

Especially entering the 2000s when there was a slew of people coming into the market as employment opportunities grew in many areas of business. The growth of the expat community brought higher demand for more entertainment, specifically international touring acts. The growth has been incredible. You just have to look events like the Dubai world cup horse race, the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and Dubai Rugby Sevens that have been held in Dubai for many years, but comparing what these events have become today, is truly remarkable.”

Fallon said it was not only the growth in the expat community that developed the events industry, but the push from the various emirates in the UAE, too. “They really wanted to be recognised on the world stage. I always take the

example of the F1 in Abu Dhabi. The commitment to build an F1 track from scratch really sent a message to the global market that the UAE could and would compete with other, more established markets.”

With the rapid increase in the entertainment industry, Fallon detailed how Byrne has dealt with the demand. “The way the entertainment landscape has grown fits right into our remit. To date there have been few permanent entertainment venues here, so most events take place in temporary locations.” This means the need for temporary infrastructure, power, sanitation and traffic management is one of the greatest demands - all lines which Byrne specialises in.

Over the years, the company has worked on a multitude of aspects in the entertainment industry from initial layout and site design to delivering venues which meet the needs of organisers. The company has offered and executed complete turnkey solutions for a

vast array of events including headline shows for artists like Justin Bieber, Guns N’ Roses and Madonna to name but a few.

Byrne also provided temporary facilities for major film productions such as Mission Impossible and Star Wars, as well as more recent events such as the Emirates NBD Unity Run and Dubai 30x30 Fitness Challenge.

With 2019 already getting off to a busy start, TPMEA asked the GCOO to recount some of his highlights from the previous year. “Although we were not quite as busy in the UAE on the events side of the business last year, we were pleased to see how the Saudi Arabian entertainment market really went into high gear. The scale and size of the events there over the last 12 months have been incredible; with projects such as Formula E, and others with big name acts coming to the country for the first time.”

Fallon was surprised by the growth of the Saudi events & entertainment market, yet was happy to say the Byrne team was more than

prepared to cater for all demands. “Out of our 20 offices and depots in the GCC, seven are located in Saudi Arabia. We have a fleet of over of 10,000 items of rental equipment and a huge team of people, so it was easy to deploy the right team when the region’s events industry really started to boom.

“Up until this point, our main focus in Saudi had been oil and gas. With the growth of events we`ve had to change tack a little and invest as we needed to bring in events spec equipment.” Fallon sees no reason for the Saudi entertainment market to slow, and asserts that Byrne is continuing efforts to build its infrastructure in the region. “It really is an exciting development in the region and the GCC as a whole,” he said. “We also have the opening of the new Dubai Arena in the summer. I think this will really change the UAE event market and will mean projects can continue into the hot summer months, extending the events season.”

Discussing the various services Byrne

provides, TPMEA asked about the company’s work with more modern, eco-friendly options for its power solutions. “It’s actually an interesting time for Byrne, as we are about to set out on a tour to launch our new hybrid generator package. This is initially aimed at other sectors of business, but essentially, it’s a solution where we use a unique battery in combination with a conventional engines driven generator to deliver reduced fuel consumption and cost. Another department which has seen massive changes, he adds, is lighting. The company underwent a conversion of some equipment to LED solutions as the need for more sustainable options grew. He furthered: “Most companies in the region are very aware of the need to embrace more sustainable, modern technology. Byrne is ISO 14000 accredited and we are paying very close attention to the ways in which we can reduce our environmental impact.”

Last year, Byrne also hit the business headlines, with the announcement in the first quarter that Itqan Investments, owned by Byrne’s

Executive Chairman and CEO, Sheikh Hamad Al Sulaiman, together with Tamar VPower Energy Fund and CITIC Pacific had acquired the Byrne Group. “It’s certainly an exciting time within Byrne as this new ownership opens up more opportunities in the future,” stated Fallon. “We’re only nine months into the new structure but I’m sure our partners would agree that we have developed a model within the GCC which is very transferable to other regions.”

And as for right now? “We’re gearing up for the Omega Dubai Desert Classic along with other annual events such as the Dubai Jazz Festival and RedFest,” he enthused. “We also have a very special event in February where His Holiness, the Pope, will visit Abu Dhabi! We are providing everything from traffic management solutions, lighting, sanitation and temporary structures to ensure the event goes smoothly.” Gearing up indeed, as clients don’t come much higher up than that… www.byrnerental.com