Patrick Donovan Email & Phone Number

Patrick has worked in the media and the music industry in Melbourne, Australia, for the last 25 years. As the Age newspaper's first dedicated Music Writer, his wrote hard hitting news stories for the front news section of the paper, while documenting and analysing the local, national and international scene in the famed entertainment guide (EG) and features sections. As passionate supporter of the local music scene, writing about music wasn't enough to satisfy his passions. He started the Age EG Awards (now Music Victoria Awards) to celebrate the best local music of the year, and started and ran the campaign to name a laneway after AC/DC (AC/DC Lane). During this time, he also sang in a band, DJ-ed, and tour managed Iggy Pop at the Falls Festival in Lorne in 1998.In 2010, he became the inaugural CEO of the state's nascent music peak body, Music Victoria, where he successfully lobbied for a series of world first reforms including the recognition of live music in the planning scheme and the Agent of Change planning law which required developers to pay for sound proofing new apartments. He grew the Music Victoria membership to 5,000 musicians, venues and industry professionals, promoted Melbourne internationally as the live music capital or the world and encouraged the government to take music seriously as a business. He oversaw the set up of the Victorian Music Development Office to support music businesses.He held many prominent positions during this period, including chairing the Australian Music Industry Network and Covid Recovery Advisory Group, and being appointed on the National Film and Sound Archive Board, the Liquor Control Advisory Council, and the Small Business Minister's Small Business Recovery Council.After a decade at the helm, Patrick resigned from Music Victoria in December 2020 and commence his own consultancy business, Patrick Donovan Creative Consulting, offering strategic, marketing, business development and Placemaking through alliances with hospitality groups, venues, developers, local, state and federal government.

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  Monash University

  Economics, Politics, Philosophy