Andy McMillan (designer)

Andy McMillan
Andy McMillan in 2014
Born
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Occupation(s)Designer, event organiser, non-alcoholic beverage entrepreneur
Known for
  • XOXO
  • Build
  • Suckerpunch
  • Heck
Websiteandymcmillan.com Edit this at Wikidata

Andy McMillan is a designer, event organiser, and non-alcoholic beverage entrepreneur. He ran the Build web design conference in Northern Ireland, and co-founded the XOXO indie artist and creator festival with Andy Baio in Portland, Oregon.[1] McMillan also founded the Portland-based Suckerpunch non-alcoholic cocktail bar and Heck non-alcoholic brewery.[2][3]

Life and education

McMillan grew up in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He attended university at Queen's University Belfast for Music Technology, hoping to make his way into a career in radio production.[4] McMillan lives in Portland, Oregon.[5]

Conferences

Build

McMillan launched the Build web design conference in 2009. It was 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.[6]

The first Build was held in 2009 at Waterfront Hall, with positive coverage from the BBC[7] and Wired.[8] The Belfast Telegraph said it was a "must-attend" that "provides nourishment for the design geek's soul."[9]

In May 2012, PayPal froze two of McMillan's accounts, withholding over $64,000 of funds collected from Build's ticket sales.[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]

XOXO

Main article: XOXO (festival)

In early 2012, McMillan and Andy Baio co-founded the XOXO festival, which describes itself as "an experimental festival celebrating independent artists and creators working on the internet". The conference was held annually in Portland, Oregon, from 2012 to 2019 and in 2024. The conferences were largely funded via prepaid tickets and other contributions, including via Kickstarter.[12][13]

In 2015, McMillan and Baio worked to open Outpost, a shared, pay-what-you-can workspace in Portland for members of the XOXO community.[14][5] Outspace was open from February to December 2016, but ultimately shuttered due to high rental costs.[15]

Non-alcoholic beverages

McMillan co-founded the Suckerpunch non-alcoholic cocktail bar in Portland, Oregon, attracting a large online following in early 2020.[1][16][17] After running several pop-up events, the COVID-19 pandemic stymied Suckerpunch's original plans to open a physical location, so they began selling non-alcoholic cocktail kits online.[3] Suckerpunch re-opened as a pop-up in the Goat Blocks in February 2022, where they operated until August of that year.[18][2]

In 2023, McMillan and former Hopworks Urban Brewery head brewer Justin Miller opened Heck, one of the first entirely non-alcoholic breweries in the Pacific Northwest.[3][17] The brewery uses hops grown in the region, and began by launching an IPA and a lager.[17]

References

  1. ^ a b Shepard, Susan Elizabeth (18 February 2020). "In Boozy Portland, Andy McMillan Wants to Open the City's First Completely Non-Alcoholic Bar". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 24 March 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  2. ^ a b Frane, Alex (15 February 2022). "Zero-Proof Cocktail Pop-Up Suckerpunch Begins a Weekly Residency at the Goat Blocks This Month". Eater Portland. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Ligori, Crystal (7 September 2023). "The booze-free movement thriving in the Pacific Northwest". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Archived from the original on 1 September 2024. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  4. ^ McMillan, Andy (15 January 2012). "Andy McMillan" (Interview). Method & Craft. Archived from the original on 25 October 2016.
  5. ^ a b D'Cruz, Andrew (13 June 2016). "This Shared Portland Office Could Save Our Souls (and Our Wallets)". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  6. ^ "Build gears up for final event in 2013". .net Magazine. 10 December 2012. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  7. ^ "The next Twitter or Facebook?". BBC News. 5 November 2009.
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ Adams, Barry (10 November 2010). "A Web Designer's Must-Attend: The Build Conference". The Belfast Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  10. ^ Musil, Steven (9 September 2012). "PayPal exec gets personally involved in account dispute". CNET. Archived from the original on 19 June 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  11. ^ "This letter from PayPal's President might just make you believe in the company again". The Next Web. 9 September 2012. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  12. ^ Wortham, Jenna (25 May 2012). "XOXO aims to be an alternative to South by Southwest". New York Times Bits Blog. Archived from the original on 20 January 2013. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
  13. ^ Wortham, Jenna (14 September 2012). "XOXO Fest, An Experimental Tech Conference, Gets Underway". New York Times Bits Blog. Archived from the original on 26 December 2012. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
  14. ^ Bell, Jon. "Portland's XOXO Festival lands 13,000-square-foot year-round home in Central Eastside". Portland Business Journal. Archived from the original on 25 February 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
  15. ^ "XOXO Outpost". XOXO Outpost. XOXO. Archived from the original on 6 December 2016. Retrieved 30 December 2016.
  16. ^ Wiklund, Jordan (12 April 2022). "A Clear-Headed Look at the 'Sober Curious' Movement". The Food Institute. Archived from the original on 24 April 2024. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  17. ^ a b c Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (24 April 2023). "The Team Behind Suckerpunch Is Launching a Nonalcoholic Brewery". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 21 August 2024. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  18. ^ Cotner, Meg (18 August 2022). "Suckerpunch Pop-Up Is Closing at the End of August". Bridgetown Bites. Retrieved 1 September 2024.