Andy McMillan (designer)
 | This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
|
Andy McMillan | |
|---|---|
 Andy McMillan in 2014 | |
| Occupation(s) | Designer, event organizer |
| Known for | XOXO |
| Website | andymcmillan |
Andy McMillan is a co-founder of XOXO festival.[1]
Career[edit]
McMillan attended university at Queen's University Belfast for Music Technology, hoping to make his way into a career in radio production.[2]
Build[edit]
McMillan launched Build in 2009, a web design conference held annually in Belfast, Northern Ireland from 2009 to 2013. Starting as a single day of talks, it grew into a week-long festival, including music, film screenings, workshops, evening lectures, and a beer festival.[3]
The first Build was held in 2009 at Waterfront Hall, with positive coverage from the BBC[4] and Wired.[5] The Belfast Telegraph said it was a "must-attend" that "provides nourishment for the design geek's soul."[6]
XOXO[edit]
In 2012, McMillan and co-organizer Andy Baio launched XOXO Festival, a four-day conference and festival about independently produced art and technology held in Portland, Oregon.[7] The project raised $175,000 via Kickstarter, selling all 400 tickets in 50 hours.[8][9]
PayPal controversy[edit]
In May 2012, PayPal froze two of McMillan's accounts, withholding over $64,000 of funds collected from Build's ticket sales as collateral against pre-orders of The Manual.[10] The resulting social media backlash led to a public response and personal apology to McMillan from former PayPal president David A. Marcus, who released the funds and asked McMillan to work with him personally on improving the service.[11]
References[edit]
- ^ Shepard, Susan Elizabeth (18 February 2020). "In Boozy Portland, Andy McMillan Wants to Open the City's First Completely Non-Alcoholic Bar". Willamette Week. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
- ^ "Method & Craft: Andy McMillan Interview".
- ^ "Build gears up for final event in 2013". .net Magazine. 10 December 2012.
- ^ "The next Twitter or Facebook?". BBC News. 5 November 2009.
- ^ Anderson, Keith (6 November 2009). "Belfast looks to Build a high-tech future". Wired. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
- ^ Adams, Barry (10 November 2010). "A Web Designer's Must-Attend: The Build Conference". The Belfast Telegraph.
- ^ Brown, Ruth (18 September 2012). "Reflections on the XOXO Festival". Willamette Week.
- ^ Walker, Alissa (18 June 2012). "Conferences Get Creative: An Art and Tech Festival Wins Over Kickstarter". Wired.
- ^ Wortham, Jenna (28 May 2012). "A Conference of Start-Ups, By Start-Ups". The New York Times.
- ^ Musil, Steven. "PayPal exec gets personally involved in account dispute". CNET.
- ^ "This letter from PayPal's President might just make you believe in the company again". The Next Web.