Sustainability strategy experts Sam Wilson, managing director at Syntiro Associates, and Dr Dominic Tantram, partner at Terrafiniti, present a podcast precursor to the ‘Unmasking Greenwashing in the Events Industry: Understanding, Identifying, and Avoiding Misleading Practices’ panel at Event Sustainability Live (ESL). Succinctly titled ‘Greenwashing’, this episode sees Sam and Dominic do some background, their two companies having worked together, before defining the term and inadvertent...

In and around events-world for years, Seattle-based CEO and co-founder of MJ Unpacked, George Jage, sowed the seeds for a show committed to the cannabis sector back in 2014. MJ Unpacked, the biggest trade event in a now burgeoning business, hits St Louis, Missouri, this month and Atlantic City, New Jersey, next spring. Aimed exclusively at retail and brand executives on a national scale, it promises quality collaborations, product innovation and cutting-edge scientific advancements as well...

Founder and CEO at Eventwise, Chris Carter, and company set out to transform financial management in the sector for ‘greater efficiency and control’. Formerly a promoter in Bristol, Chris wanted to get into accounting. This episode, his first appearance on any sort of podcast, incidentally, serves to normalise that leap. Starting with some background, and the focused switch from artist to event ‘whole’, Chris discusses the triggers and ambitions behind developing and launching the...

Louisa O’Connor, managing director of female-led brand experience agency Seen Presents, which represents the likes of Netflix and TikTok, has been in the industry since she joined Grace & Tailor subsidiary We are Vista, formerly Logistik, in 2008.   This episode benefits from Louisa’s experience, nous and personality as it looks at cultural relevance; what it means, how it plays a part in brand events, and beyond.   With host James Dickson putting the questions, Louisa talks education and...

From sales director at Mentor Direct Marketing to vice president, European sales, at software solutions giant Cvent, nearly 30 years later, Jamie Vaughan has been in the thick of event technology.     In this episode, a fast, informative 35 minutes, Jamie takes host James Dickson back to the days, the trials of analogue registration, through the impact of digitising the process, and beyond.   James highlights SaaS, putting data to work, apps, good and bad technology.   An unabashed, eloquent...

In and around events since 2002, Kate Holliday brought her considerable sustainability chops to trade show and exhibitions giant GES, where she is head of ESG, some 12 months ago.   In this episode, Kate defines ESG – environment social and governance – emphasising its spoils and how crucial it is to embed those things into the GES psyche.   In discussion with host James Dickson, Kate goes on to compare Defra’s emission factors to GES’s specific calculations and how the two work...

Multi-award-winning creative agency Sledge can boast an impressive catalogue of clients, Sage, Aruba and O2 contemporary among them. Managing director Sarah Yeats has been with the company for more than 12 and a half years, so she knows a thing or two about live experiences.   In this episode, after detailing her career trajectory and giving some concise Sledge history, Sarah talks about event planning, looks between the lines of corporate speak, and highlights the value of talking to...

With a background in graphic design, marketing and web development, commercial manager Sam Pearce joined Exhibit 3sixty from the Dovetail Group in 2023.   This episode sees Sam talking about Exhibit 3sixty’s development from straight-ahead stand builder when it launched sixteen years ago to delivering a full service for exhibitions.   With questions from host James Dickson, Sam goes on to discuss the spoils of the online ordering process and the power of exhibitors’ digital journey, repeat...

An outdoor event’s relationship with its local authority ranks high among the elements crucial to success. Following on from Timm Cleasby, director of operations at Tramlines, this episode is about Sheffield City Councillor Richard Williams’ take on the festival.   Focused on the city’s green spaces, Richard talks host James Dickson through Sheffield’s new long-term agreement with Tramlines’ organisers, which is set to keep the event in its Hillsborough Park home long-term.   Richard...

In the event industry for more than 20 years, monitor engineer to director of operations at Tramlines, where he’s worked since it started in 2009, and much more besides, Timm Cleasby is a perfect festival season guest.   In this episode, Timm talks host James Dickson through the hard work behind Tramlines’ evolution from city centre to Hillsborough Park and how it’s scaled up while containing costs.   He goes on to highlight the benefits of being in a part of Sheffield used to hosting big...

Business development manager Zoe Arnold has been with Emirates Old Trafford for six years, a time of significant change beyond the boundary which has seen Zoe honoured with a Rising Star award from the WLA (Women Leaders Association), a leadership development consultancy that focuses on female leaders. Twelve months since sales director Angela Hobson set the field on the podcast, this episode sees Zoe talking host James Dickson through the impact of 100 extra bedrooms that have come into...

Chrissie Beck, founder of sustainability consultancy for the live events industry, Worlds Better, joins host James Dickson in this episode of The Event Industry News Podcast. Chrissie has worked in delivering events all over the world for 20 years and in her current role focusses on ensuring that sustainability targets are being met for agencies, event production companies and on delivery following observing how many companies were letting themselves down in their approach towards...

