“It’s not personal. It’s strictly business.” This was a line that Al Pacino famously delivered in the 1972 cult classic film The Godfather.

In a tale of capital, success, and opportunity, the common point of view is to see the entrepreneurial journey in binary—start a business then get money. And with that, do any means possible to get to where you need to be. They say to take the emotions away and go for the realistic decisions; that dreams are for suckers and idealists. But, where would we be without passion driving us to move forward? Where would we be without visionaries and their ideas that dare us to look beyond?

Gelvin Hernandez puts two-in-two as he creates a living through his company – Always in Motion Live. “My career is very creative. I have a service-oriented company that does a lot of creative things and innovations in terms of technology. And it’s for live events. We are part of the big, special [and] memorable moments of our clients. That’s why our business is fulfilling,” shares the 29-year-old creative entrepreneur fusion.

More than being a CEO and businessman, Gelvin describes himself as a “designer, animator, and visual artist.”For him, the strive of pursuit comes before business.

The Tech, The Artistry, and The Story

As a kid, Gelvin wasn’t particularly the most “artsy” in his class. You wouldn’t find him doodling by the side of his test papers and homework. Instead, his interests came in the form of technology. He was interested in cameras, with early interest around his cellular phone and eventually, transitioning to Sony Digicams. He was into creating great camera compositions, DSLR quality or not. This interest in photography sparked his eye for design that eventually honed his development of and personal creative vision.

Gelvin also has a knack for computers. Through his interests in games, he disecter computer hardware then putting them back together. “Mahilig ako magkalikot ng mga modem, mga computers,” he recalls in a chuckle. “I try to open them. That’s why I think my business now relates to what I did when I was still a kid.

With an inception from childhood, his interests sparked the creative-tech path he now journeys. A far contrast from his collegiate course – Chemical Engineering at the De La Salle University. “During the college entrance exam, siyempre, everyone was looking for [a course] which pays a lot. And I saw this Yahoo article, ‘Top 10 Most Highest Paying Careers,’ then I saw Chemical Engineering. So, I took it up. Then, long story short, I got bored,” he funnily recalls.

His self-awareness through comparison that he wasn’t as studious as he could have been diverted into his participation in student organizations. Through org work, he found himself managing all kinds of academic functions, and that’s when he fell in love with event production. “Doon ko na-realize na I love doing events. I’m not the type of person who wants to study much and go to maybe nine to five office work. Na-realize ko na events is for me. I like yung mga nagpupuyat ng super tagal for one event, pero it’s one time big time. And it’s interesting because it’s always something new.”

A Business in Motion Stays in Motion

The newly married Gelvin started out with minor student organization events, which led to university-wide festivals, and ended up founding and producing “Hydro Manila Music Festival,” one of the biggest music festivals in the Philippines. From around 20,000-25,000 attendees and almost 40+ events all over the country, it’s the event production life that Gelvin has always dreamt off.

His experience in concerts made him keenly aware of the nitty-gritty details behind it all. More than just the artists and music, the concert experience involves great stage production and technicals to heighten the emotions and feelings of its attendees. From stage lighting, practical effects to even fireworks, these help to make events more memorable and feel more alive. This eventually led to an interest in LED.

As a fan of K-Pop, Gelvin found himself intrigued by the LED visuals of the stages. K-Pop is known for all its big and boisterous visuals that capture everyone’s attention. And that sparked something in Gelvin. He was fond of all the colors, designs, lighting, and intricate details that came with the big LED walls that highlighted their performances. “Being the innovator that I am, I was thinking, ‘Bakit walang ganyan sa Philippines? Bakit yung satin ang liit lang, very simple?’ Ang futuristic na sa ibang country, everything is LED. So, that’s when I started… I got interested with doing the visuals for LED. [And then] I started to build my own company na.”

His business, Always in Motion Live, took off from there—aka the go-to company for LED visuals, design, and technicals for live events, such as weddings, concerts, corporate events, and more. From LED walls and floors, projection mapping, and interactive installations, they turn events into grandeur and make stages into statements. All these to create events that tug on people’s heartstrings that leave lasting memories they’ll remember forever.

Gelvin shares, “Before that [Always in Motion], I didn’t have any idea about animations or editing. Pero parang requirement ng client, so that’s when I started learning. When I got artists, I tried to learn from them until I can do it myself, [and from there,] expand and develop a collaborative culture inside the company. Developing a system inside the company which is both structural and creative.”

Companies would usually focus on becoming an all-around event production, yet Always in Motion focuses solely on the LED, no matter how niche it is. He shares, “From a start-up na ako lang… I started learning how to do it—how to design, how to animate. Now, it’s a company, and we’re already around 7-8. And it’s really doing well. I’m very blessed. It’s a very niche market.”

All these experiences translate to Gelvin’s passions in life. “I’m doing three of the things that I love. Using my computer, the next designing, and the third, is events. So, mix it all up; that’s what Always In Motion is all about… I really love what I do now.

With Gelvin’s nature of business, global expansion is always something he’s sought after. In clear confidence he aspires to make this vision come alive. “A Filipino global brand. Something to be proud of.”

Always in Motion:

Email – info@alwaysinmotiondesigns.com

Facebook – Always in Motion Live Inc.

Instagram – @alwaysinmotionlive

TikTok – @alwaysinmotion.live

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