Vivienne Errington-Barnes

Spear’s Review

After over 10 years of running operations in investment banking, Vivienne Errington-Barnes left the industry to concentrate on organising showstopping events.

‘We are known for being incredibly risk aggressive,’ she says. ‘You cannot do something unique without taking a risk.’ Perhaps this is why her services are sought by prominent tech billionaires, entrepreneurs and corporations, who flock to her company, Shift + Alt Events, in droves.

Errington-Barnes and her team organise hundreds of events each year, from extravagant birthday parties to heartfelt anniversaries and corporate retreats. Budgets range from a modest $20,000 to an eye-watering $20 million, and the scope of creativity is similarly limitless. ‘It’s not as simple as “I want to have fun,”’ she tells Spear’s. ‘If we truly understand the client and who they want to be and how they want to live their life, then with that context [the event] really lands.’