
Timeline
About me
Freelance Chef & Caterer with 20 years experience, Event Manager (and anything to do with music and entertainment!)
Education

New college
1989 - 1991A-levels: english literature, french, spanishActivities and Societies: Editor and Founder of the 'New College Magazine' A-Levels - English, French, Spanish

University of liverpool
1991 - 1994Ba (hons) english, drama & theatre studiesBachelor of Arts (Combined Honours) - English, Drama & Theatre Studies
Experience

Men in blue, realeyes productions, the smoke eaters, dj chamelian
Sept 1996 - May 2015Event manager/ promoter/ dj/ producer/ music agent/ tour manager/ stage manager/ chefMost recent:June - November 2011 - Managed and realised several smaller public events in production with 'The Smoke Eaters' (Amsterdam Dance Event a.o.)-Floor/Stage managing at various other independent events.(Corporate events; product launches etc)April 2011: Event Manager for 'Amsterdam Volvo Snowbombing Road trip Launch'.2008 – Now – A/V Consultant & Audio/Visual artist/ DVDJ with ‘The Smoke Eaters’2005-2008 –Club promotion, DJ and Event Management (EG: 'Dance Valley 2004-2005' Stage Manager / 'Fragile Breaks' club night Director & Manager @ Studio 80 etc ; see blogspot.2004-2006 – Music Agent & Artist Manager, for ‘Fillin’ Da Gap Agency & Management. 2001-2004 – DJing & Programming/ Promotion Consultant for 'Advanced Parties' (named by the, then, prominent UK Dance Music magazines 'Jockey Slut' as "one of the best international club-nights"), I devoted all spare time to learning studio music production using software instruments, together with more experienced engineers. Gained a publishing deal with Chrysalis Music.1996-2001 – Ran several clubnights in Amsterdam and further at notable venues such as Melkweg, Paradiso and Mazzo. Duties included: Artist bookings, promotion, creative design, personnel hire and stage management. Also I became an agent simply as it was more cost effective to take foreign artists to other venues within the Benelux, thus reducing my financial overheads. This in turn, became one of my main incomes during this period.Another function: Canvassing the distributors to push more of the relevant music into the shops became also a major aspect of my work. This lead to my initiating a club promotion service, where certain journalists and top ‘players’ received free vinyl in exchange for reactions.2001 – Income was solely from DJing and some album launch parties/ club nights. Also first release with R&S Records under the name: Sub Soundsystem Show less

Realeyes productions
Jan 1997 - Jan 2003Responsible for the booking, promotion, artist liaison, and tour management of DJs and Live bands, specifically from the Dance scene and mostly from the UK, throughout major venues in The Netherlands and Benelux. Also working as a Stage Manager for various other events not coordinated by myself (EG: Dance Valley Festival) My responsibilities included liason between artists/DJs and management with venues and clubs around theBenelux.Realisation of full tours for artists including all logistics.Sales and marketing of artist's products (music/ merchandise) throughout a network of taste makers, DJs and shops.Stage management at parties and festivals (including logistics, risk assessment, personnel management and technical liason)
Music Agent/ Tour manager/ Stage Manager at Realeyes Productions
Jan 1997 - Jan 2003Music Agent/ Tour manager/ Stage Manager
Jan 1997 - Jan 2003

Self employed
Jan 2003 - nowFreelance (zzp'er) chef (kok) with 20 years experience
Men in blue (own company)
Mar 2003 - nowOwnerWork on location as caterer and freelance chef from events of various scales to hotels and restaurants.For example, in 2019, I have worked for several months at 'Restaurant Pllek' (Amsterdam), for one month at 'Restaurant Stork' (Amsterdam) and in a variety of places around the Randstad.For in-depth details please contact me.

Men in blue
Mar 2003 - May 2015Freelance chef de partisIn between event management and other creative projects I have followed my other passion that is food! In keeping with entrepreneurship, I have worked on a freelance basis (due to other business commitments) and started from humble beginnings to high end caterings and restaurants. This has helped me, not only to cook, but gain an insight into all aspects of Horeca (Hospitality). For example, locations where I cooked for other companies became part of my own contact group. I could then later exploit these for my own independent events. Show less

The smoke eaters
Jan 2008 - May 2015Audio/visual editer/ remixer/ producerFor my DJ/ Production history see: http://www.simonmelia.blogspot.comBased in Amsterdam, The SmokeEaters are futuristic DJs who manipulate audio and video images using DVD turntables, mixers and computers, seamlessly bringing together music videos, movies and television combined with electronic dance beats. The SmokeEaters are quickly rising in the AV scene becoming recognised as innovators alongside contemporary peers like DJ Yoda, Coldcut and Hextatic.Having already headlined the legendary Paradiso club in their native Amsterdam on several occasions, The SmokeEaters are now bringing their talents to an international audience playing venues as far afield as Family nightclub in Brisbane, Australia and closer to home in Spain, Belgium, Poland, and Romania. Summer 2010 saw them introduced to the festival circuit to rock the legendary Glastonbury Festival with 2 shows in the huge Dance East tent as well as playing for 3 nights at Ireland's premier festival Oxegen on a 100m HI Def LED screen – one of the biggest in the world. They rounded off the Summer with an outdoor show with massive 360 degree projections at Hungary’s Sziget Festival http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1VcXVfdXfMThe SmokeEaters sample from all areas of pop, rock and dance culture. Show less

Atmospheres tents & events
Mar 2013 - nowExploitation of three large dome tents, with sound and catering equipment. These were used in creative stage concepts at large festivals such as Mysteryland and smaller festivals such as Beyond. I also used the smaller tents for catering and food stalls. Most recently they were used for 'festival style' weddings. I would tailor the event to the couples requests and produce it from end to end.As this was very specialist (sometimes not large enough or the right 'feel') I decided to put the company on hold to explore wider possibilities that were year round. Show less
Company Owner
Mar 2013 - nowCEO
Mar 2013 - Aug 2015

Restaurant bellini
May 2015 - May 2016Proprietor and chefThis was a one year project. My brother-in-law had bought a bankrupt lunchroom (70 seats inside, 40 terrace) and needed someone to turn it around before it could be resold. Together with my wife, we successfully turned the location into a well running evening business. We recognised and catered for the average demographic of Valkenburg (a very touristic location).All aspects of the management, kitchen, promotion and personnel were realised by us.One year later it was sold for almost double the original investment. Show less

Ggd ghor nederland
Dec 2020 - Mar 2023Covid-19 tester (bemonsteraar nl) and vaccination support workerNasal and oral swab-testing patients at test centres around the Netherlands for Covid-19 during the pandemic. Also all of the administrative roles, with the nationwide database, that accompany this. Also, from the spring, diversified and worked partially in the vaccination centres as well as the test centres. Administrative functions and roles that one might normally consider 'crowd control/ customer relations'.
Licenses & Certifications

Svh (social responsibility,horeca)

Haccp hygienecode
PlusportJun 2019
Languages
- enEnglish (native)
- duDutch (fluent)
- frFrench (slight knowledge)
- spSpanish (slight knowledge)
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