Our people

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

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

Sarah is one of the original members of the IMEX team arriving in time for our first show in Frankfurt as a temp - who was too good to let go! Wearing two weighty hats, as travel manager Sarah makes sure we all get where we need to be, and as our chairman’s PA has his schedule running like clockwork. Outside work Sarah is an avid theatre-goer and makes the most of her enviable beach-side abode with long coastal walks.

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.  

Responsible for pulling together our burgeoning education and events programme, Sylvia draws on a wealth of experience from her previous roles as senior project manager at PAREXEL and IMEX hosted buyer programme account manager. Away from the office and in no particular order (and not all at the same time) Sylvia loves cooking, yoga, running and spending time with friends and family.

As Director of Impact & Industry Relations, Natasha oversees all our industry partnerships, sponsorships, pan-industry initiatives and strategic alliances.

Natasha plays a key part in business events industry advocacy efforts on our behalf including our Policy Forum - where she is responsible for bringing together national and city policy makers, association leaders, destination innovators and industry thought-leaders to discuss and influence the future direction of business events through policy making and strategic destination management.

David is a man of many talents. When not meticulously managing our data, David is penning ‘the great American novel’ (he’s a published poet), or welcoming homeless teenagers into his home and supporting them until they can be found permanent housing in his volunteer work for Nightstop.

Responsible for engaging our external and internal communities on our social networks - and in person - Suzanne brings the wider IMEX family together. A past president of the MPI Greater New York Chapter, pre-IMEX Suzanne was a new business analyst at The Brand Union in New York. Weekends are spent exploring Sussex villages with her husband, often with a four-legged walking companion from ‘BorrowMyDoggy’.

Danielle is our Head of Content and Web, having joined the IMEX team in March 2021. She is a qualified journalist with a broad background spanning publishing, editorial, digital marketing and content.

Danielle is a digital evangelist and loves talking about all things web, content and tech. She also an enthusiastic health and fitness fan, and advocate for mental health and wellness.

Before joining IMEX, she spent several years working in international higher education and wholeheartedly believes in the transformational power of education to change the world.

A member of AWE (Association of Women in Events), Lottie joined IMEX from Newsquest Media Group where she was head of audience. When not crafting our marketing campaigns, Lottie can be found cooking up a storm in her kitchen.

Alison joined IMEX from an apprenticeship tutor role at Chichester College after a career in education with roles at the Learning and Skills Council and the National Apprenticeship Service. With a degree in editorial photography, Alison relaxes by drawing, painting and baking.
Her role at IMEX sees her supporting our extensive education programme, guiding our speakers through their journey with us, to help them deliver the best experience possible for our audiences.

Lauren worked in TV production before joining our Operations Team, and loves the buzz of being on site just as much as the buzz of being on set. She is the logistical and creative brain behind our headline show features including the Inspiration Hub, Hosted Buyer Lounge and Be Well Lounge, as well as managing all show signage, and all on-site meeting rooms.
When not working or ferrying her two children around Brighton, she can be found running and walking through the South Downs National Park that surrounds our home city.

Joining IMEX from her role as events manager for Brighton’s Malmaison Hotel, Hannah brings her event expertise to running the IMEX-MPI-MCI Future Leaders Forums global programme, helping to nurture the next generation of event professionals; and to managing our Inspiration Hub speakers.
Part of the MPI UK & Ireland Chapter Marcomms committee and board, curating their monthly newsletter and managing their social media, she also finds time to foster dogs for a local animal charity, bake, play badminton, and spend time on the beach with friends and family.

Kelly’s sales role at IMEX sees her looking after exhibitors from a wide range of sectors including tech, airlines, cruise lines, event production, and regions from the Caribbean to Scandinavia, as well as managing new business development. She joined us from a meetings industry and corporate partnerships role at Virgin Atlantic. Outside work she’s an avid theatre goer – and as a puzzles enthusiast she’s set her mind to working her way out of every escape room.

Before Kit became an IMEX employee in 2016, she was one of our PR consultants, so has been with us for 20 years. As she says, “I had no idea I’d be involved with the company this long, but it’s a very special business and can have that effect on you!” An inveterate traveller, Kit lives a coffee-shop kind of life mixed with personal training, running, FunkFit and socials with friends and family.
A wordsmith, Kit leads on communicating our clear sense of purpose, and commitment to our industry. She is also dedicated to making a purposeful contribution to a better world by supporting talented

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.

Previously a travel coordinator at Air Partner, who work with us to bring our hosted buyers into the show, Laura’s organisational insight is invaluable. When not busy looking after her hosted buyer accounts, or her young family, Laura plays stoolball for the Wivelsfield Green ladies team. Stoolball (according to Wikipedia) is a sport that dates back to the 15th century, originating in our home county of Sussex and a likely ancestor of cricket, a game it resembles. 

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.

