Live events resemble theatre - Donnacadh O'Briain | LJ TALKS at IMEX Frankfurt 2026

Hailing from theatre production, Donnacadh O'Briain is a respected, multi-award-winning director and creative director working across plays, musicals and live events. His work has earned him the coveted Olivier Award and an Offie Award. He sat down with Jan and Gorazd to explore parallels between theatre and events and explain where he draws inspiration. Donnacadh also revealed the model that helps him engage clients. ▬ Contents ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 0:00 – Ljubljana Talks intro 0:50 - Do meetings resemble theatre? 2:59 - The basic ingredients of a good event and agora 4:50 - The catharsis of an event 8:40 - Can travel be a part of an event’s dramaturgical arc? 11:20 - The peculiarities of a global event 15:05 - Donnacadh’s work methodology 25:40 - Ideas versus execution 27:20 - Who needs to be a part of a team for a great event? 29:05 - Is less more? 30:29 - Fire questions Follow Gorazd and Jan on LinkedIn:   / gorazd-cad     / janorsic   Made possible by: https://www.visitljubljana.com/en https://kongres-magazine.eu https://imexevents.com/ https://www.creativepro.agency/si/