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EIA

EIA Structure

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The EIA board is managed on a rotation between the associations: AEO, AEV and ESSA. 

The EIA board, consisting of three board directors from each of the trade associations, aims to ensure the secretariat is run as efficiently as possible, providing economies of scale to each of the owner associations.  It also provides a platform to encourage, stimulate and deliver on common areas of interest, such as research and public affairs.

The role of Chair changes on an annual basis and the current rotation is:

October 2024-25 – AEO

October 2025-26 – AEV

October 2026-27 – ESSA

Marija Erzen

Solutions 2 (UK) Ltd (ESSA Chair)

Jeremy Rees

Excel London (EIA & AEV Treasurer)

Margery Youngs

EIA Finance

Matthew Butler

CloserStill (AEO)

Rob Brackstone

ESM Ltd ( ESSA Vice chair)

Martin Cairns

Beechwood Events Ltd. (ESSA)

Andrew Harrison

Event Suppliers & Services Association (Director)

Rachel Parker

Association of Event Venues (Director)

Chris Skeith OBE

Association of Event Organisers (CEO)

Rachel Swann

dmg Events (AEO Chair)

Ian Taylor

NEC (AEV Chair)

Kerry Villa

ACC Liverpool (AEV Vice chair)

Alison Willis

Easyfairs (AEO Vice chair)

The EIA provides a secretariat and platform for the AEO, AEV and ESSA to work together to achieve common objectives for the good of the industry.

Each association manages its own secretariat and has its own board.

AEO

Event Organisers

Council of 20 People

Secretariat of 7 people

CEO - Chris Skeith

AEV

Event Venues

Board of 14 people

Secretariat of 3 people

Director - Rachel Parker

ESSA

Event Suppliers & Services

Board of 12 people

Secretariat of 5 people

Director - Andrew Harrison

Working groups:  UK Organisers / Events /  International Organiser / Development board / Talent / LEP/FaceTime / Finance / UK Ops / International H&S / Technology / Sales / Consumer

 

Focus:  To be the voice of the event organising community - it serves the collective needs and promotes the interests of event organisers and the industry at large.

Members:  Event organisers whose primary business is trade and consumer exhibitions and conferences. They undertake some 1077 trade and consumer exhibitions in the UK, and from their UK HQ’s organise 1000 trade and consumer events outside the UK.

AEO council

Working groups:  Marketing & Comms / Catering / eGuide / Finance / Security / Event Managers / Venue Strategy

AEV also run cross association groups:  

H&S / Event Industry HR / Technology / Sustainability / Electrics Technical / Diversity & Inclusion

Focus:  To provide leadership in the global event venue market and to share best practice within the venue community in conjunction with the event industry.

Members:  UK exhibition venues, conference centres, showgrounds, stadia, racecourse, arenas, international venues.

 

AEV board

Working groups:  Diversity & Inclusivity / Logistics / Stand Builders Forum / Future Focus

 

 

Focus:  To represent the event supplier and services community by delivering value to members in order to support their continuous improvement and success. To create a sector that gains its strength from unity.

Members:  A mixture of full service contractors, suppliers and service providers across the spectrum of events but with strong footing within the exhibition and business events world.

 

 

ESSA board

 

  • The events industry is only as good as the sum of its parts – the EIA represents all parts of our amazing industry. We are members because together we are so much stronger and are therefore so much better placed to deal with both our challenges and the massive opportunities that lie ahead.
    Simon Parker
    CIBSE
  • The EIA serves as the quintessential industry forum and working group representing the cornerstones critical to all events; the organiser, the venue and the supply chain providing goods and services to the sector. Whilst it’s always been a valuable alliance for the industry, in these times of post-pandemic economic uncertainty and geo-political challenges, the ability for the industry to convene, confer and communicate as a unified sector is imperative as we seek to grow and have an even greater impact on the UK’s social and economic landscape.
    Shaun Hinds
    Manchester Central
  • The EIA is a great forum for collaboration between three of the major UK business events associations. It’s so important as an industry that we speak with one voice, that we collaborate on the biggest issues that we face and that we build mutual understanding and respect. The EIA provides the opportunity to do all of these things and is a made more powerful by all of our contributions.
    Carina Bauer
    IMEX

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