Wearing many hats, Oliver is the reason our show floor comes together so cohesively each year, creating a plan that allows all our varied exhibitors to excel at the show. He joined us in 2004 from the operations team at Congress World/Martlet so has a wealth of experience to offer our exhibitors. Outside the office he loves to throw himself downhill on a bike and raises funds for The Clock Tower Sanctuary, a safe space for young homeless people in Brighton or St. Luke’s Hospice on long-distance runs and cycle rides.

A go-to member of our Operations Team, Laura’s wide and varied role sees her doing everything from meticulously checking exhibitor stand plans to ensuring the IMEXrun goes off without a hitch. A self-proclaimed social butterfly, Laura loves spending time with friends, friends’ children – and also her feline friend Winnie. Before IMEX Laura was operations supervisor at The Stag Company & Hen Heaven, organising stag and hen parties across the UK and Europe.

Heather heads up our sales team, dedicated to supporting our 6,500 exhibitors achieve their business goals before, during and after our two shows - handling everything from advice on stand design to helping exhibitors target the right buyers. One of the very first members of the IMEX team, Heather joined from Martlet Agency where she was a business development executive. When not in the office or visiting clients around the world, Heather is busy experimenting with new recipes from her well-thumbed cook book collection.

Making sure our shows run smoothly from Wi-Fi to stand builds is down to the organisational expertise of Mark’s team. Joining IMEX from a senior operations role at UBM Routes, and a member of the AEO Operations Working Group, Mark takes logistical challenges in his stride. Away from the office he plays squash for his local team and fund raises for The Clock Tower Sanctuary, a safe space for local homeless young people - and recently took the logistical challenge of running the Brighton Half Marathon in a tutu for them in his stride too.

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).

One of several team members joining us from PAREXEL MMS (Sarah was project manager at PPSI, a subsidiary), Sarah is one of our most experienced account managers and a key member of our hosted buyer team. Life outside IMEX involves spending time with family and friends, walking, cycling (and very occasional) running.

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.

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. 

A proud dog mom, mental health enthusiast, music lover and natural-born people person, Maria loves building genuine relationships and providing the best customer service possible. With a background in education and tourism, Maria has lived in Ecuador, the US, the Netherlands and Spain.
She is a passionate advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion, leading our DEI Squad and serving on the Tourism Diversity Matters committee. Outside IMEX she can be found reading, walking her dog along the seafront and enjoying good food with friends and family.  

A member of our Green Team, Roger makes sure sustainability is considered in everything we do, and drives through green campaigns such as #greencaffeine and our refill movement. Before IMEX, Roger was a mortgage advisor at the Alternative Bank Switzerland; outside IMEX, drinking coffee and eating cake, either home-made or from one of Brighton and Hove’s bountiful cafés, takes priority.

A self-proclaimed horse-racing fanatic who travels around the country to race meetings, Sarah was previously a senior international controller at GMAC Commercial Finance bringing a wealth of knowledge and keen eye for detail to her crucial accounts role at IMEX. 

Previously Overseas Operations Manager for SkiBound, speed is the name of the game for Alan. When not busy working on the logistics for our hosted buyer programmes, Alan is either riding his motorbike, watching MotoGP or Superbike racing – or beating his young son at MotoGP on Playstation. So, if you want something done fast, just ask Alan.

A fairly recent member of the business events community, Dan has definitely found his place. He leads our Hosted Buyer Relationship Management team, working alongside our partners and intermediaries to deliver our landmark hosted buyer programme.

Serving on the Destinations International Global Leadership Committee, he is also current MPI UK & Ireland Chapter President. Outside IMEX he is a keen Arsenal (football) and Warriors (basketball) fan and loves spending time with his family.

Anna has an extensive background in all things design. She’s worked for several fashion magazines including for the launch team at Grazia UK, and for GQ, Marie Claire, Vogue Italia, Elle as well as the Sunday Times. Anna has also consulted for brands including John Lewis. She’s an avid Brighton and Hove Albion football fan, following the team since 1974. And she helps out her local community at Whitehawk Foodbank. As Design Manager at IMEX Group, she is responsible for ensuring the IMEX brand comes through in everything we do.

David is a trained chartered accountant and previously worked at a private air chartering company. Outside IMEX, David is an avid traveller; exploring new destinations and learning about different cultures (Japan tops his list so far). When he isn’t travelling, David loves countryside dog walks with his husband and little Schnauzer. At IMEX David looks after reporting and compliance for IMEX Group including historical data and forward planning.

One of the original launch team for our first show in Frankfurt in 2003, Hilary was previously assistant to the finance manager at Avenue Exhibitions, Avenue Publications and GoodBean Coffee. Outside work Hilary loves going on holiday with her family. She also organises fundraising events for her village’s Bonfire Society to make sure Bonfire Night goes off with a bang - and organises the Bonfire Night street collection raising thousands annually for several local charities.

David’s career has taken him from hotelier, through sales, and through various different continents, before settling down at IMEX HQ in Hove. His busy and varied role here sees him looking after our hosted buyer groups, nurturing and growing our relationships globally, and developing market expertise. Outside work, David can be found hosting family and friends to home-cooked dinners, always with a glass of wine or two – or out on the football field.

