2023 Education Sessions
As part of the M&IT Experience, you’ll enjoy our education programme, which is curated to provide valuable insight and tangible takeaways. In 2023, we were joined by…
Alexa Martinez - Proposition Specialist at St. James’s Place and Founder of Events Obsessed
Hold The Baby!
Alexa’s event adventure has been nothing short of remarkable, from Rome's hospitality at The Hassler Hotel to Corporate Events for St. James's Place, a FTSE 100 firm. Throughout her life she’s learned the value of self-care and having a growth mindset to excel in creating unforgettable experiences, climb the career ladder and be the best version of herself for her family.
Alexa is the proud host of the website and podcast Events Obsessed, where she explores topics related to events and beyond, sharing knowledge and speaking with various personalities through the industry.
Join Alexa on stage as she discusses how to balance the demands of working in corporate events and being a devoted mother. She’ll share her insights on embracing life's adventure while maintaining a healthy balance and attaining both her personal and professional goals.
Michael Foreman - Managing Director, Don’t Waste UK
A Load of Rubbish
Michael Foreman worked in the Meeting industry for 23 years. He sat on numerous advisory boards including best Cities, Tourism Montreal, Confex & The UK Meetings Show & acted as a Liverpool Ambassador. He has been a board member of The Association of British Professional Conference Organisers (ABPCO) since 2009 & was Chairman from 2011 – 2013. In 2016 he was elected as an Honorary Life Member. After working for a number of Europe’s largest PCO’s, in 2014 he founded Kindology (Create4) to create good out of events and set up a consultancy advising Organisers, Associations and Industry stakeholders on their sponsorship and partnership strategy.
In mid 2016 he changed direction in his career to work in the Sustainability Sector and was appointed Managing Director of Don't Waste UK, which provides sustainable solutions to commercial properties to improve how they manage their waste and drive their ESG Agendas.
Michael’s session will lift the lid on waste and clarify key concepts for effective waste management, within the meetings sector. By clearing up myths about what actually happens to event waste, where it goes and how it is treated, he will enlighten you by offering some fundamental tips on managing waste at your events or venues. Finally, he’ll cover ‘rubbish data’ and ‘green washing’ and offer measurements, goal setting tips, realistic targets and solutions to solve these issues.
Megan Harris - Learning & Action Group Manager, Isla
The Challenge of Change
Megan has a diverse professional background that spans creative events production, communications, and compliance management. She is a keen communicator and not afraid to get her hands dirty! Time spent working on permaculture projects around the world inspired her to complete an MSc in Sustainability and Adaptation Planning at the Centre for Alternative Technology and she has since been invited back as a guest lecturer. With a passion for collaboration and problem solving, Megan works closely with isla members to support education and facilitate knowledge sharing within the isla Action Groups.
In Megan’s session, she’ll explore how change is challenging, whatever form it comes in. She’ll reveal how embracing the core principles of change: understanding, planning, implementing and communicating, can help businesses reframe change as an opportunity, enabling the event industry to realise its vision of a fair, thriving, Net Zero carbon future.
Chloe Richardson - VP Senior Corporate Relations, Explori
The Event Industry’s Thelma and Louise: Be the strategic partner in crime for your corporate clients
Chloe is VP Senior Corporate Relations at Explori, the home of event insights. A multi-lingual event advocate for over 14 years, Chloe spends her day-to-day championing the impact and value of corporate event teams globally. With recent accolades including Eventex’s 100 Most Influential People in the Events Industry, Glisser’s Most Influential Women in the Events Industry and JLLive’s 12 Event Industry Gamechangers, she is proud to work in such a powerful and business-critical industry.
Chloe will be taking to the stage to discuss a timely topic. As event functions globally are falling victim to reduced budgets, increased redundancies and a breadth of senior stakeholders that don’t understand the impact and value of the events department - now is the time that robust event measurement must take centre stage to save the industry. Yet most corporate teams lack the resources, time or skillset to really move the needle.
In order to be the real strategic partner for your corporate clients, you have to guide them in best practices and methodologies to effectively measure their event programs, whatever the event type.
Join Chloe, as she answers these questions: What are the latest event measurement trends? What three data types should all event leads be collecting to effectively measure their events? And how can they communicate event performance back to the business stakeholders? She’ll also share some event measurement top tips that will help you - and your clients - prove the value of events. Without needing to drive over a cliff.
