Joe Blackman MBE (born c. 1984) is an entrepreneur and former CEO of Collection 26 (formerly called Green Ant Events), a luxury event-planning company. He previously sat as a magistrate at the Cardiff Magistrates Courts.
Joe Blackman | |
|---|---|
 JoeBlackman in 2012. | |
| Born | c. 1984 |
| Nationality | Welsh |
| Education | Masters in Business Administration (MBA) |
| Alma mater | Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama |
| Occupation | Event planner |
| Website | http://www.joeblackman.co.uk |
Event planning
editBlackman was raised with two siblings in Llantwit Major, near Cardiff, Wales by his single mother, who was an events manager at St Donat's Art Centre.[1][2] He began working on events run by his mother, before starting his first business while in university.[1][3][4]
In 2005 when he was 20 years old, Blackman founded Green Ant Events, an event-planning company.[1][3][5] Venture Wales, a business-support project of the Welsh government, supported Blackman's efforts with business advice.[5] The company organised an event in Qatar at the 15th Asian Games for the International Olympic Committee.[1][6][4] In 2008 during a recession he changed its focus to luxury events for wealthy clients.[3] In 2010 he moved the business to Notting Hill in London to be closer to his target market.[1][7] In 2013 the name of the company was changed to Collection 26.[8] It threw parties for celebrities including 50 Cent, The Killers, and Premier League footballers.[9] The company was sold in 2017,[10] and the assets were returned to its investors by January 2018.[8]
Blackman was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to the economy and charity.[11]
Education
editBlackman started working on a BA degree in Stage Management at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in 2003 and 2004 but left to start freelancing.[1] He qualified in health and safety management by NEBOSH.[12] and then earned a master's degree in Business Administration from the University of South Wales with funding from the Welsh government.[1][2]
Magistrate service
editBlackman became a magistrate in Cardiff in 2008.[4][6] At the age of 23, he was the youngest magistrate on the Cardiff bench, and one of the youngest in the UK.[6]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g Hattie Williams (23 March 2014). "How I made it: Joe Blackman, founder of Collection 26". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 2 May 2014.[dead link]
- ^ a b Williams-Grut, Oscar (16 June 2014). "Growth Capital: Collection 26's Joe Blackman - the tough-minded". Evening Standard.
- ^ a b c Rebecca Burn-Callander (2 May 2014). "A-list party planner bucks recession". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015.
- ^ a b c Tom Hall (16 February 2010). "My Event World- Joe Blackman". Event Magazine. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
- ^ a b "Welsh Events Management Company Enjoys Twenty-fold Increase in Turnover". Venture Wales. 26 April 2010. Archived from the original on 20 February 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
- ^ a b c Sally Williams (1 February 2008). "A Benchmark Case for His Generation". Wales Online. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
- ^ Partridge, Matthew (16 April 2014). "Joe Blackman: Key to success is to put in the hours - MoneyWeek". MoneyWeek.
- ^ a b "Collection 26 LTD - Filing history". Companies House. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
- ^ "How to get your house ready to party". The Irish Times. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
- ^ "Entrepreneural Buddhism". Mortimer House. 25 June 2018. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
- ^ "No. 63571". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 January 2022. p. N17.
- ^ "MIVReveals - Collection 26". Miventures. 2015. Retrieved 28 February 2018.