Making Waves Keynote Speakers

Nick de Bois MP was elected to Parliament as Member of Parliament for Enfield North in 2010 having spent more than 20 years establishing and growing the now international events company Rapiergroup. Nick led Rapiergroup to grow to be capable of delivering events and exhibitions across the world, employing 100 people in the UK and abroad.

Since being elected to Parliament, Nick has used his business experience to champion issues facing businesses of all sizes and sought to promote the opportunities an increasingly global market can provide to boost growth. His proposal, to strategically dispatch trade envoys to these markets, was adopted by the UK Prime Minister David Cameron in 2012.
Nick is currently leading a cross-party inquiry in Parliament, established to examine the international competitiveness of the UK event industry, taking evidence from industry specialists and politicians. The inquiry is due to report its findings and make proposals for reform later this year.

Samme Allen is Head of Sales in the Business Events division of the Barbican Centre, current President of MPI UK & Ireland chapter and Vice Chair of the Business Visits & Events partnership.

Samme steered the development of London City Selection marketing consortium in 2010 and has sat on the board of MPI UK & Ireland for over 6 years and sits on the MPI International Chapter Advisory Council. 2012 saw Samme honoured with the MIA Outstanding Achievement Award and as many will know, she picked up the prestigious Ovation DMC Huggability Award at IMEX America in 2011.

This year sees MPI launching the inaugural UK Economic Impact Study into the meetings and events sector and in her role as MPI Chapter President this year has worked with key stakeholders including other industry associations, destinations, hotels, venues and other key meeting suppliers to facilitate the promotion and communication around this key research.

Having studied Hospitality Management at university and working in Hong Kong as an event planner, Samme has over 13 years experience of the meetings and events sector both nationally and internationally. Samme shares her vision with MPI to help enrich the global meetings industry and to make members successful by building human connections through knowledge and ideas, research, relationships, marketplace opportunities and the general meetings industry community.

Glenn Bowdin is Head of the UK Centre for Events Management at Leeds Metropolitan University and Chair of AEME (Association for Events Management Education), which he helped to establish in 2004. Glenn is a Founding Director of the International EMBOK and on the editorial boards of Event Management and Journal of Convention & Event Tourism.

He co-authored Events Management (3rd edition, 2011), recently co-edited (with Professor Rhodri Thomas) a special issue of the journal Event Management and is co-Series Editor (with Professor Conrad Lashley and Professor Donald Getz) of the Routledge Events Management Series. Glenn is a member of Meeting Professionals International (MPI).

William Culver-Dodds is a management consultant working across the arts and cultural sector. Prior to launching his consultancy, William was Chief Executive of Harrogate International Festivals. In addition directing the acclaimed International Summer Music Festival, he devised the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, the world's leading celebration of crime fiction, the Carnegie Sporting Words Festival and outdoor performance arts spectacles including Green Space Festival, and H2O Festival in partnership with Yorkshire Water.

William is Vice-Chair of the International Festivals and Events Association (IFEA) Europe, where he has developed wide-ranging interdisciplinary networks across the international cultural sector. William is a Visiting Research Fellow at the Centre for Tourism and Cultural Change at the Ironbridge Institute, University of Birmingham; Visiting Lecturer in Festivals and Cultural Policy at University of Sheffield; and is Visiting Research Fellow at the National Taipei University of Education, Taiwan.

Philip is a solicitor and partner with Bournemouth firm Horsey Lightly Fynn (HLF) and also vice president of and legal advisor to the National Outdoor Event Association. Educated initially at a Welsh comprehensive school and the Trinity College Cambridge, Philip started his legal career with the Government Legal Service, prosecuting tax dodgers, drug and tobacco smugglers, owners of illicit stills and illegal bookmakers to name but a few.

He moved to a private practice in Reading in 1983 and shortly after that started specialising in licensing before being head hunted to HLF in 2001. He identified that the changes introduced by the 2003 Licensing Act posed both challenges and opportunities for the Events Industry and has acted for numerous event organisers since. These include the National Trust, Great Dorset Steam Fair, Tewkesbury Medieval Festival, Lounge on the Farm and the Beatherder Festival to name but a few. In-between the festivals and events, Philip represents gambling operators, breweries, bars, pubs, clubs, restaurants and hotels, not to mention the odd casino and lap-dancing establishment.

Nick is Managing Director of Festivals and Events International and FEI Consulting. Created by senior executives of the Edinburgh and Brighton Festivals in 2007, FEI is a specialist consultancy company providing advice and project management for public agencies wishing to use festivals and large-scale public events to meet their social, cultural or economic objectives.

Last year he was seconded to LOCOG, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games, as chief operating officer of the London 2012 Festival, the twelve-week nationwide finale to the Cultural Olympiad, celebrating the Olympic and Paralympic Games. This was the largest UK-wide festival ever staged with over 13,000 performances across the country generating around 20m attendances.

