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 his own words) has been lucky to work across a wide variety of events, from a good number of concerts, sporting events, Live TV Awards Shows (Brit Awards, MOBO Awards), and more recently major Football Tournaments – UEFA EURO 2020 and Women’s EURO 2022.  And throw in a few Disney on Ice’s and an exhibition inn a dis-used Quarry! His current role at The FA is as the Stadium Lead for next year’s Champions League Final, being hosted at Wembley Stadium in June. And working as part of the bid team recently successfully awarded the UEFA EURO 2028 Tournament, to be held across the UK & Ireland.Keep a track of all that's going on with the Podcast via; www.theeventsinsight.com/www.linkedin.com/company/the-events-insight-podcast/www.instagram.com/the_eventsin/ See more about our Season Sponsor EFS Europe via;https://www.efseurope.co.uk/Find out more about our Shoutout Sponsor Northampton University via;https://www.northampton.ac.uk/Our Season Quickfire round Sponsor is Yellow Glove Productions;  https://yellow-glove.co.uk/ Our partnership with Standout Magazine is also worth following;https://standoutmagazine.co.uk/

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 and always seeking a new adventure!”Neil started out as a roofer, then moved into advertising, then one Boxing Day sat in a pub (with his business partner) and decided they should produce a magazine.  Neil had been dealing a lot with the events industry through his work in advertising, he knew this was the industry to target – warm, friendly, and full of interesting people.  And so StandOut Magazine was born.https://www.standoutmagazine.co.uk/october-2023/Event Buyers Live, or speed networking for the industry, is in its 9th year.  Neil is passionate about this event, about bringing people together and about listening to the industry.https://eventbuyerslive.com/The one thing most people know about Neil is a certain chest waxing event… listen to the podcast to find out all of the details!  Listen out for our 'special' sponsors this week who are JCFX Media and Wavecastpro  https://jcfxmedia.co.uk/https://wavecast.io/

The Wrap Session – Season 11Well, 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 about the season.  Lively, surprising and entertaining… 3 words to describe our listeners who joined us!! First of all, we have Gee EdwardsGee Edwards is a technical production manager with a former background in technical sales and solutions. He has been in the industry for 15 years and has worked with some major organisations and clients. He has had a lot of roles up and down the technical spectrum including a cable wireman on an installation project in a west end theatre right up to a senior production management role handing all aspects of a 300 square meter corporate event and arena work.You can find him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geeedwards/https://www.facebook.com/scorpiontechnical   Our second listeners is Jenny Davies Jenny Davies works at The Scouts as an Events & Contingents Officer. This role involves planning and operational delivery of national conferences, Awards celebrations and state events, such as the Scouts involvement in the Coronation, as well as project managing UK attendance at international events. This summer Jenny will be supporting the UK Scouting Contingent of 4500 young people and volunteers in South Korea. You can find her at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenny-bull-davies/ Thanks for all your continued support of the podcast.We do appreciated all your messages, calls and suggestions for the podcast. Enjoy the Wrap!Keep a track of all that's going on with the Podcast via; www.theeventsinsight.com/www.linkedin.com/company/the-events-insight-podcast/www.instagram.com/the_eventsin/ See more about our Season Sponsor Safe Events via;https://www.safeevents.ie/Find out more about our Shoutout Sponsor Matt Glover Photography via;https://mattgloverphotography.co.uk/Our Season Quickfire round Sponsor is Yellow Glove Productions;  https://yellow-glove.co.uk/ Our partnership with Standout Magazine is also worth following;https://standoutmagazine.co.uk/

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.Michael is a believer in learning on the job.  You need to know how to do, before you manage.He is also a big believer in taking time out and looking after your mental health.  Cycling is a massive part of his life; cycling to and from exhibitions is the norm for him! We're so pleased to have Michael join us from Germany and share his journey with you. Self confessed not to be the most natural speaker in the world, especially in his second language, we're sure you will agree he shares some really great content with you all. Keep a track of all that's going on with the Podcast via;  www.theeventsinsight.com/ www.linkedin.com/company/the-events-insight-podcast/ www.instagram.com/the_eventsin/  See more about our Season Sponsor Safe Events via;https://www.safeevents.ie/Find out more about our Shoutout Sponsor Matt Glover Photography via;https://mattgloverphotography.co.uk/Our Season Quickfire round Sponsor is Yellow Glove Productions;  https://yellow-glove.co.uk/  Our partnership with Standout Magazine is also worth following;https://standoutmagazine.co.uk/

