AUDIO & VIDEO
“Clouseau live on a packed city square, that makes an impression”
Great music, crazy stunts and compelling stories: that’s the magic formula that keeps listeners coming back to DPG Media’s radio brands 365 days a year. The summer vibes of the Q-Beach House and Christmas spirit of the JOE Christmas House also help. Live events are getting bigger, better, faster and stronger.
Michael Dujardin
(48), channel director of Qmusic
Charlotte Ghekiere
(42), channel director of JOE and Willy
Anyone who has stood on the beach in Ostend with a cocktail in hand and the Q DJs right in front of them, just before the start of a Sunset Concert, will agree that something magical happens at the Q-Beach House every summer. “That’s when you feel that we really are a radio brand, and not just a station,” says Michael Dujardin, channel director of Qmusic. “It’s always sunny at Qmusic, which is something you can experience with all your senses when you visit us.”
During the holiday season, the biggest crowd-puller is the JOE Christmas House, on Antwerp’s Grote Markt. “Christmas is part of JOE’s DNA,” says Charlotte Ghekiere, channel director of JOE and Willy, “so we want to claim that time of year as much as possible. The Christmas House is where everything comes together: that cosy holiday feeling for our listeners, heart-warming concerts and the ‘Pakje van je Hart’ fundraiser for underprivileged children.”
340,000
visitors
19
live performances
65
days
777
hours of radio
65,000
cocktails and
mocktails
The Q-Beach House radio studio and beach bar made their 18th appearance in Ostend last year, while the amazing Sunset Concerts made for an irresistible experience.
Concerts are free at both the Q-Beach House and the Christmas House, even when big names like Clouseau or Bazart stop by. “That’s a deliberate choice to make it easier for people to discover our radio brands,” Michael explains. “A lot of fans come by, but during these live events new listeners also immediately feel what we stand for.”
“A live concert by Clouseau or Pommelien Thijs on a packed square in the middle of the city, believe me, that makes an impression,” laughs Charlotte Ghekiere. “Live radio is a very different experience from listening to music on streaming services like Spotify: you can have a chat with one of the DJs, your kids are welcome and you become part of the radio brand’s community.”
“A live concert by Clouseau or Pommelien Thijs on a packed square in the middle of the city, believe me, that makes an impression”
1,682,949
euros raised for underprivileged children thanks to ‘Pakje van je Hart’
40,000
visitors
6
live performances
31
days
286
hours of live radio
400
metres of lights
For its ninth edition, the JOE Christmas House returned to the centre of Antwerp to light up the darkest days of the year. With a whole month of live radio, free performances and the ‘Pakje van je Hart’ fundraiser, it once again managed to capture that cosy holiday spirit.
EXCITING RADIO
For the DJs, performing in front of a crowd can be an intense experience. Charlotte: “It requires complete focus, so it makes their job much more challenging,” Charlotte explains. “But it also creates unexpected situations that often make for exciting and engaging radio.”
“On the one hand, it’s exhausting, but on the other it gives you a massive energy boost – kind of like scout camp, but longer,” Michael says. “The rest of the year, you’re in contact with the outside world through phone calls and messages. So then when you’re looking out over a crowd of 19,000 people at a Sunset Concert, it’s exhilarating.”
From excavating the beach and building the radio studios to casting students to work in the bar, everything is done in-house. “Everyone who works for us, before and behind the scenes, is fully up to speed on Q’s story,” Michael says. “The entire station pulls together to organise one of these live events: events, sales, radio engineering, you name it. It’s an impressive production, and every department is needed to make it a success. Colleagues from all over the company like to visit, because they’re proud to show people what we’re able to create together.”