Nick was Chief Executive of Brighton Dome and Brighton Festival from 2000 to 2008 where he was responsible for the artistic and commercial operation of both the annual Festival and the year round venues. Nick oversaw the re-launch, in 2002, of Brighton Festival and Brighton Festival Fringe as England's largest arts festival and its development into a major national event. He was also responsible for the substantial capital refurbishment of Brighton Dome and Museum, as well as re-opening the Dome as the south coast's premier arts and conference centre.

Nick was previously Administrative Director of the Edinburgh International Festival working with Festival Directors Frank Dunlop and Brian McMaster. He was responsible for its financial, legal and operational success between 1990 and 2000. Over this time the Festival grew considerably and Nick established the Hub - Edinburgh Festival Centre - a highly successful Lottery funded project, which was opened by HM the Queen in July 1999.

Nick is past Chairman of the British Arts Festivals Association and a past Chairman of the International Festival and Events Association - Europe, a member of the Home Office Arts and Entertainment Task Force and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Professor Getz retired in July, 2009 from his full-time academic position at the University of Calgary, Canada, where he remains Professor Emeritus and Adjunct Professor in the Haskayne School of Business. He received a BES from the University of Waterloo, an MA from Carlton University, and a PhD from the University of Edinburgh. Professor Getz is a Distinguished Fellow in the International Academy for the Study of Tourism, and has been a leading scholar in the fields of tourism and event studies. He is currently a Guest Professor at Stavanger University in Norway. He holds a James Whyte Visiting Fellow position at the School of Tourism, University of Queensland., and is Visiting Professor at Bournemouth University, UK.

Professor Getz is a leading international proponent of event studies, drawing from his extensive research, volunteer, teaching and consulting experience in many countries. His book, Event Studies, defines the field of study, establishes the theoretical and policy framework, and provides a detailed reference work on related research. He is also active in researching a variety of special-interest market segments, including food and wine tourism, culture and sports. Donald is author of one of the first books on wine tourism, in 2000 and he has continued to conduct research on this topic. Currently he is working with partners in Australia and Sweden to study “foodies”: their levels of involvement, and food-tourism preferences and activities.

Professor Leo Jago is the Australian Government's Chief Economist for Tourism and General Manager of Tourism Research Australia. He also holds visiting Professorships at Bournemouth and Edinburgh Napier Universities in the UK and the University of Queensland in Australia. Prior to taking on the role with the Australian Government, Leo spent 12 years as a Director of University Research Centres in Australia and the UK. Over the last 15 years, Leo's research has focussed on the fields of event management and evaluation. His work has covered both business and leisure events. Leo is the co-editor of the International Journal of Event and Festival Management.

Martin-Christian Kent is the Product Development Director at People 1st. People 1st is the Sector Skills Council for the hospitality, passenger transport, travel and tourism sector which aims to raise the skills and performance of the sector.

Martin-Christian oversees the team responsible for research, qualifications and skills policy. He has over 20 years' experience of working in labour market and skills policy in various sector skills bodies. He has previously worked in the hospitality industry in both France and the United Kingdom and as such is well positioned to talk about the practical issues facing skills development and policy. He has a MSc in Organisational Behaviour.

Richard is Director of Leisure Safety for Capita Symonds. He has over 20 years experience as an Environmental Health Officer enforcing all aspects of health and safety. He specialises in Leisure Safety and is recognised as a leading authority in this field. He chaired a National Working Party for the Health and Safety Executive on pop concert safety and was the main driving force of the guide to 'Health, Safety and Welfare at Pop Concerts and Similar Events'. He sits on the industry steering group on entertainment safety and is the President of the National Outdoor Events Association. Previously as an Environmental Health Officer he headed departments concerned with health and safety, atmospheric pollution, noise, housing, food hygiene and infectious disease control. This background has been particularly useful in the undertaking of litigation work.

To be updated shortly.

James is Marketing Director for Crewsaders and is responsible for creating business to business brand strategy, marketing and communication campaigns and business partnerships through digital and traditional mediums. He is also Director of Education International Special Events Society UK Chapter, working with the development and management of the educational content for monthly educational events. In the past James has been visiting lecturer at University of Westminster. One of his projects is London 2012: Researching the events supply chain and its impacts on the wider events industry.

Stephen Page is Professor in the School of Tourism and Deputy Dean (Research and Enterprise) and recently co-edited the first major reference work on Events – The Routledge Handbook of Events (2012) with Dr Joanne Connell at Exeter University Business School, UK.

He has been the Associate Editor of the top Tourism journal – Tourism Management since 1996 and editor and author of 36 books on tourism and leisure. He was worked extensively as a consultant for organisations such as VisitScotland, the New Zealand Government, Harrahs and UNWTO as well as local government bodies and was the recipient of an Honorary degree in 2011 for his contribution to tourism education and research.

He has held the post of Professor since 1999 as Director of the Centre for Tourism Research at Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand; as Scottish Enterprise Professor of Tourism Management at the University of Stirling Scotland and as Senior Professor of Sustainable Tourism Management at London Metropolitan University. He is currently working on an ESRC funded project – the Digital Economy examining business engagement and the impact of new technologies on business performance.

