Patrick Greene is a man you should mention if you're ever trying to convince someone to go on a J1.
The 28-year-old Sligo native Greene runs the 'Greene Room', a successful PR & events company hired by big venues, that offers free entry and VIP treatment to night clubbers in exchange for a crowd and an atmosphere which encourages high rolling “clients” to attend and spend at those venues.
Greene landed in New York in 2013 on a J1, and spoke to the Irish Times about his ascent from bartending in Hell's Kitchen to running one of the biggest PR & events company in Manhattan. He goes on to say that after trying to juggle a low paying TV internship with promoting nightclubs in his spare time, he decided to take up promoting full time. 'I was working for a promotions company, and then about two years ago I went out on my own.'
Greene mentions some of the esteemed company which he has found himself in during his time on the New York club scene, including the likes of LeBron James, Rihanna and tells a story about how he ended up going on a night out with Leonardo DiCaprio.
Any budding promoters should try to get in touch with Greene, who told the Irish Times that he plans to foster Irish graduates working in America:
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Ideally I want to open up a window where I can support Irish grads, and build a little Irish empire. I have three promoters working for me already now and they are all Irish. I have someone who runs my social media, and my client services.
There is an Irish bar in every city in the world - and the reason Irish bars are so popular worldwide is because we do hospitality like no others. So if I can bring in more Irish promoters, then that will help bring that across.
Greene also encouraged Irish visitors to contact him for a good night out, 'If you have Irish friends coming over, put them in touch with me. Get me on social media. I say to people that the biggest sign of gratitude then, is to refer to me to your friends.'
The full interview on The Irish Times is well worth a read.
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