Interview with Paul Waite, CEO & Founder at Production Company: ISG

Paul Waite,

ISG is a leading production company, based in the northeast of England operating globally, that creates, manages and delivers engaging entertainment experiences.

We focus on the whole end-to-end entertainment experience from nurturing new musical talent, delivering high-quality production and management through to building long-term creative and commercial partnerships that deliver strong results and fantastic shows.

Last year the coronavirus pandemic nearly shut down the entire entertainment industry and the ISG team had to react quickly to adapt and evolve. We realised that we could make use of the technology that we already had, to help make our customers’ lives easier and better by offering virtual services that included conferences, corporate videos and festivals.

Recognising the power of audio as a platform that helps to bring people together, over the past year we have also put more resources and budget behind music streaming services.

Furthermore, we continue to champion, as part of ISG’s ongoing commitment, up-and-coming British music talent via recording, music videos and management.
 
 

 

How did you come up with the idea for the company?

 
After performing on stage for many years it felt like a natural progression to develop into management. I wanted to create something that other management stables couldn’t offer so I decided to make the development of talent a core focus of the company and offer clients a more bespoke personal service by offering advice on current trends and matching their customer demographic with potential entertainment solutions.
 

 

What advice would you give to other aspiring entrepreneurs?

 
I believe drive, ambition, hard work, resilience, creativity and positivity are the key to success which is why I instilled them in ISG’s core values.

It is also important to surround yourself with the right people and create an environment where the people in the organisation can thrive, which in turn will help build your brand and look after your clients.

You need to be bold but sensible. Taking risks is all part of business and it’s important to be bold and make moves that show intent and can deliver the rewards you want.

Lastly, you need to enjoy the process. Make sure you lift your head from your computer once in a while to enjoy the process. Creating memories along the way to success is part of the fun.
 

What can we hope to see from ISG in the future?

 
Although I am a firm believer that live entertainment will return post the end of lockdown, I do believe we will see more of a hybrid model that will bring ISG’s past and current offerings together. We have seen a marked increase in clients from all sectors asking us for virtual services such as corporate videos, conferences and festivals and we will continue provide these services via our full media suite.

ISG will also continue to develop new talent and we’re proud that we have been able to increase our support for British music artists over the last year through management, recording, providing music streaming services in addition to increasing the number of music videos we have made.

Overall we are committed to developing our music talent and to growing the ISG team and services that we offer, with the right tools and people for a successful future.