Fiona launched not for profit Positive Impact in 2005 to provide education for a sustainable event industry.

Fiona is also managing director of Sustainable Events Ltd, voluntary chair of ISO 20121 a management system for event sustainability inspired by London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Fiona is an international board member for Meeting Professionals International and has previously been UK & Ireland Chapter President.

Fiona is passionate about sustainability and her background in event logistics and strategic implementation of sustainability gives her a unique perspective.

Sue has 25 years' experience in the meetings and events industry in a career that encompasses venue operations, sales and marketing, international medical congress management, corporate B2B events and sponsorship marketing. Sue has delivered events all over the world in addition to seven years based in New Jersey, USA as Conference Director of the leading global healthcare communications agency MediTech Media and subsequently as President of Photosound Communications, specialists in international healthcare congresses and pharmaceutical meetings.

Prior to establishing her own consultancy business at the beginning of 2011 Sue was Senior Account Director and Director of New Business at the award-winning experience marketing agency George P. Johnson.

Sue has collaborated with an impressive list of Corporate and Association clients on their event strategies including The British Medical Association, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Cisco, Citi, GlaxoSmithKline, Harvard Medical International, LG, Merck, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Procter and Gamble and Thomson Reuters.

Sue Potton Associates offer consultancy services that focus on enabling organisations to maximize the effectiveness of their event marketing strategies.

Liz has been part of the media and events industry for over 20 years. She started her career in publishing, working initially for the FT, before working overseas for a few years in large publishing houses. On her return, Liz moved into the world of events and spent the next 8 years working in conference and exhibition companies including Centaur, UBM, Terrapin and Informa, before moving into recruitment which is her passion. Liz, with her business partner, launched ESP Recruitment 13 years ago which soon became market leader in its field. 4 years ago, Liz launched the Eventice with the industries backing and since then it has become a high profile industry initiative for students.

“My work is about guiding individuals and organisations to make a difference both through internal and external communication activities and events”

Before founding SJS International in 1992, Susan was previously employed in the Conference Division of NATO at its Headquarters in Brussels and then for more than 10 years with the United Nations Specialist Agency in Rome, where she managed a wide range of events across Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Since 1992, Susan has worked as a PCO with clients in a number of business and industry sectors on assignments ranging from small meetings to large scale congresses [up to 15,000 delegates], major exhibitions and special events for inter-governmental agencies, government departments, public sector organisations, professional bodies, associations, societies and private sector organisations in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and North America. Susan's international consultancy role included sub-contractor for European Commission Projects, consultant to the United Nations Development Programme, the German Fair Authorities of Frankfurt and Leipzig, and private clients in the USA. Susan continues to advise companies and organisations on creative strategies for the organisation, management and delivery of events for business development. Her 'fresh ideas' approach is consistently innovative.

More recently Susan has put her lifetime experience in the events sector into championing the recognition of Event Management as a Profession, assisting People 1st in the development of new national occupational standards in event management and completed the A1 Assessor Course. She is now leading on the development of the Institute of Event Management and creating awareness of the importance of raising skill levels for economic benefit. Susan acts as Adviser on professional development to the EFAPCO Board [European Federation of Associations of Professional Congress Organisers], and has been involved the UNEP GRI on Sustainable Events and ISO20121 Committee.

Email: susan@sjsinternational.com
Tel: 0560 366 0524 or Mob: 07714 245 745

Rhodri Thomas is Professor of Tourism and Events Policy and Head of the International Centre for Research in Events, Tourism and Hospitality (ICRETH) at Leeds Metropolitan University. He is a Non-Executive Director of the Association for British Professional Conference Organisers (ABPCO).

Rhodri's contribution to the panel discussion will be informed by his recently published research on the professionalization of event management. He will suggest that the prospects for professionalising the occupation are currently weak.

Alistair Turner is PR Director of Davies Tanner, a specialist PR & Communications agency working within leisure tourism, business tourism and events, and the Britain for Events campaign, the self promotional vehicle for the UK events industry. Alistair has over 15 years' PR experience, working across b2b, b2c, FMCG, brand and now travel and tourism sectors. He has worked in the events industry for 10 years and is a regular commentator and speaker on events both within the industry, in the media and in wider business circles.

Jon has been working in the Leisure and Tourism Industry for 30 years. He began his career being responsible for programming and marketing of two leisure centres in Bournemouth and Wales before successfully launching and managing a major tennis complex and outreach programme, on behalf of the Lawn Tennis Association.

Jon moved back to Bournemouth in 1990 where he has been, coordinating and managing events and marketing across the local authority's leisure centres, parks and gardens, recreational spaces, the seafront and town centre.

As Marketing and Events Manager for Bournemouth Tourism, Jon's key areas of responsibilities are marketing the destination to the UK and Europe. This includes providing in-resort information for visitors and holidaymakers, developing and managing tourism events, including the award-winning Bournemouth Air Festival attracting 1 million visitors a year. Jon gained an MBA from the Open University, and has a major input in the strategic development and marketing of the resort, and seafront operations.