The Events Insight

Send us Fan Mail Martin has masterminded some of the world’s most significant major events including the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies, Hull UK City of Culture 2017, Unboxed; Creativity in the UK and most recently the ceremonies and cultural programmes for Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022 and Eurovision in Liverpool on behalf of Ukraine. In January 2024 he was...

Send us Fan Mail Rosie Ellis is the Co-founder and Managing Director of EPH Creative (formerly Event Prop Hire), one of the UK’s largest providers of event theming & rental products.  Originally trained in Prop Making (Entertainment Design Crafts) at Cleveland College of Art & Design, she started the company along with her business partner back in in 2003.  She is passionate about all thin...

Send us Fan Mail Liz is co-founder of The Community Factory and an attendee engagement expert who specializes in Spontaneous Think Tanks for B2B organizations. The Community Factory is committed to transforming the event industry by fostering innovative ways to engage and connect. With a rich history in delivering engaging events and networking and connection opportunities, The Community Factory c...

Send us Fan Mail And it’s a wrap folks! Can you believe it, Season 12 is over? And what a cross section of events industry professional Jack and Karen have spoken to, from a Health & Safety expert working out in Dubai to a successful festival organised based in the UK, with the odd event sporting professional thrown in the mix! The season really has been a rollercoaster of emotions! For the Wr...

Send us Fan Mail Scrap all your preconceptions about Health & Safety professionals.  Eddie is nothing like you imagine them to be! Eddie was in the construction industry for 20+ years, but when his knees gave up (his words), he decided that he needed a change.  And that change was Health & Safety.  With a long career in the construction industry, Eddie was used to dealing with all kinds of...

Send us Fan Mail Natasha Butt boasts an extensive career spanning nearly two decades in the dynamic field of recruitment, with a specialised focus on the events industry for the past 8 years. Throughout her professional journey, she has collaborated with exhibition/conference organisers, suppliers, and venues on a global scale, contributing valuable insights to the ever-evolving landscape.    As t...

Send us Fan Mail There is never a dull moment when you are chatting to Waleed! He has many funny and fascinating stories to tell… most of them involving tight deadlines and impossible sets… with underlying great event ideas!! With over 20 years of experience in developing and engaging communities via a range of projects and multi-platforms, Waleed has become a specialist in connecting brands and o...

Send us Fan Mail Andy started out working in the events industry back in the 90's as a student making some holiday money by pushing flight cases and positioning the occasional uplighter.   In his own words, Andy has been fortunate to combine a love of sport and a passion for events for almost 25 years.  He has held various operational positions during ten years at The Great Run Company, He wa...

Send us Fan Mail Gill started her music career at Capital Radio, working her way through the ranks becoming the Head of Entertainment at the station.  She was charged with producing the first ever 100,000 capacity Party in the Park at Hyde Park. Gill recognised there was a gap in the market for high quality, well made and aesthetically pleasing fencing and barriers.  She co-founded entertee hire ,...

Send us Fan Mail Darren has been working in the Events Industry for more than 18 years now, the majority of which he has been in major UK venues – we are talking about 3 arenas across the country, and even some time spent on London 2012.  Darren now finds himself at Wembley Stadium working for the FA, a venue and a role that any sporting mad events professional would love to work at!! Darren (in h...

Send us Fan Mail Honesty is always best when it comes to chatting on the podcast, we like to find out about the person behind the LinkedIn profile.    Jack and Karen chat to Neil Fagg, Managing Director of StandOut Magazine and Event Director for Event Buyers Live.  Neil has a great story to tell… like most people, he fell into the events industry! In his own words, he is “a father of 2, F1 nut an...

Send us Fan Mail The Wrap Session – Season 11 Well, that’s it folks!  We have reached the end of another fantastic season. Jack and Karen have chatted to some truly interesting and inspiring guests from across the events industry. From wedding sales to event platform development and everything in between. For the Wrap Session, we ask our lovely listeners to get in touch, and join us for a chat abo...

Send us Fan Mail Stand building and design is a precise craft.  With a degree in mathematics and a legacy of 70 years in the events industry, Michael was destined to follow in his fathers’ footsteps and work as a stand builder, craftsman and now company MD. From an early age, Michael was working in the exhibition industry; weekends and holidays were spent learning how to design and install stands....

