Darren is the owner and managing director of Elite Event Technology, a Canberra, Australia-based full-service production company. He is also an audio engineer with almost 35 years’ experience in the entertainment and events industry. Normally he would be running a very busy production house whilst still getting out on the odd show as a noize boy to keep his hand in and skills up.

Robe: Where are you right now?

Darren: Canberra, Australia, our nation’s beautiful capital city.

Robe: How are you spending time whilst isolating / on lockdown?

Darren: I am still in the office 5 days per week, the only person here full-time, with a skeleton staff each day.

Robe: What is the most creative thing you are able to do whilst in isolation?

Darren: I have been doing numerous little jobs around my house that I normally never find the time to do, getting lots more exercise and enjoying some time for cooking both favourite and new dishes.

I have also been spending some time on a few of our audio consoles that I use less often, getting more acquainted with them.

Robe: Are you looking after anyone else during the Covid-19 crisis?

Darren: Checking in on friends and family along with staff and colleagues, trying to keep everyone focussed and ensuring they are all physically and mentally ok.

Robe: Has anyone particularly inspired you since this crisis started?

Darren: Our industry as a whole!

In some respects, I think we have been left a bit behind in the broader scheme of things, with the general population mostly not understanding the impact of COVID19 on our industry and how far-reaching it really is. But we are a strong, tough, resilient bunch, and the way we have banded together and stood by each other is really quite outstanding!

Robe: What has been your favourite book / movie / Netflix or TV series / viral video

Games / music?

Darren: I have been reading Barack Obama’s Dreams From My Father (a memoir exploring his early years in Honolulu and Chicago up until entry into law school in 1988) and watching quite a few Netflix and Stan Series’ like Outer Banks (American action–adventure mystery / teen drama), Ozark (US crime drama web television series created by Bill Dubuque and Mark Williams for Netflix) and ironically re-watching The Last Ship on Stan, which has a storyline quite relevant to the current situation!

I have also been rediscovering how diverse my music collection is.

Robe: What’s the first thing you’d like to do when we are through this crisis?

Darren: So many things! Go out to a favourite restaurant for dinner with the biggest group of friends I am allowed to have there would be a good start … as well as some international travel will also be great too.

Robe: Own question / answer / message of solidarity or something you would like to say?

Darren: Firstly, thank you to all the front line workers around the world, from the health workers to supermarket staff keeping the shelves stocked and essentials available for us all, right through to the transport and logistics workers keeping things moving.

Every single person from every industry that are keeping us cared for, safe and able to survive during this terrible global situation … thank you!

COVID19 has just decimated our entire industry worldwide and I do not know any business with connections to it that has been untouched. I believe it will take some time to get back to normal, or perhaps the “New Normal”, whatever that will look like, on the other side of this.

But we WILL get there, we just all need to stay strong and take care of one another.