DJ decks, lighting rigs, and sound systems are now expected to be at every Castle Street host. Southern Events’ model has become the new normal for open hosts. Their TikTok and Instagram Reels presence has made the brand a household name across North D. The three stakeholders, Morgan Sarge, Sam Pratt and James Brown, are expanding their gear (not that kind) hiring empire and morphing into event organisers and promoters.
Rocking up for an interview with Critic Te Ārohi, Sam and Morgan are dressed in matching Southern Events hoodies (you’ve gotta love a man in uniform). The lads' chill demeanour was complemented by their money mindset. Before even getting the chance to whip out the voice memo app to hit record, our conversation was interrupted by Morgan’s phone ringing. He quickly handled an issue with tickets, then proceeded to explain how the business began.
Morgan first appeared on the scene as a resident DJ at Subs, Dunedin Social Club and the bar formerly known as Eleven. The money he made was used to invest in equipment and he started renting out this gear as a side hustle. As the business grew and grew, Morgan built up connections alongside his reputation across Ōtepoti. “[In early 2024] it just got to the point where I had to take it full time," he says.
When setting up a stage for the Hyde Street Party in 2023, Morgan brought in Sam and James to help with some online promo because, as Morgan puts it, "These guys were pretty hot on social media." Subsequent business talks lead to Morgan selling a third of the company to each of the boys, a move that "basically tripled” their set-up. Further mogul moves were made at 2am in a bar when the boys decided to put down 70k on equipment – an investment that allowed them to make some big purchases, like the 40-meter-long truss cube.
Southern Events don't just hire gear to Castle Street flats. They also run flat balls, provide DJ services, organise gigs, and promote ticketed events. Sam estimated that quotes for Flo- and O-Week hosts on Castle Street ranged between $2000 and $6000.
Shitposting on TikTok and Instagram Reels has been key to their success – so-called “Gen Z marketing”. Ben surreally boasts that the two accounts received "2.2 million views over the last 22 days." Clips of their setup alongside captions reading "Yo wtf are my neighbours up to" and "POV: you're trying to sleep in your new Dunedin flat," have given the boys a taste of virality. As Ben puts it, "More views is just more money."
Southern Events operates in a very niche market; running ticketed events in Dunedin is risky business. Many out-of-town promoters struggle to tap into the student market, especially since last-minute ticket sales are the norm (no one wants to clash with their mate’s 21st) – making it harder for promoters to predict student's behaviour and invest big money into running gigs. Morgan finds that "You gotta know what student events are coming up. If there's a big flat ball, that's gonna knock out half of the third years’ availability."
To adapt to the student market, Southern Events is organising monthly gigs at Errick’s called ‘Full Send’. Sam aims to "make them consistent" – that way "there are no questions asked whether they buy a ticket or not," with the hope that everyone will buy early to get the "cheapest tickets."
If you want to use Southern Events for your next party, message them on Instagram @southerneventsnz.