Eventex 2017 Jury Yearbook: Sam Johnston

Manager at Dublin Convention Bureau

I manage the Dublin Convention Bureau team - six people who do the most incredible work with the utmost dedication to deliver international conferences and meetings to Dublin. I grew up in Northern Ireland, not far from Belfast before being ‘encouraged’ to move to Dublin by my wife!aka: You can tell which time of my life I first met people by what name they give me. My Mum and family give me my full name, Samuel; if it is someone from my secondary school years, they call me Sammy.Favourite line from a song:My formative years of listening to music and going clubbing where the late 80s and early 90s – there weren’t too many lyrics in the dance music I listened to in those days. Add the volume of the music into the mix that probably accounts for my bad hearing and I usually can’t pick up the words of songs or get them completely wrong!The title of a film about you: "The Messiah" or "El Presidente." Not my calling but names friends have given me, and with somewhat of a back-handed compliment.Current project:Outside of work I have just completed my Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) coaching badge for mini-rugby. I love Thursday nights training and Sunday mornings watching the kids learn, develop and play their matches so that is a project that I want to work harder at to develop my skills in training the future of Irish rugby.Name one thing that inspired you at an event you attended:Anytime I see the proper use of PowerPoint.Least favourite thing about events:The end – saying goodbye to old and new friends.What event would you go back in time for?To fly on Concord – I love travel and in some ways we went gone backwards in aviation when Concord was decommissioned.One item you can’t live without?My golf clubs.Perfection is…. the perfect pint of Guinness.Curiosity is… to be welcomed.If I had a nickel… I’d be happy – I love America.Walking a straight line… is the fastest route but you don’t get the same experience.VR or RV? RVBrain teaser or no-brainer? No brainer.Frontstage or backstage? Front of stage.Describe the Eventex experience in 1 word: New.What question do you wish we’d asked?What was your first record?For some reason this is one that sticks in my mind; Racey ‘Some Girls’