International Confex 2027 Exhibitor List

<p>Glenn is Principal Lecturer in Events Management at the UK Centre for Events Management (Leeds Beckett University), where he has helped establish events management degrees and masters since 1996. He was Founding Chair of AEME (Association for Events Management Education) where he continues to serve on the Executive Committee as Treasurer, and has represented AEME at UKEVENTS since 2006. He is co-author of the textbook Events Management (Routledge, 4th edition 2023) and co-series editor of the Routledge Events Management series. He serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Convention and Event Tourism and ran the Editorial Advisory Board of Event Management. He is pursuing his PhD which explores the potential use of quality costing as a management tool for the events industry. He is passionate about events management education and research supporting events industry development and the significant role that graduates play.</p>

Al Turner is Managing Director of EI8HT PR & Marketing, a specialist research, marketing and creative agency specialising in the event and experience industry. He has over 20 years’ experience in PR, working closely with consumer trend agencies, trade associations as well as international government. Al is also the author and presenter of the ibtm World Trends Report, the most comprehensive trends report in the global events and experience industry, and has presented its findings and predictions in four continents. His insight into the Virtual Experience Economy has changed the way the industry is looking at the next decade, and its understanding of AI, metaverse, technology, ethics, security and sustainability trends. He is a regular speaker on events at a number of universities including The University of Hertfordshire, MMU (Manchester), Westminster, Greenwich, Sheffield, Birmingham University College, Coventry, and St Margrets (Edinburgh). He is also a regular contributor to The Events Academy educational programmes.

<p>Richard leads Events Apprenticeships on behalf of UKEvents. Following COVID he was approached in 2021 by some industry colleagues to see if he could help revive the failing Event Apprenticeship initiative. </p> <p>He undertook a quick review, found minimal lack of knowledge around apprenticeships across the industry, ££ millions going unutilised, their importance as a route in, supporting and driving DEI and a way to help fill the enormous talent gap the industry was facing was a no brainer. Using his extensive network he pulled together a working group and got the ball rolling. </p> <p>Richard performed poorly at school, suffering from Dyslexia and finding out later in life he suffers from ADHD. In 1975 aged 14 he was fortunate to get a job at The Abbey hotel in Malvern – where his future career started – he found a life he loved and could flourish. At 17 he was offered a trainee apprenticeship – fast forward 6-7 jobs, 20 years he founded First Protocol – now First Agency. over the following 15+ years the company grew, delivering events around the World, through offices in London, New York, Los Angeles and Singapore. Richard stepped down from FP in 2013. </p> <p>Passionate about apprenticeships, Richard believes everybody should have the opportunity to find their passion and fulfil their destiny. – If he followed his career advisors advice at school, – he would have been working in a factory in Worcester making tin cans. </p> <p>He says –‘Whilst nothing wrong with making tin cans, it wasn’t for me! I knew I could achieve and be successful, I just needed to find the right thing to focus my energy on. Hospitality and Events became that focus, they gave me purpose and opened a world of opportunities’.</p>

<p>Noreen O'Riordan is a prominent figure in the entertainment industry, serving as the Managing Director and Head of Lighting at Entec Sound &amp; Light, an independently owned top-tier rental supplier of lighting, sound, rigging, and technicians since 1968. <br /> Entec has established itself as one of the market leaders in Live Events and has a deep understanding of the technical aspects of live production. <br /> Noreen’s dedication to the importance of recruitment, training, and mentorship has made her a role model for aspiring technicians wanting to enter the Live Event Industry.<br /> <a href="http://www.enteclive.com">www.enteclive.com</a></p>

<p>Join Lucy Eden, a passionate well-being activist and events entrepreneur, Anna Peters, co-founder of Evolve Events with a strong focus on ESG, well-being, and sustainable practices, and Thi Dinh, a leading sustainability advisor at Bulb for event agencies.</p> <p>This expert panel will explore the emerging challenge of human sustainability—ensuring that events not only prioritise environmental impact but also nurture the well-being of individuals. Together, they’ll explore how human sustainability—caring for people as much as the planet—is emerging as a critical challenge. Discover actionable solutions to embed well-being, ethical practices, and sustainable choices into every aspect of event planning.</p>

