Kevin McGuire director K13.biz
Originally working as touring road crew and stage manager with bands such as The Silencers, Fish from Marillion and Dionne Warwick. Kevin went back to college in 1996 to study an HNC in Music Business Administration.
First job after college was a year in sales at Virgin Records working the likes of the Spice Girls, The Verve and the Chemical Brothers before obtaining his dream job of International Promotions Manager at Mercury Records working with Texas, Robert Plant, Joe Strummer, Lulu, Darius and the Beautiful South to name a few where he was responsible for planning, budgeting, legal issues, travel and technical logistics with regards to the management and co –ordination of artists international promotional activities as well as accompanying them on promotional tours.
In 2004 K13.biz came into being when asked by the band Texas to become Tour Manager. Planning the bands promotional and touring commitments, travelling with the artists as a management representative and personal assistant in continually ever changing and evolving schedules and scenarios as well as the usual administrative, communication, accounting and legal duties.
During this period he was also lead car driver for Samsung on the Olympic Torch Relay in Amsterdam, Munich, London and Stockholm, as well as tour managing other acts such as Sophie Ellis Bextor, Minnie Driver and Primal Scream.
In 2007 Kevin took a job as General Manager at an LED screenhire company where he worked on projects such as Spiderman 3 film premier in Leicester Sq, one of the biggest LED screen builds in the U.K, both main stages at Glastonbury Festival, Royal Bank of Scotland Rugby Parties and the inaugural concert and dinner for Lloyds TSB at the O2 Arena, Kevin also stage managed the event where McFly, The Sugababes and the Bootleg Beatles performed.
In 2008 K13.biz was approached by an event company to provide an LED Screentruck and outside broadcast facilities for Africa Day in Trafalgar Sq where an additional feed was microwaved to Plasma screens in the South African Commission so that VIPs, stakeholders and performers could watch proceedings during lunch.
In August 2008 K13 was instrumental in brokering a deal for an 86sqm LED screen for the Trafalgar Square Festival which ran for the three week duration of the Beijing Olympics and Kevin became screen content manager for the event. With the screen in operation seven days a week from 08.00h until 22.00h on a show day, juggling live satellite feed input and a combination of red button services (to assist with the seven hour time difference), sponsorship messages, short public information films intercut with live street theatre performances filmed by a four camera Outside Broadcast Unit utilising the screen as a virtual backdrop and screen relay of the performances.
Sept 2008 was a busy month for K13.biz as we supplied screentrucks and camera systems for, London Week Of Peace where the live screen content was relayed to United Nations websites worldwide, Simcha Jewish festival and End Child Poverty events. At short notice K13 was contacted by LOCOG to provide production and event management services for the Paralympic Handover Ceremony in Trafalgar Sq, with a 56sqm truck screen, associated O.B. facilities, and a DVdosc line array P.A. system flown from smartmasts.
March 09 saw us provide O.B. facilities, screen content and graphics for Put People First rally in Hyde Park and the St Patricks day celebration in Trafalgar Square.
June 09 we supplied full event and production management services for the United Nations, World Environment Day where an environmental feature film premier by Yann Arthus Bertrand was shown in the square with the event supported by Apple computers and The Prince of Wales Charities.
In Dec 2009, K13.biz was responsible for the production and event management of the FIFA World Cup Draw in Trafalgar Sq on behalf of the South African Commission. A 46sqm screentruck with an integrated line array P.A. and fold out stage was used to host the performance of the ‘Diski Dance’ using a three camera O.B. unit prior to the Live BBC FIFA World Cup Draw. Satellite feed provided by a Satellite Broadcast Van.
The following day we provided O.B. facilities, microwave links and production management facilities for the Climate Chaos Demonstration outside the American Embassy in Grosvenor Square, London.
Feb 2010 we provided event and production services for the Vancouver Winter Olympic Opening Ceremony in Trafalgar Square. Panasonic provided a 62sqm truck screen as the focus for the event with Sega providing additional screen content by being able to play the official Winter Olympic computer games by Xbox 360 and Wi balance board direct onto the screen from the centre of the Square with this being captured by camera and relayed to screen using picture in picture. This was all Live vision mixed intercut between the Live and Red button BBC content, sponsors messaging, British Olympic Team diaries and Canadian Tourism content.