Andy McMillan (designer) explained

Andy McMillan
Birth Place:Belfast, Northern Ireland
Occupation:Designer, event organiser, non-alcoholic beverage entrepreneur

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

See 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] 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.[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. Suckerpunch re-opened as a pop-up in the Goat Blocks in February 2022, where they operated until August of that year.[18]

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. The brewery uses hops grown in the region, and began by launching an IPA and a lager.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Shepard . Susan Elizabeth . 18 February 2020 . In Boozy Portland, Andy McMillan Wants to Open the City's First Completely Non-Alcoholic Bar . 21 March 2023 . . en-US . 24 March 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230324123212/https://www.wweek.com/bars/2020/02/18/in-boozy-portland-andy-mcmillan-wants-to-open-the-citys-first-completely-non-alcoholic-bar/ . live .
  2. Web site: Frane . Alex . 15 February 2022 . Zero-Proof Cocktail Pop-Up Suckerpunch Begins a Weekly Residency at the Goat Blocks This Month . 1 September 2024 . Eater Portland . en.
  3. Web site: Ligori . Crystal . 7 September 2023 . The booze-free movement thriving in the Pacific Northwest . 1 September 2024 . . en . 1 September 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240901171240/https://www.opb.org/article/2023/09/07/non-alcoholic-drinks-pacific-northwest-cocktails-beer-wine-food/ . live .
  4. McMillan . Andy . Andy McMillan . https://web.archive.org/web/20161025182227/https://methodandcraft.com/interviews/andy-mcmillan . 25 October 2016 . dead . Method & Craft . 15 January 2012.
  5. Web site: D'Cruz . Andrew . 13 June 2016 . This Shared Portland Office Could Save Our Souls (and Our Wallets) . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230321100600/https://www.pdxmonthly.com/news-and-city-life/2016/06/this-shared-portland-office-could-save-our-souls-and-our-wallets . 21 March 2023 . 1 September 2024 . . en-US.
  6. News: Build gears up for final event in 2013. .net Magazine. 10 December 2012. 20 March 2015. 23 September 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150923211152/http://www.creativebloq.com/netmag/build-gears-final-event-2013-12125913. live.
  7. News: 5 November 2009 . The next Twitter or Facebook? . .
  8. Anderson . Keith . 6 November 2009 . Belfast looks to Build a high-tech future . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160305020604/http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2009-11/06/belfast-looks-to-build-a-high-tech-future . 5 March 2016 . 24 August 2017 . Wired.
  9. News: Adams . Barry . 10 November 2010 . A Web Designer's Must-Attend: The Build Conference . . 20 March 2015 . 2 April 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150402185920/http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/business/opinion/watching-web/a-web-designers-mustattend-the-build-conference-28570113.html . live .
  10. News: Musil . Steven . 9 September 2012 . PayPal exec gets personally involved in account dispute . 1 September 2024 . . 19 June 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210619153033/https://www.cnet.com/news/paypal-exec-gets-personally-involved-in-account-dispute/ . live .
  11. News: 9 September 2012 . This letter from PayPal's President might just make you believe in the company again . 1 September 2024 . The Next Web.
  12. News: Wortham . Jenna . 25 May 2012 . XOXO aims to be an alternative to South by Southwest . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20130120170528/http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/25/xoxo-aims-to-be-an-alternative-to-south-by-southwest/ . 20 January 2013 . 12 June 2012 . New York Times Bits Blog.
  13. News: Wortham . Jenna . 14 September 2012 . XOXO Fest, An Experimental Tech Conference, Gets Underway . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20121226042746/http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/14/xoxo-fest-an-experimental-tech-conference-gets-underway/ . 26 December 2012 . 25 October 2012 . New York Times Bits Blog.
  14. Web site: Bell . Jon . Portland's XOXO Festival lands 13,000-square-foot year-round home in Central Eastside . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210225025433/https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/blog/real-estate-daily/2015/06/arts-festival-lands-home-in-central-eastside-as.html . 25 February 2021 . 22 January 2016 . Portland Business Journal.
  15. Web site: XOXO Outpost . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20161206061835/http://outpostpdx.com/ . 6 December 2016 . 30 December 2016 . XOXO Outpost . XOXO.
  16. Web site: Wiklund . Jordan . 12 April 2022 . A Clear-Headed Look at the 'Sober Curious' Movement . 1 September 2024 . The Food Institute . en-US . 24 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240424023151/https://foodinstitute.com/focus/a-clear-headed-look-at-the-sober-curious-movement/ . live .
  17. Web site: Jackson-Glidden . Brooke . 24 April 2023 . The Team Behind Suckerpunch Is Launching a Nonalcoholic Brewery . 1 September 2024 . Eater Portland . en . 21 August 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240821135150/https://pdx.eater.com/2023/4/24/23696425/heck-nonalcoholic-brewery-pacific-northwest-suckerpunch . live .
  18. Web site: Cotner . Meg . 18 August 2022 . Suckerpunch Pop-Up Is Closing at the End of August . 1 September 2024 . Bridgetown Bites . en-US.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Andy McMillan (designer)".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2025, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.