Jamhouse owner Garry Smith appointed new president of Brisbane Advertising + Design Club

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MDR_6440.jpegThe Brisbane Advertising and Design Club (BADC) turns 40 this year, and has announced its new president. The right person to continue the club’s growth and relevance for the Advertising and Design Industry has accepted the challenge. That person is Jamhouse Creative owner and one of Brisbane’s finest talents, Garry Smith.  

Says Matt Dye, Outgoing president: “With a great vision for the future of BADC, a knowledge of the past of BADC and some great new ideas, I’m very pleased to have him taking over as President. Actually, I’m really excited about what he wants to do.”

Smith has a long history in Brisbane, first as a co-owner and creative force behind the iconic studio Suite 16 Audio Productions, then Pinkhouse Productions, and now Jamhouse Creative.

Says Smith: “I was a member of the original BAD Club back in the Suite 16 days, and re-joined three years ago as a committee member.  Since then I’ve seen firsthand what a task it is for all concerned to keep a club like BADC running. With the committees’ assistance, Matt and Katrine have taken it to a really good place in terms of the structure of the club, and with an increase in membership since 2011 of almost 80%, Matt leaves a great legacy.  That alone is a huge achievement in the current environment.  I know it’s going to be a challenge for me, a muso, to take over the reins – it’s a first for the club.  Although I’ve been in the game for nearly thirty years, there are a lot of people I don’t know – we musicians tend to spend a lot of time in dark rooms searching for that one hook or “feeling” that will stay with people long after the TV or radio is turned off!  It’s what we do.  But I’m always up for a coffee or a beer and a chat, so that’s where I’ll start – make some calls, catch up with those who know me, and introduce myself to those who don’t.  I want to talk to as many people as I can, and I’m considered a pretty good listener to boot.

“I’ve always collaborated, and over the last ten years have been involved in mentoring programs and networking events both here in Brisbane and recently in the US, and I see the BADC as an absolutely essential conduit for both of those things. My aim is to build on both of those elements as resources for the club to continue to grow and develop.

“To that end I hope to engage with as many of the more established members of the advertising community as possible, and encourage the mentoring and fostering of new talent into the club membership.  We have new enthusiastic young members on the committee this year, so I’ll also be encouraging them to get out and talk to their peers about the value of the club and the opportunities it offers for networking through events, drinks nights and of course the infamous awards. New members are the future of the club; so again, I hope to build on what Matt and Katrine have done in terms of growing that side of the club. If we continue to grow, we can offer more benefits not just to members but also to the other essential component for any club, the sponsors.”

Smith is a respected music and advertising industry identity whose experience as a composer, producer, arranger, writer and director spans nearly three decades.  His composition and production skills have been integral to the success of countless advertising campaigns, and his work has also underpinned television series, short films and live shows.  He also currently lectures in Music for Advertising and popular song writing at Griffith University and has done so at QUT as well. While garnering literally scores of awards for his achievements in advertising, he has also produced a number of creative albums in genres such as singer song writer, pop, jazz, crossover opera and Americana.

He has attended music conferences in LA and Nashville and in 2013 was asked to conduct a master class at the Taxi Music Road Rally in LA, and to be on the Library Music listening panel.  Jamhouse now has a growing library of its own and Smith is also currently setting up an academic collaboration between Middle Tennessee State and Griffith Universities, and will start conducting study immersion tours to LA and Nashville later this year.

BADC and the committee will have a lot of great things happening this year. The club’s membership is important for the whole industry, and Smith is the perfect person to spearhead the longest continually run club of its kind in the country.