Andy Lenthall is the General Manager of the Production Services Association (PSA), the representative body for the companies and individuals that provide technological infrastructure for live events. The PSA works to improve standards of safety and professionalism amongst its members as well as representing their interests at all levels. The PSA's recent work has included being part of the HSE's entertainment working group that wrote Sound Advice – industry specific guidance on the Control of Noise at Work Regulations as well as introducing a 'Safety Passport' scheme which has been adopted by companies and event organisers alike, from small venues right through the Glastonbury Festival. Andy is looking forward to the rewrite of the Event Safety Guide which starts in earnest this year, a project that he'll be actively involved in as part of the Event Industry Forum as well as a regular and vociferous member of the HSE's Joint Advisory Group for Entertainment.

www.psa.org.uk

Claire Lawson is Commercial Director of The Grove- Londons Country Estate in Hertfordshire responsible for driving all key revenue streams for the award-winning five-star resort.

With her many years of experience in sales, marketing and management in both hotels and venues. She joined The Grove in 2008 after seven years as General Manager of The Brewery in the City of London, the former Whitbread-owned venue offering conference, exhibition and private events with significant food and beverage.

Prior to working at The Brewery, Claire was General Manager of the Birmingham Marriott Hotel, a Whitbread franchise. She started her career in sales for Marriott UK, rising to the position of Director of Sales for Whitbread's 70 UK hotels, before moving across to take up the operational role in Birmingham.

As keen golfer since childhood, Claire is delighted to be based at the Hertfordshire Estate where she endeavours to keep her swing up to scratch on The Grove’s championship golf course - if and when she has time!

Following a career in hotels, both in the UK and internationally with the Marriott and Hilton, David returned to London to open two large hotels. He was appointed General Manager of the British Airways London Eye in 2000 and joined the team in January 2001.

David’s main priorities were to bring together a highly effective management team who would create great customer service, set high standards and brand awareness and deliver a strong profit through innovative products and services.

He was appointed Managing Director of the company in 2002, reporting directly into the board of directors of the three shareholders.

David was a key member of the team who managed the “life extension” so that the London Eye could stay on the Southbank for many more years to come. He was also part of the team who enabled the company to refinance, becoming wholly owned by The Tussauds Group. The Tussauds Group was acquired by Merlin Entertainments in early 2007 to form the Merlin Entertainments Group and is now the sole owners of The London Eye.

David’s current role as Divisional Director involves him running the four London Midway attractions; Madame Tussauds London, The London Eye, The London Dungeon and The London Aquarium for Merlin Entertainments Group.

David was recently appointed Chairman of “Events 2012 and Beyond”. This is a development group working with LOCOG (London Organising Committee Olympic Games) and bodies such as Visit London and Visit Britain, to communicate business opportunities to the Events industry for the up and coming 2012 Olympic Games and other sporting and cultural events in following years. The group held it’s first conference at International Confex, Earls Court London on 24 February 2009 and was attended by 170 delegates, Olympic Sponsors and both regional and national organisations such as Visit London and Visit Britain. Future workshops and conferences are planned in the coming three years in the lead up to the 2012 London Olympic Games.

www.londoneye.com

Kate Harvey has been an associate producer with Artichoke for two years. Artichoke is a creative company based in London putting on extraordinary shows to delight and surprise audiences, changing the way they view the world around them. With the company in 2008, Kate produced The Telectroscope, a month long installation, operating 24 hours a day on both sides of the Atlantic. The work of artist Paul St George, The Telectroscope imagined a tunnel under the Atlantic, enabling audiences in London and New York to catch a real time glimpse of life on the other side of the pond. Kate’s work with Artichoke continued with La Machine, a highlight of Liverpool’s capital of Culture celebrations. The production saw the city invaded by a giant spider, work of the French company, headed by Francois Delaroziere, which brought 250,000 people out onto the streets over four days in September 2008. Currently Kate is associate producer for Artichoke on One and Other, Antony Gormley’s commission from the Mayor of London for the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square. Another 24 hour a day event, this project will see 2400 people selected from across the UK to become a living portrait of the UK as, one by one, an hour at a time, for 100 days, they take their place on the plinth. Prior to working at Artichoke, Kate produced and directed large-scale community and education work at Chichester Festival Theatre and as theatre officer for the Arts Council in the South West of England, contributed to the development of the theatre infrastructure across England’s largest rural region.

www.artichoke.uk.com

Stuart Galbraith knows a thing or two about both artists and fans. He started in live music when he attended Leeds University from 1980-1984 where, as Social Secretary, he booked bands such as ZZ Top, U2, Simple Minds and The Clash.