Send us Fan Mail When you talk to Alon, you realise how important technology is for all our events. Whether it be a virtual event, a registration system or a full event App, technology is now pivitol to our modern day event needs. Alon, based in sunny New York City, is the Co-Founder and CMO of Bizzabo, the Event Experience Operating System that powers the immersive in-person, virtual and hybrid e...

Send us Fan Mail For more than two decades and a thousand projects, speechwriter, storyteller and pitch specialist Jason Thomson has been hired to passionately win over audiences and sell ideas through content, writing and storytelling. Jason is process driven, determined and wants to win every pitch, client, situation he is faced with.  Getting to know the client and the audience are key to his s...

Send us Fan Mail Up until the pandemic, very few people had heard of a virtual meeting, let alone attended one.  The pandemic showed us that it is possible to run events in a new way and engage with a larger audience. Marvin talks about the importance of virtual and hybrid meetings and how Sched , an event management software platform, is helping event organizers and attendees with its innovative...

Send us Fan Mail Strap yourself in for the fantastic bundle of energy and enthusiasm that is Kelly Mortimer! Kelly’s first step into the world of events was certainly not like most people… she took an Event Sales role in the Caribbean. In the words of Kelly, she had never worked in events before, and didn’t know what to expect…. But she was ready for the challenge! Kelly is all about the customer....

Send us Fan Mail Events should be an immersive experience for all! There was no better place for Jack and Karen to start Season 11 then with a journey to London to chat with Matt Bradley. Matt’s journey into the events industry is an interesting one. As a child he went to drama school and aspired to be on stage in the limelight (he is a trained ballet dancer), then, like most boys, he dreamt of be...

Send us Fan Mail Can you believe it, we have reached the end of another season and now here comes the best bit!  We get to review all the episodes with two of our fabulous listeners! Olivia Preston-Lee is completing her fourth and final year of an Events Management Degree at Leeds Beckett University. On her placement year, Olivia set up her first business, a travelling bar, ‘ The Thirsty Mares ’,...

Send us Fan Mail You either love recruitment, or you don’t! Quite simply, Robert lives and breathes recruitment. He is the ‘Talent Officer’ for your business. The events industry is all about people and connections, everyone knows everyone! Roberts’ approach to recruitment is one of partnership. He gets to know the client and the candidate before any introductions are made. He believes on focussin...

Send us Fan Mail When it comes to the utter fabulousness that is Dan Skermer, listening is definitely believing!  Jack and Karen were mainly speechless when talking to Dan… his career to date has included everything from a yellow banana outfit (made of sponge) to the events entrepreneur that he is today. Dan has worked in hospitality and events all his life, and nothing makes him happier than brin...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever wondered what it is like to plan and run events at one of the UK’s largest Exhibition Centres? Join Jack and Karen as they chat to Michelle Baldwin, Head of Events at the NEC about what it is really like to work on some of the most famous events both nationally and internationally. For Michelle, it all started at the ICC (the International Convention Centre in Birmin...

Send us Fan Mail Just when you thought the Podcast couldn’t give you anymore… A Bonus edition pops up!! In this episode, Jack & Karen talk to the fabulous Caroline Clift, Content Manager for Event Buyers Live and Editor of StandOut Magazine. Like most people, Caroline fell into the events industry.  A chance meeting with Neil Fagg 18 years ago (this is a story you can hear all about in the pod...

Send us Fan Mail The world of events is not only production, planning and people, it the detail and the making of lasting memories. Rita and her family at Eventologists support clients with the details, the innovative theming ideas which make an event pop and stand out from the crowd. https://eventologists.co.uk/ Rita is passionate about bringing an event to life no matter what the size and shape...

Send us Fan Mail Episode two guest is Wolfgang Meurs. The is no better words to describe this episode than those from Rudyard Kipling 'The Strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack'.   Wolfie, as he is known to those who know him, is from Cape Town, South Africa.    He’s been living in London for 12 years. Always a big fan of sports, he enjoys most days o...