Carina is passionate about the business events sector and its impact on the world, taking a particular interest in issues around sustainability, diversity and inclusion, and mentoring the leaders of tomorrow. Carina also takes a keen interest in leadership development, and organisational best practice and culture.

Throughout her career, Carina has been an active member of the meetings industry. She’s Past Chair of the AEO Council (2021-2023) and the EIA (2021-2022), and Past President of the SITE Foundation (2020). She has previously served on the Board of the MPI UK Chapter and on global

Ray is chairman and founder of the IMEX Group. He has been a successful entrepreneur for many years, starting his career in the motor industry where his family’s Volkswagen Audi dealership won the Diamond Pin Award. He subsequently entered the hotel industry and then the exhibition industry where he built up EIBTM, which was sold to Reed Exhibitions in 1997. He also built up the leading sales and promotion exhibition, Incentive World (London), which was sold to Reed Exhibitions in 2000.

Recognitions include the CIC Hall of Leaders (1991), UK Personality of the Year by Meetings & Incentive

Rhiannon, our Director of People and Talent is relatively new to the events industry. Joining IMEX at the beginning of the pandemic her learning curve has been a steep one! With more than 15 years’ previous experience working in senior HR roles across a number of sectors including travel, games and education, Rhiannon is a genuine people advocate.
She is passionate about wellbeing and inclusivity, and as a working parent to two young children, she understands the juggle, enabling our team to bring their best selves to work by driving flexibility and adaptability. 

Sarah felt like part of the IMEX team for a long time before she took up her role in the hosted buyer team, having worked closely with us for five years as travel manager at Air Partner, helping us to bring our thousands of hosted buyers into the show. So she’s uniquely placed to understand the operational challenges involved. Away from IMEX, Sarah runs over the South Downs with her local running club, feels the burn at a bootcamp session on Worthing seafront or spends time with her husband and collie dog - who she says is a handful and full of energy (the dog not the husband).

President of the UK and Ireland Chapter of MPI, and a member of the Advisory Board for Destinations International, Richard came to IMEX via the London and New York sales divisions of Haymarket Media Group. A Brighton & Hove Albion superfan, outside work Richard can be found at football matches around the country cheering on our home team. He’s also a dedicated supporter of the Robert Eaten Memorial Fund, set up in memory of Brighton and Hove Albion fan, Robert Eaten who lost his life in 9/11.

Ellie spent six years working as a meeting planner before joining us in 2010. Ellie looks after our content marketing, researching trends and industry insights and working closely with our Knowledge and Events team. She edits IMEXbites (our internal newsletter) and is a long-standing member of our Green Squad, ensuring sustainability is top of our agenda.

Away from the office, Ellie loves staying active and is most at home on the tennis court or spending time at the beach with her two children.

A crucial and endlessly helpful member of our operations team, Alex, previously event manager at McCullough Moore, is a keen cyclist and runner (our top tip for the IMEXrun is to get into his slipstream - he is fast!). When not exercising his competitive side, Alex volunteers for his local food bank, helping to provide emergency food and support for those in crisis.

Sophie came to IMEX via the marketing divisions of VisitBritain and Orient-Express Hotels (now Belmond). Her remit includes the IMEXfiles, our show publications and anything IMEX that needs writing or editing. With long-held passions for beautiful interiors and the great outdoors, beyond IMEX Sophie can be found dreaming up interior schemes, on volunteer duty for Brighton’s Tidy Up Team, or on long-distance runs and walks through the South Downs or along the Sussex coast.