In this episode of the Event Industry News Podcast, host James Dickson is joined by founder of event:decision, Matt Grey.   Matt has worked in events for 25 years focussing mainly on the agency side servicing all kinds of events worldwide until the pandemic hit.   During the pandemic Matt founded event:decision and three years later offers products that have proven valuable to 120 agency partners and 70 brand partners that use their solutions on a daily basis.   Topics covered include: The...

After a break in recording (and an eventful football tournament) we are delighted to welcome back the Event Industry News Podcast, host, James Dickinson is joined by Valentina Ruffoni, Founder of Beyond The Event, International Event Strategy, Production & Management.   In this episode Valentina explores how following University she started her event career on a  cruise ship hosting activities then when the pandemic hit she pivoted to community based events.   Last year Valentina decided...

In events since 2012, and in technology for about the same amount of time, Zach Butler is director of Amsterdam-based TNW Events.   Launched in 2006, full name The Next Web, TNW is a product of its founders’ interest in the future of tech. Buoyed by The FT buying a major stake, and ultimately acquiring the company, 2024 model TNW has four business lines: media platform www.thenextweb.com, commercial real estate, events and open innovation consulting programmes.   In this episode, Zach digs...

Clare Gossage is COO & co-founder at The PIE (Professionals in International Education), which since launching in 2011 has become the sector’s hub, ‘transforming knowledge and networks’.   This episode is a deep dive into The PIE, looking at its history, its drivers and the big splash it’s made in events-world.   An avowed internationalist, Clare studied languages, taking a job in marketing at the University of Arts, London, after she graduated. Meeting Amy Baker and Jane Gilham and...

Joining business exhibitions mainstay CloserStill Media in January 2021, from Ocean Media Group, and taking his tech acumen into events-world, was an ambition realised for head of digital & CRM, Rakim Asher.   In this episode, Rakim discusses that career journey, exploring the ‘head of digital’ role, finding the right tech and scrapping old-school show guides.   With host James Dickson putting the questions, Rakim goes on to talk pressure of time, the power of collaboration, analysing...

John Regis is global technology adoption manager at London-based publishing/intelligence/exhibition giant Informa. This episode looks at his career path before turning its attention to the now. John details the brief behind the job title, which he helped create, before discussing how systems are used effectively, inside the Informa walls and across its portfolio. Prompted by host James Dickson, John goes on to detail the time he takes studying new platforms and understanding the people set to...

Ashley Kendall is director of international business development at Sorenson Communications, leading solutions servicer for the deaf and hard-of-hearing.   Andrew Dewey, vice president, EMEA, for Strategic and Business development at the same company, is also Interim CEO at the Royal Association for Deaf people.   With an interpreter on hand, this episode delivers insightful background from Ashley and Andrew, highlighting their drive, their motivation, to make events more accessible.   They...

Maria Sidiropoulou – senior product manager at Informa Markets – accepted a new role with the company, event director for Jewellery Arabia, based in Bahrain, since this podcast was recorded. In events for more than 12 years, a career that’s taken her from sales and marketing to the heady world she’s now a part of, Maria talks host James Dickson through that background and the lessons learned before digging into the bigger picture. This episode touches on the pros and cons of studying event...

Laura Shapiro is portfolio director for medical events at Closer Still Media (CSM) where she’s worked at for more than 12 years, during which the company has grown from 20 people to 700.  This episode is about Laura’s frontline experience, how serving the sector has changed since 2011. She talks strength in diversity, creating Clinical Pharmacy Congress (CPC), Europe’s largest event of its kind, and the value in CSM’s carryover learnings from its tech shows.  Answering host James Dickson’s...

Clarion Events’ head of sector marketing operations, Tom Fisher, worked for the prison service and the Met Police before stepping across the tracks to events-world, giving him a telling take on people and their wellbeing. Fisher’s altruism, fostered by his own experience living with bi-polar disorder, has seen him offering support via LinkedIn and helping his own situation at the same time. Focused on mental health, this episode sees Tom discussing triggers – social media and deep fakes among...

From designing computer chips at Intel nearly 30 years ago to current role as head of industry at Fintech Meetup, Sanjib Kalita – who is also CEO at guppy.ai - has been engrossed in the technology sector, taking on events by default. In this episode, live and direct from Fairfax, Virginia, Sanjib Kalita discusses his years at Money 2020 and how that experience triggered his move to Fintech Meetup, a brand committed to ‘revolutionising how the fintech industry connects, collaborates and does...

In this episode of the Event Industry News Podcast host, James Dickson, is joined by Terrapinn COO Sharon Roessen. Sharon has been with Terrapinn for 30 years this year, starting in marketing and progressing through the company. Terrapinn is a global Business to Business events company with a mix of exhibitions and tradeshows in its portfolio, the largest of which sees 40,000 registered attendees and 500/600 exhibitors, big events with content being the main focus. Reflecting on Sharon’s...