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 event experiences of world-leading brands.In 2012, Alon (alongside his business partners) designed the Bizzabo event App, then came the software in 2015, then the Pandemic hit in 2020.  After losing 50% of his staff to the Pandemic and having a business that relied solely on an industry which had disappeared, Alon had to make some changes, and fast.  Enter the training programme for event professionals; an on-line training session all about how to designed, deliver and run on-line event….. genius!!Alon works closely with thousands of event executives and CMOs to deliver world-class event programmes.He was named one of the Meetings industry’s “40 under 40 young leaders” by Collaborate & BizBash Magazine, one of Business Insider’s “2021’s Most Important Marketing Tech Executives”, and a “100 Most Influential People in The Event Industry” by Eventex.Get ready for a truly fascinating and inspiring chat with Alon.Keep a track of all that's going on with the Podcast via;  www.theeventsinsight.com/ www.linkedin.com/company/the-events-insight-podcast/ www.instagram.com/the_eventsin/  See more about our Season Sponsor Safe Events via;https://www.safeevents.ie/Find out more about our Shoutout Sponsor Matt Glover Photography via;https://mattgloverphotography.co.uk/Our Season Quickfire round Sponsor is Yellow Glove Productions;  https://yellow-glove.co.uk/  Our partnership with Standout Magazine is also worth following;https://standoutmagazine.co.uk/

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 success.The world’s smartest organizations turn to Jason’s creative leadership and original mind as a way to create better presentations, pitches, events, blogs, PR, infographics, Podcasts, websites, and more – all to address sales, marketing, HR and operational challenges. Jason helps your leaders explore, develop and sell with engaging and clear presentations that inspire action.As a professional thinker, copywriter and speaker, Jason has fuelled the trajectory of the world’s most important brands, including Intel, RBC Royal Bank, Nissan, Entertainment One and McCain Foods. His powerful perspective on what it takes to imagine, develop and sell an idea transforms audiences, leaving them prepared to think faster, better and brighter.Did you know… we pass judgement on someone’s character, ability, background, skillset within 4 seconds of meeting them!Keep a track of all that's going on with the Podcast via;  www.theeventsinsight.com/ www.linkedin.com/company/the-events-insight-podcast/ www.instagram.com/the_eventsin/  See more about our Season Sponsor Safe Events via;https://www.safeevents.ie/Find out more about our Shoutout Sponsor Matt Glover Photography via;https://mattgloverphotography.co.uk/Our Season Quickfire round Sponsor is Yellow Glove Productions;  https://yellow-glove.co.uk/  Our partnership with Standout Magazine is also worth following;https://standoutmagazine.co.uk/

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 and efficient technology. The platform powers various virtual, hybrid, and in-person events, from large-scale conventions to school events and conferences.   With a background in business & brand development, strategy and technology, Marvin understands how and why technology is so important to the events industry and his processes driven methods ensure a product and service that is user friendly and can be used across different sectors.Marvin is a big believer in technology, its development and how it can enhance corporate events, schools and colleges.Keep a track of all that's going on with the Podcast via;  www.theeventsinsight.com/ www.linkedin.com/company/the-events-insight-podcast/ www.instagram.com/the_eventsin/  See more about our Season Sponsor Safe Events via;https://www.safeevents.ie/Find out more about our Shoutout Sponsor Matt Glover Photography via;https://mattgloverphotography.co.uk/Our Season Quickfire round Sponsor is Yellow Glove Productions;  https://yellow-glove.co.uk/  Our partnership with Standout Magazine is also worth following;https://standoutmagazine.co.uk/

