The event industry can be a tough business... but it can also be incredibly rewarding

Tell us about yourself:

I am David O’Driscoll, I am 31 years old and I live in Blarney with my fiancé Katie. Our family has grown recently with the arrival of our first child, little baby Emily who was born in September. It’s hard to believe she is over two and half months already. It has been such an enjoyable experience for Katie and myself watching her grow and develop and it’s now hard to imagine life without her.

I am the events manager for Ts Events a family run event management and event rental company based in Cork city set up in 2011, we are busy gearing up for a busy Christmas season, as we are running Santa’s Magical Market in the Marina Market this year.

The company was set up while I was still in college studying for my degree in Marketing in Munster Technological University formerly (CIT). So when I wasn’t in college I was helping out in whatever way I could.

With it being a family business you get to work across many different roles which gives you a great understanding of every facet of the business.

Starting small and working on local events our reputation quickly grew and work started to come from far and wide. As the business developed we added different elements to the businesses to ensure we were offering our customers the best service possible and keeping up with the ever changing business environment. Our company now covers a wide variety of events ranging from weddings, private parties, corporate events, conferences, festivals and much more.

The one thing I love about my job is that no two days are the same. We get to work in some of the most beautiful locations around the country with some amazing people on a wide variety of events. The event industry can be a tough business with a lot of stress but it can also be incredibly rewarding when a job has been completed successfully and your customer is happy. Of course it would not be possible without our amazing crew who work tirelessly all year to ensure everything runs smoothly.

What is your ideal Friday night?

After a long week which generally involves a lot of travel we like to just relax as a family and take it easy.

We would generally chill out with a movie or whatever series we are watching at the time with our feet up and a cup of tea with a few well earned Friday evening treats. No doubt our dog and cat will be close by looking for love and attention.

Lie ins or up with the lark?

With the nature of events, a lot of our work would be over the weekend so it would mean lie ins are in short supply. 

The arrival of Emily in September means they are in even shorter supply now. 

However if I did have the option I would choose to lie in if at all possible.

If money was no object which city would you head to on a city break? And who would you bring with you?

I would go to New York, it is a city that just has an atmosphere unlike any other with so much to see and do. I finally got the opportunity to travel there in 2022 with Katie and would love the opportunity to explore some more. I would bring Katie and Emily and in an ideal world I would love to bring my mom, dad and brother. Due to it being a family business it’s not really possible for us all to take holidays off at the same time so extended family holidays haven’t happened for a long time which is a shame.

Closer to home places you like to visit: One of our favourite places to visit is Regional Park in Ballincollig which is such an incredible amenity to have so close to us. We regularly come here on the weekend to get some fresh air and walk our dog ‘Raider’, our one- year-old golden retriever. There are a whole host of different trails to take which means no two walks are the same. There are also some very nice coffee spots along the way which make it all the more enjoyable.

Do you catch up with family and friends?

Yes we do try to catch up with friends and family as much as we can.

Do you participate in any hobbies?

Yes, myself and my fiancée are both very active. We play tag rugby at least twice a week playing in the Tag Republic leagues. We have both represented Cork in tag rugby over the past number of years and Katie has also been capped twice for Ireland which was a massive achievement.

My second hobby which I dedicate a lot of time to is refereeing rugby union for the Munster Association of referees. I am in my sixth year of refereeing and really enjoying it travelling all over the province refereeing in the Munster Junior League. 

My goal in the coming years is to hopefully be selected for the AIL panel to referee nationally all things going well.

Entertain or be entertained?

With the nature of our business I spend a lot of time hosting and running events. So I don’t mind taking a back seat and let someone else take the reins. However, I do like to entertain when the opportunity arises. I do like to cook and my specialty dish would be Beef Wellington.

Places to eat out?

One of our favourite places to eat out would be the Anglers Rest, such a beautiful location next to the river with a beautiful food offering and relaxed setting. They are also dog friendly which is a great bonus for us.

Sunday night how do you spend it?

I would generally be refereeing on a Sunday so I could be travelling home from anywhere across the province. When I get home we like to relax and get ourselves organised for the week ahead.

Myself and Katie are big sports fans so Sunday nights are filled with watching sports. We would watch NFL Redzone which covers all the best action from all the games across the NFL and we would also have the F1 race to catch up on from earlier in the day. So a busy night of viewing plus getting organised for the week ahead.

What time does the alarm clock go off?

Depending on what the day has in store for me my alarm would go off anytime between 6.45am and 7.30am so I would always be up pretty early.

MORE ABOUT SANTA’S MAGICAL MARKET

Santa’s Magical Market, in association with TS Events, is now open at the Marina Market from Friday until December 23. The brand new experience includes interactive areas full of Christmas magic!

Families can wander through snow kissed woods, ride on the amazing ‘Polar Express’ train into the magical Christmas village, help the elves make toys at the Elf Toy Workshop, make treats at Mrs Claus’s bakery, and pay a visit to the South Pole Post Office. Finally visitors will meet Santa himself in his snow covered Grotto, to share all your heartfelt wishes. Here you can snap up a keepsake photo of the special moment, taken with Resolute Photography, Munsters leading event photographers.

A big bonus for many of this experience is that it’s dog friendly so your four-legged friend doesn’t have to miss out on the family adventure. 

Your fur-baby can even be booked in for their own special visit with ‘Santa Paws’!

The event is also fully accessible, and there’s a sensory hour each Sunday morning from 11am-12pm.

Charity Partners for Enable Ireland.

For further details and bookings see www.santasmagical.market or follow @santasmagicalmarket on social media.