Peter Orpen, co-founder of digital communication agency AVT Connect, has died aged 68.
Orpen died in April from Covid-19, according to a statement from the Brighton agency's board. He retired from the agency in 2016.
The statement said: “It is with tremendous sadness we have to announce the death of Peter Orpen from Covid-19. He passed away two months ago and we wanted to wait until well after the family service and local tributes had taken place before making an industry announcement.
"Peter is truly missed by our staff and an exceptionally wide and diverse circle of friends, colleagues and acquaintances from across the globe. He was kind, a true gentleman, and a lover of technology and the arts. Peter was an industry trailblazer with an incredible enthusiasm for the events and digital communication sector, which he played a big part in developing and championing.”
Current AVT Connect CEO Jon Fox and former MD Robin St Clair Jones shared their memories and anecdotes from Orpen's long, varied and distinguished career.
St Clair Jones said: "Peter was involved with AVT from the early days in the 1970s, at first part-time looking after the accounts whilst working full time in another position. He had a passion for communication and events and became a full time member of AVT in the mid-1980s. His keen interest in photography led to him contributing to early productions as a creative, as well as looking after our finances. His zest for life meant there was no way he would be tied behind a desk full time and soon found himself out on the road looking after VideoShow, a computer graphics package and a very early forerunner to PowerPoint.
"In the formative company years the hours Peter put in were phenomenal and his dedication to making AVT a success extremely commendable. Enjoying being onsite and the camaraderie of working in a team, he would take his massive Peugeot estate which became the 'crew car' for the duration of the event. Peter essentially had two speeds when driving, fast and stop!
"In 1997, Peter, his brother John and myself were involved in a management buy out of AVT and he assumed the role of chairman which suited his skill set perfectly. AVT grew rapidly until 9/11, when many events just stopped or were postponed and Peter’s financial acumen and dedication helped AVT through this very difficult time. Throughout the noughties and beyond we continued to develop and expand the company, always looking to have fun and grow the business."
Fox added: “Peter was always highly supportive of me as we set about transforming the business from a traditional AV company born in the 70s into the digital agency we are today. He loved sci-fi movies and technology and the last time we were together we discussed how meetings might look in 2030. Peter was never one to look back at the past and was very much a big picture thinker.
"It always amazed me how Peter could connect with creative and technical team members of all ages, and he always took the time to get to know people and work out what made them tick. His influence and network of friends was far and wide, all incredibly interesting and well-connected characters. Peter was one of those remarkable people that you can never put into a standard mould.
"Peter was still a company shareholder and when he retired he became chair of The English Language Centre, which his mother and father had set up in the early 60s. He was also involved in the West Pier Trust and was a local, prominent Rotarian. In all these ventures the one common factor that everyone relates to Peter was his sheer love of life.
"He was absolutely delighted to see AVT Connect win gold for ‘Best Healthcare Event’ at the EVCOM awards in November 2019 and bronze for ‘Best Event Provider’ at the M&IT Awards in February 2020. It is a legacy to his investment and commitment to hybrid and virtual events that AVT has also recently entered the Event Technology Awards under the category of 'Best Pivot from Physical to Virtual Event' and the Pharmaceutical Marketing Society Digital Awards for 'Craft: Creativity - Innovation'.
"He is greatly missed by his family, friends and colleagues.”
M&IT editor Paul Harvey is a journalist with more than 15 years of experience. He began his career in the local press, working for various titles across the north. Since joining M&IT in 2013, he has become a trusted and respected voice in the sector, championing event professionals and reporting on all aspects of the events industry for the brand.