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.What are the difference types of customers, and what do they want?She is all about understanding the psychology of the customer.Kelly is the creator of The Next Level, The Wedding Sales Success programme, The Easy to Buy method and more. Helping Wedding Businesses to book more weddings and drive revenue without the overwhelm.With over 20 years in the Events & Weddings Industry. Kelly has worked with celebrities and royal clientele including the late Queen Elizabeth 2nd, and with wedding budgets of up to £1million. Kelly spent 10 years in destination weddings followed by an incredible career in the luxury market in London which included: Mandarin Oriental, Claridge’s and being on the opening team for Rosewood London. Before starting her company, Kelly was Group Wedding Sales Director for 45 UK hotels and responsible for a team of 50 wedding planners. Kelly’s strategies have seen her clients reach £multi-Millions in revenue. Keep a track of all that's going on with the Podcast via;  www.theeventsinsight.com/ www.linkedin.com/company/the-events-insight-podcast/ www.instagram.com/the_eventsin/  See more about our Season Sponsor Safe Events via;https://www.safeevents.ie/Find out more about our Shoutout Sponsor Matt Glover Photography via;https://mattgloverphotography.co.uk/Our Season Quickfire round Sponsor is Yellow Glove Productions;  https://yellow-glove.co.uk/  Our partnership with Standout Magazine is also worth following;https://standoutmagazine.co.uk/

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 being a professional footballer.This flair for entertaining can be seen in the roles he has undertaken in the events industry.  From Sales Manager to Show Director to now, the face of the Retail Technology Show.Matt believes that an event is an experience and should excite and entertain guests.Matt has been the face of RBTE (Retail Business Technology Expo) since its inception in 2010. In this time he has been involved in a variety of roles that have covered all areas of the business ensuring his knowledge of the show and sector is second to none. RBTE was sold to Reed in 2016 where Matt rebranded and renamed the show Retail Expo until the final show in 2019.  The launch of Retail Technology Show with Nineteen Group is spearheaded by Matt and his team and will once again provide a much needed platform for suppliers to showcase the very best and most innovative retail technology solutions whilst the in-depth conference program will give retailers a clear road map for future success.  Featured in several "Retail's most influential" lists he is a well known face within the retail tech industry, has an enviable book of contacts and understands how to truly connect suppliers with buyers and   Matt has spent over 20 years in the exhibition and events industry and has been lucky enough to work with some of the UK's leading exhibition organizers including Upper Street, Clarion, and London Event Co. As a director of Legend Exhibitions, he founded and launched Retail Business Technology Expo and the publication Essential Retail which were both acquired by Reed Exhibitions in 2016. His move to Nineteen Group is just the start of his next exciting chapter.Keep a track of all that's going on with the Podcast via;  www.theeventsinsight.com/ www.linkedin.com/company/the-events-insight-podcast/ www.instagram.com/the_eventsin/  See more about our Season Sponsor Safe Events via;https://www.safeevents.ie/Find out more about our Shoutout Sponsor Matt Glover Photography via;https://mattgloverphotography.co.uk/Our Season Quickfire round Sponsor is Yellow Glove Productions;  https://yellow-glove.co.uk/  Our partnership with Standout Magazine is also worth following;https://standoutmagazine.co.uk/

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’, alongside this, Olivia freelances within the events industry. Currently, she is researching the ethics of using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Marketing and Events and plans to continue her studies on a Masters Degree in The Philosophy of AI. Francesca Rodriguez Balit is the Co-Founder & Event Web Specialist at Bbr Web Design and the Podcast Host of The Events Cast. Francesca helps event professionals build and improve their event websites to better market their events, create better event experiences and sell more tickets. Coming from a background in Event and Marketing, she believes there is a better, easier, and less stressful way of creating and managing event websites. That is why she built Bbr Web Design and Management, a small and friendly web boutique that offers exclusive web services for event professionals.Heat what each guest thought were the best takeaways from each of our 6 guests… and the bonus episode, and why you should take the time to listen to them yourselves. Enjoy!Keep a track of all that's going on with the Podcast via; www.theeventsinsight.com/www.linkedin.com/company/the-events-insight-podcast/www.instagram.com/the_eventsin/See more about our Season Sponsor Encore Global via; https://www.encoreglobal.com/Find out more about our Shoutout Sponsor JCFX Media via; https://jcfxmedia.co.uk/This weeks quickfire round sponsor was AlfaMed Specialist Emergency Care and Training;https://alfamedsect.co.uk/Our partnership with Standout Magazine is also worth following;https://standoutmagazine.co.uk/