<p>Stephanie is Senior Marketing Manager at Tag Digital, a paid digital marketing team who support the world’s leading event organisers reach their goals using search, social, programmatic and video. Steph has experience and qualifications in digital marketing, market research and Psychology. She has helped grow Tag Digital to a multinational agency that works on over 2000 events per year, in over 50 countries.</p>

<p>Graham Simon is Managing Director of Delegate Select. In 2007, I co-founded the company with my CTO, Amir Monfared. At that time, we were one of the first companies offering software for 1-to-1 meetings at events. Over the years, the solutions and functionality we provide has grown enormously, but always in response to client requirements. Today, we offer the broadest and deepest meeting functionality available. Around half our clients use our curated meeting service. This has proved an extremely powerful way of creating dozens of meaningful meetings among event attendees and attaining minimum targets required by sponsors.</p>

<p>Kelly is an Events and Engagement Manager in Leicester. In 2019, Kelly won the East Midlands Women’s Award (EMWA) Outstanding Woman in Arts, Media, and Music and was Highly Commended for East Midlands Volunteer of The Year. In 2021 Kelly became Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and is a member of the Association of Festival Organisers, Institute of Event Management, the Event Marketing Association and Virtual Events Institute (VEI) Expert qualified. Kelly set up The Events Psychologist in 2022 to share digestible bites of research around the psychology of events using her psychology degree and decade in the industry. The Events Psychologist Instagram covers topics including Event Design, Environmental Psychology and the Rule of 7.</p>

<p>As a founder of MJ’s Event Services, Jennifer has seen MJ’s successful growth into a recognised leader within the<br /> event flooring industry, with a core focus on sustainable products and practices.</p> <p>Jennifer is involved in every part of the business, including growing and nurturing the team, managing stakeholder relationships, client management and the everyday trouble shooting that comes with a just-in-time business.</p>

<p>As By Word of Mouth’s Commercial Director, Mim is closely involved in the strategy,<br /> business development and day to day management of one of the UK’s best known,<br /> leading event specialists.<br /> Mim’s experience of luxury events and expertise in creating unforgettable occasions<br /> for a multitude of clients, including corporates, high net worth individuals and<br /> royalty, is highly regarded in the events industry.<br /> She has been closely involved in the development of a robust and ambitious set of<br /> sustainability and charity initiatives at By Word of Mouth and is well placed to speak<br /> about applying these to a business operating in the luxury events market.</p>

<p>Rob has worked in high tech for over four decades, establishing himself as a veritable veteran of the moving image. <br /> He has spent time in engineering, sales and marketing, in positions spanning the content-creation, distribution, and transmission industries and more recently AV. Previously he was an active member of the International Association of Broadcast Manufacturers, serving on its technical sub-committee and has been visible recently presenting technical sessions internationally from Orlando to Dubai.<br /> His education includes degrees in Information and Communication Technologies (BSc) and Electrical and Electronic Engineering (BSc). Additionally, he complemented this with a Chartered Institute of Marketing post-graduate diploma. <br /> He has been with Matrox Video for 19 years over which time has been associated with many video-related projects – from education to warships.<br /> Rob is held in high regard internationally for his technology training sessions and was recognised by Infocomm International in 2016 as a ‘distinguished talent’ in the industry.</p>

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<p>Clare is a corporate events professional with over 20 years’ experience managing all types and sizes of events. Having started her events life agency-side, and shortly after managing events in the government sector, Clare has spent the majority of her career working in, and subsequently running, in-house events teams, managing events of all sizes across all geographies within the financial services, real estate and most recently, information services sectors. Clare is an active member of several industry bodies including the EMA and BNC, and a regular speaker at industry events including Confex, on a range of subjects as diverse as sustainability, career development and being a working parent in the event industry.</p>

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