Hospitality in Glasgow has a bright future, according to Derick Martin, chief executive of events management company Camm & Hooper, the new owner of Platform – the huge space under Central Station formerly known as The Arches.
Speaking to SLTN ahead of the official ‘People Make Platform’ launch night for the revitalised venue, Martin acknowledged that the city centre was visibly ‘going through changes’, but identified long term trends that would, he believed, fuel a turnaround in fortunes for venue operators with the right offer in place.
“Glasgow is a city full of so many wonderful things. It has a really rich heritage, and despite all the changes it has been through, it has never lost its edge,” said Martin, who was born and brought up near Lennoxtown.
Having made his business reputation south of the border, he sees Camm & Hooper’s debut in Scotland as something of a homecoming, albeit not one driven by sentimentality – he is investing in Glasgow because he expects great things of it.
“Platform has a history, of course, but essentially it is a fantastic space in one of the world’s most culturally vibrant cities.
“Sure, right now, you can look at Sauchiehall St and it is not the Sauchiehall St I remember when I was young, but these things go in cycles.
“At the moment, not a lot of people live in the actual city of Glasgow compared to how the population is distributed in London, but that is changing,” he said.
“Look at the new housing developments along the Clyde – we’ll be seeing a huge amount of new people coming in to live close to the city centre. That new younger population will create demand for entertainment, music, theatre etc.
“And there are more and more corporates coming to Glasgow, setting up headquarters here. That will have a revitalising effect – and more corporate events will lead to greater demand for venues.”
Martin speaks from a position of authority on the subject of urban revival, as Camm & Hooper rose on the tide of London’s east end renaissance, snapping up ‘quirky buildings, individual places’, capable of hosting events for blue chip multinationals like Netflix and Nike, whether they be comparatively staid financial results conferences or ‘edgy Christmas parties’.
That’s why Platform’s 35,000 square feet of railway arches – plus the same again below street level – was a perfect fit: “When I walked in for the first time, I fell in love with it. It holds a great affinity for me to now be the owner of Platform. My father would be looking down proud.”
With a diverse venue portfolio in London, C & H’s strategy is now very much to look north, moving up to have a presence in cities like Leeds and Manchester – and an even bigger footprint in Scotland: “We have plans for more venues in Glasgow and are in discussions about Edinburgh,” he reveals, stressing that individuality will remain the watchword of C & H’s venues – “You’ll never find me in a white square box.”
But it isn’t all about bricks’n’mortar: “We are a community business, and creating a really good staff base is important to what we do. It is people that make an event successful – and it is our team at Platform that will make it successful.”