He joined MCP in 1984 and became Director and Partner through to its sale in 1999 to Robert Sillerman’s SFX. Whilst at MCP, Galbraith promoted and worked with artists like Simply Red, Def Leppard, Guns ‘n’ Roses, Metallica, U2, Simple Minds and AC/DC, as well as playing an instrumental role in the Monsters of Rock Festival at Donington Park.

Following the sale of MCP in 1999 to SFX, and the subsequent resale of SFX to Clear Channel and the creation of Live Nation in 2005, as Managing Director Galbraith helped grow Live Nation’s UK market share, promoting arena and stadium tours with many of the world’s biggest bands. He was instrumental in the creation of the Download Festival, the UK’s premier rock festival (which now also successfully operates in America), Wireless Festival and Hyde Park Calling Festival.

Galbraith was also one of the organisers for the Live8 Concert, which played to 250,000 people in London’s Hyde Park in 2005, and the Live Earth Concert at Wembley Stadium in 2007. Over the last several years, he has also promoted all the major concerts that have taken place in Hyde Park including Bon Jovi, REM, Queen, Shania Twain and the record breaking run by Red Hot Chilli Peppers, which played to 255,000 people.
This unrivalled experience and understanding of the opportunities and possibilities in live music, fuels the concept of Kilimanjaro Live Limited, Galbraith’s new joint venture with AEG.

Kilimanjaro will focus on three areas of activity: festivals (where it has already gained a controlling interest in Wakestock and Bloodstock), touring established stars and developing new artists. As an independent operator, the company can be nimble and flexible as a boutique promoter, but the backing of AEG means it can call on the global resources of the world’s second largest promoter as and when necessary.

www.kililive.com

With a degree in marketing and communications, Sue embarked on a career in the hotel industry before founding Davies Tanner in 1997. With offices in Edinburgh, London and Barcelona Davies Tanner is a Public Relations agency operating solely in the area of events and business tourism.

Representing some of the most successful and respected brands within the business tourism and event sectors, Davies Tanner’s team of 26 skilled and creative PR and media professionals work to influence the choice of UK and European audiences across a range of markets. Within the UK, they engage with national, regional, industry, business and vertical media to get clients noticed, change perceptions, raise awareness and grow market share through targeted messaging, audience penetration and share of voice.

Davies Tanner have a long term and proven track record in delivering positive, tangible and measurable results which influence choice and buying decisions amongst UK meeting and event planners through working effectively with a range of media sectors, industry associations, social networks and industry stakeholders.

www.daviestanner.co.uk

Joining the Natural History Museum in July 2008, Zoë Watts brings fifteen years of industry expertise to her role as Head of Events and Catering.

Before being recruited by the Natural History Museum, Zoë spent eight years at the Tate, having joined just before the opening of Tate Modern. She implemented the catering offering for events at Tate Modern and Tate Britain and subsequently managed the public catering at Tate Britain and the regional sites. At Tate, Zoë was also responsible for tendering for new catering contracts and project managing new start-ups. Zoë has also held senior roles in events and catering at Gardner Merchant Leisure at RHS Gardens Wisley and Catering & Allied at The Royal Society of Arts.

With a strong history in the events and public catering industry, Zoë oversees the marketing, sales, operations and public catering contracts at the Natural History Museum, as well as directing the refurbishment of the Restaurant and Cafés. With the Darwin Centre opening in the autumn, Zoë’s focus is very much on promoting it as a new and spectacular events venue and ensuring that operationally, it is ready to hold up to 300 guests for events.

www.nhm.ac.uk

Following one year on the board of the ITMA (Eventia’s predecessor) heading up Marketing and Membership, Izania Downie became part of the team who managed the merger between ITMA and CEA and were tasked with creating the vision of the new association. After the successful launch of Eventia (the events industry association) in January 2006 Izania was appointed full-time Executive Director of Eventia, in August of that year.

Izania has 15 years’ experience in the Marketing and Events industry, with a career spanning the corporate, agency and hotel sectors, in both NZ and the UK.

Her range of experience includes sales in the health and wellness sector and marketing manager in the Finance, IT and Media industries. She also ran her own event agency whilst studying for her marketing degree at Auckland University. After graduation she moved to London and worked in Hotel Sales and Marketing, eventually becoming Global Sales Director of the C&I team at Starwood Hotels & Resorts.

This broad experience gives her a unique view of the diversity of issues that exist in the market.

Izania is a regular contributor to industry titles and the wider business media on the issues facing our industry as well as raising awareness of the value and importance of Events within the marketing mix within both the corporate and government communities.

www.eventia.org.uk