The Storytellers: Gerrit Prinsloo
“GPMA is not just a fun and energetic work environment, but it’s also a place where creativity and innovation thrive. I love what we do and more importantly – who we do it with!”
Meet Gerrit Prinsloo, event and brand coordinator the adventurous and driven Founder and CEO of GPMA – a place where passion and skill meet to create truly amazing events. Gerrit has been leading GPMA towards sustained growth and success with his insatiable appetite for calculated risks. With 20 years industry and agency experience, he consults on all things through the line. He has extensive activation and event experience with a specialised focus on integrated activation campaigns. Brands he has worked on include BMW, MINI, Cartier, Montblanc, IWC, Panerai, Discover Financial Services and Diners Club International, CHANEL and Nike. “At our core, GPMA understands this obstacle and specializes in resolving communication barriers.” Says Gerrit Prinsloo.
If someone had to sum up your life story, how will it read?
They would probably sum it up as an adventure novel, and hopefully as the first of many volumes to come.
What story are you telling with your work?
As event producers, and creatives alike, we get to tell many different stories to many different audiences. I like to think that the main storyline in my work remains that of imagination and making the seemingly impossible, possible.
How did your career begin?
My career began as a wardrobe buyer and stylist for television and film. I fell in love with production during my years spent in this industry and was later fortunate enough to be exposed to live event production by some of the industry giants. My passion for production as well as my intrigue about the strategy behind some of the world’s biggest brands eventually culminated and shaped me into the producer I am till this day.
What has been the highlight?
Taking the leap and going out on my own back in 2018. This move has been the catalyst to me producing some of my best work.
How do you keep your energy going?
Exercise and sheer hunger for achievement.
What is the hardest thing about achieving success?
Maintaining it and increasing momentum to reach the next milestone.
Has things changed for you in the past three years?
It definitely has. COVID had a mammoth impact on most industries, but especially that of live events. This however, allowed my team and I to reflect, adapt and refine our service offering. The agility of our agency model contributed greatly to the success of those interventions.
Who has been the biggest influence in your career?
There have been many – especially those that took a chance on me when nobody else did. If I have to single out someone it would have to be Sue Fox, previous MD of Esteē Lauder Companies SA. Her business acumen is second to none and I look up to her to this day.
Do you have a motto you live by?
If it does not make me Happy, make me Money or make me Better – It’s not for me.
You are obviously a people’s person - otherwise you would not be where you are- is it
a trait you had to earn and learn? Or born with it?
I think everyone can be a people’s person if they are willing to learn to listen. It is a daily conscious effort.
What inspires you?
The possibility of turning ideas into reality.
What are some of your daily habits?
Meditation and exercise are the cornerstones of my daily routine– being centered and focused allows me to optimise not only my personal performance, but also that of my team. It is a habit we all share and love.
What have been your most significant failures, and what did you learn from them?
I have had many but I try to attach the significance to the lesson learnt rather than that the failure itself.
How do you plan for your business’s future?
We invest heavily in our agility as a business and our team – we minimize wastage and maximize performance. We know who we are and what we do – we cannot be everything to everyone. It has been our winning recipe to date.
What has been your biggest “a- ha” moment?
When I realized that I thrive to be a leader – not a boss.
Top 3 websites or blogs you can’t imagine your day without.
How do you manage your work-life balance?
This has become increasingly better to manage thanks to my incredible team. We all “check” each other from time to time to ensure that we take time to self-care and spend with our families.
Where do you see yourself in five to ten years from now?
I see myself continuing to lead a team of great minds and great people in an agency environment that is unlike any other.
