Peter Budd
Business development manager, Greek Club and Convention Centre, The

Written by Meghan Stephensen on 2009-10-09

Peter Budd is the business development manager of The Greek Club and Convention Centre, which is located on Edmondstone Street, South Brisbane. The Greek Club and Convention Centre specialises in functions such as corporate events, weddings, school formals, specialty events and Christmas parties. Peter Budd’s job involves seeking and interacting with clients and ensuring clients’ business needs are being adequately met.

What changes do you see happening over the next five years in the music venues industry?

The changes I see happening in the future are a streamlining of niche markets and venues as the entertainment dollar continues to shrink. By this I mean that smaller venues that focus solely on a particular genre or subculture of music, may find it difficult to maintain market share without reducing their overheads. The music industry has seen rapid changes in the last five years as smaller niche venues struggle to find their footing in the current climate. This means that to cater for their specific audience, smaller venues need to evaluate their current market share against their overall expenses.

What are the biggest challenges you and your organisation face as a member of the Brisbane media community?

The biggest challenge we face at The Greek Club and Convention Centre is the promotion and development of niche and culturally specific media to the wider public. The Greek Club and Convention Centre stages concerts featuring a variety of Greek performers. Promoting these events and encouraging the public to be a part of these is a major challenge we continue to face. I am continuously trying to think of new and exciting ways to attract members of the public. Fortunately, there is a strong Greek presence in the suburbs of West End and South Brisbane who continue to support The Greek Club and Convention Centre.

Are there any ideas, changes or implementations which you feel could improve the function of Brisbane’s media industries?

Brisbane’s media industries could be improved by providing an overall regulatory body to set the minimum standards for operational procedures within a Brisbane venue. Many venues set their own rules in relation to the standards of behaviour by their performers, which causes inconsistencies in how all venues are judged. This can cause one music venue to be judged unfairly because they cater to the same style of music as another venue. Setting a clear benchmark for all venues to follow would essentially improve the function of Brisbane’s music landscape, and reduce any inconsistencies which may result from unclear operational standards.

In your opinion, what is the most prominent trend in the music venues industry at the moment?

I believe the biggest trend to hit this industry at the moment is smaller venues having less live music. Music venues have great facilities for DJs and recorded music, which seems to be the trend right now in the industry. The move towards once more establishing high-end venues, such as Cloudland. The focus is now on being a complete interactive environment, catering to those who are there for the music as well as those who are there merely for the social aspect. Determining your customer’s wants and needs when visiting a music venue is an important factor in today’s music business.

What features, both positive and negative, differentiate Brisbane-based media organisations to other national and international media hubs?

Brisbane is still an emerging market and suffers from a lack of identity. This means that people may see Brisbane as backwards and are not interested in showcasing main line artists.

In what way has new media such as the Internet and mobile communications contributed to your workplace?

These technologies have allowed for fast and accurate transfer of information to clients, and increased our ability of securing business. We are no longer restricted to waiting for information to arrive at our clients by post. The effective use of a well constructed website delivers information and access to potential clients, as well as maintaining communications with our current client database. It provides all the essential information a client would need to know before contacting us directly about further enquires and bookings. There is no doubt that new media has most definitely contributed to the way The Greek Club and Convention Centre has progressed over time.

What are your core responsibilities in a typical working day for the position you hold?

As the business development manager for the centre my day to day activities revolve around interaction with and the pursuit of clients. This involves phone calls, site inspections, external sales calls, the development of proposals and the coordination of events.