The event…that was a non-event…

Working in the Apple space doesn’t come cheap!

The reason I started making content about Apple gear is that it’s something I’ve always loved and enjoyed – I’m a geek! What I hadn’t factored in was that it’s a bloody expensive brand to follow and make content on, and from that perspective, it was a poor decision.

But even so, I have no regrets, I love what I do!

Obviously, being a small fish in a large creators’ pool means that I don’t get given any of the gear that I write about – nope, it all comes out of my own pocket, and let me tell you, it starts to add up very quickly.

I’ve been in this business now for nearly five years, and although I know that isn’t that long in the scheme of things, it’s not a bad record. For every one of those weeks, I’ve written and made videos about some type of Apple device, event or service.

This past week, I thought my luck was changing and that I’d finally broken through. I felt that all those stories and videos had finally helped me break into the inner circle of Apple.

Why?

Well, this week I received my first invite to an Apple event – but as is ever the case, not everything was as it seemed! All that seemingly shines is not silver.

Let me walk you through what happened…

All change

Trying to break through and get some kind of recognition from Apple has been something that’s been on my mind for a while now. It’s a tough ask.

Actually, I even wrote to Tim Cook a few weeks ago – honestly, I did! For years, I’d heard these stories that he replies to every email, and as sceptical as I was, I figured I had nothing to lose! I had tried all sorts of other email addresses that I’d found at the end of articles on Apple’s newsroom page, but with no joy. So, I thought, nothing ventured…

Needless to say, I’ve heard nothing back…so far!

But just after sending that email, another opportunity came my way. In this job, like any other, over the years, you start to make contacts and create friendships with people in the same line of work.

For many years now, I’ve known an Apple journalist, and although we’re not super-close friends who speak regularly, every time we chat, we get on ever so well. An iMessage popped up from him this week asking if I was heading to Battersea (Apple’s UK HQ) in a couple of days.

I wasn’t, but obviously, now my interest was piqued as to why he was. It turned out that he’d had an invite from Apple to be part of their 50th birthday celebrations. Well, the long and the short of it was that he gave me the email address of the person he’d been dealing with, who was part of the Mac and iPad PR team.

With explicit instructions not to mention where I’d got the address from, I dropped everything and wrote an email asking if there was any chance I could be included on the guest list.

Almost by return, I got an email that I had to RSVP to within a few hours, and that was it. It was confirmed, I was in! Then it was a waiting game as I was told more information would follow.

The e-ticket dropped into my inbox the next day.

Breaking into the Apple inner circle

So, you can understand that in my mind, this was the ‘in’ that I’d been working so hard for all these years.

I’d attended some Apple business events in the past, but the teams don’t overlap, this time the difference was that I was now dealing with the iPad and Mac PR team directly.

I wasn’t certain what would be going on – all I knew for sure was that it was an outdoor event and Mumford & Sons were the main act. The phrase they used was that this was a ‘rain or shine’ event. Now, if you’re reading this and you live in the UK, you’ll know that holding an outdoor gig starting at 7.30 pm in mid-March is pretty optimistic!

During the afternoon running up to the event, we had a mini-storm and even a hailstorm. This was going to be a chilly one for sure – who’d have thought!

But, this was Apple – they would do it right, wouldn’t they? I asked as many Apple folks as I could during the afternoon if there was any kind of hands-on event or reception afterwards. Either they genuinely didn’t know or were told not to spill the beans.

Oddly, I genuinely had no idea who Mumford & Sons were. I spent nearly a decade presenting live music radio, but I’m a music snob, and I like what I like!

I’m a rare groove & jazz funk lad, and Mumford are certainly not that. But I knew I’d have to suck it up for the sake of the bigger picture.

The price to pay

The queues were huge, and although the invite had said to arrive at 4 pm, people were arriving from around 2.30 pm.

My hopes were raised that something more would be going on later because I was ushered through the lines quickly, with my yellow wristband. I assumed that would mean something later on.

So, I got through the security at around 6 pm and stood…and stood…and stood and waited and waited.

It was cold, bloody cold – I think it was four or five degrees. But I kept reminding myself it would be worth it come the end of the evening. I don’t know how many people were there, but I’d guess it must’ve been at least a thousand or so. We were packed like sardines – Apple certainly hadn’t been shy in getting bodies there.

I’m no Mumford fan as I mentioned, although judging by the way the rest of the audience were singing along, I was clearly in the minority on that front! In their defence, the band were okay musicians and were pretty entertaining – and they too were clearly feeling the cold. I didn’t envy the brass players, that’s for sure.

I stayed through until the end of the set as I assumed I’d be rushed off to some kind of reception inside. But no – 8.30 came, the set finished, and that was that!

The lights were shut off, and that was all there was going to be. No hands-on, no press reception and no chance to meet the PR team either.

So in short, I’d driven into town, and got frozen half-to-death all to see a DJ, who looked bloody miserable, play an hour-long rooftop set, that for all I know was pre-recorded anyway, and then watch a band I had no interest in play for another hour.

I was stiff from standing for so long, miserable and frozen.

More to come

I did manage to pull something from the day, though.

I’d arrived early and spent the day recording content for the week’s video and also locating some shots that I knew I wanted to take later that night.

As soon as it became clear that there was nothing more happening with Apple that evening, I started to run to find these shots I wanted to take – I ran to them purely to try to warm up!

But inside, I felt a mug. I felt a total fool. I’d built this up to be such a big thing, yet it was obvious that virtually anyone could have come along. In my head, all those months of writing about the latest iPhone or iPad had again all summed up to nothing.

I’d turned up with business cards and patter at the ready, hoping that I’d have a chance to chat with the two contacts from Apple PR. I was ready to talk business and press home this lead I’d been gifted.

But in reality, I was just another body at an Apple PR event.

The long game

Now I’ve had a few days to evaluate what went on, in my typical way, I’m trying hard to find the positives. It can only be a good thing that I was invited in the first place, and I do have those priceless contacts to tap up.

I’ve already written my thank you emails, and now I just have to sit, wait and play the game. We have WWDC looming, and if I’ve heard nothing back by mid-May, then I’ll follow up again.

Not only was that a positive, but I also got to see some live music and experience a band I would never have seen and, I got to spend a day shooting in London and use the iPhone 17e some more.

Okay, so it hadn’t been all that I’d hoped it would be, but deep inside, I still think it must be a step forward. After all, you know that they say – if it were easy, then everyone would be doing it!

Only being honest

One of the things I pride myself on is that I don’t write clickbait stories and try to write from the heart.

When I was standing watching Mumford,I could feel this story building inside me. If I’d come across this story myself a few years ago, I think I’d have found it useful in helping to give me perspective and insight as to how these events run and how the system works, and that is why I wanted to share it with you.

This time last year, my name hadn’t even crossed the desks of the Apple PR team, and I’d never had an invite from Apple. So even though the night wasn’t what I’d hoped for, I can now see I was still lucky to be there in the first place.

It’s down to me now to carry on keeping my head down, working hard and delivering quality content. Eventually, eventually, it will bear fruit, and in the meantime, I’m lucky enough to get up each day and go to work to do something I truly adore doing.

In life, you’re gifted nothing, but everything is there and up for grabs if you go looking for it, right?

Apple, thank you for the invite, and just to let you know, I’m here for the long haul! Hopefully, we’ll be seeing one another in June at WWDC!