When not out sailing in the English Channel on her 33-ft. yacht, Moody Blue, or volunteering for the UK & Ireland ICCA Committee, Alex is out and about (in various corners of the world) helping our exhibitors get maximum business benefit from our shows. In life pre-IMEX Alex was director of sales and marketing for the Radisson Blu at Stansted Airport.

Previously an account manager in our hosted buyer team, Donna was a key driver behind the launch of our corporate executive events, Exclusively Corporate at IMEX in Frankfurt, and the Executive Meeting Forum at IMEX America. When not juggling programmes, speakers and venues, Donna dashes around after Beau, her Welsh Springer Spaniel - one of her best-ever Christmas presents (she knows dogs are not just for Christmas).

Monika began her financial career at HSBC as a credit controller before becoming an assistant accountant for a small business. At IMEX Group, she looks after supplier payments and reimbursements for our hosted buyer programme. Plus VAT returns, asset registers and testing our finance system. Outside work, Monika is mother to a five-year-old and a CrossFit enthusiast.

Gill has brought her considerable consumer loyalty and B2B marketing experience from Virgin Atlantic to the marcomms team at IMEX, where she meticulously plans our year-round marketing campaigns, works closely with our media partners, and hones in on hosted buyer marketing. She is also part of the team bringing the long awaited MPI EMEC Brighton to our city. Outside work she can be found walking her dog, spending time by the sea, or taking every opportunity to travel.

Charlotte’s role sees her wearing many hats, from organising our industry event sponsorship to our annual Policy Forum, to being part of the organising committee for MPI EMEC Brighton. Part of the event industry for 10 years pre-IMEX, working as an event planner for venues, and as an IT-sector conference manager, events are in Charlotte’s DNA. She’s also an excellent baker (amaretto cheesecake anyone?), a committed gym bunny and an iced-coffee connoisseur.

Before joining IMEX, Gary worked as a contractor focused on transforming the way businesses align technology to process, and as COO for Crunch where he held responsibility for IT, marketing, sales, customer service, and software development. His previous roles at UBM and EMAP saw him leading data teams and global transformation projects. At IMEX he runs strategic projects harnessing technology to enhance how we work with our customers – always following his ethos that technology is an enabler of, not a driver for change. Outside IMEX Gary can be found on a paddleboard, in a kayak, at the gym

Liz joined IMEX from the Brighton Centre where she looked after the conference division. Before that she was at VisitBrighton as Destination and Conference Manager for our wonderful home city of Brighton and Hove – and most importantly exhibiting at IMEX every year with VisitEngland. Beyond IMEX, Liz’s organisation skills are put to excellent use as she juggles looking after her twins, playing and watching sports, travelling, cooking, serving as a school Governor and volunteering for Brighton Cooking Club, providing hot meals to those in need. At IMEX, Liz uses her previous exhibitor

We prised Nick away from a 22-year career at Virgin Atlantic where he held sales and account manager roles for both leisure and meetings and groups departments. A keen photographer and star water polo player, Nick also seeks out local Sussex breweries and beer festivals.

Georgina spent 10 years in the banking sector, then in education, healthcare and the burgeoning Sussex wine industry, before joining the IMEX sales team to look after contracting, reporting, floorplans and sponsorships.
Outside IMEX, Georgina can be found making the most of Brighton’s fantastic restaurants or heading to the seaside or countryside for walks with friends and family. A perennial globetrotter, Georgina takes every opportunity to travel with sunny Asian destinations topping her travel itineraries.

As our head of learning and development, Jenny’s role at IMEX Group is varied. She leads on internal learning and development, designing and delivering workshops and online resources. She also coaches and supports teams and individuals to improve how we work together. And manages our professional development and training budget. Before joining us, Jenny was a part-time scientific consultant/data analyst and part-time career coaching business owner. Outside IMEX, Jenny enjoys exercise, and the post-exercise reward of good food (often with good company). 

Jasmine’s role at IMEX Group includes managing our payroll and working with our heads of departments to make financial decision forecasts. Before joining us, Jasmine worked at Goodwood, a large UK events company, for more than 10 years as a management accountant. Beyond IMEX, Jasmine loves to travel, enjoys spending time with friends, family and her cockapoo, Rufus. She’s a keen foodie, ever on the look out for new foods to try. And also an avid (and rather talented) cocktail maker. 

Laura has worked in the events industry for more than 14 years working on everything from corporate seasonal parties to large consumer and trade exhibitions. Before joining IMEX Group, Laura worked as a senior events manager at Fishawack organising and running pharmaceutical events. Laura loves to travel, take long beach walks, spend time with friends and family, and eat out at Brighton and Hove’s many restaurants. At IMEX, Laura helps run our education programme, leading on Association Focus and Social at IMEX Frankfurt, the Association Leadership Forum and (some pretty fabulous) Las Vegas

Annie joined IMEX Group at an exciting time in mid-2022 as we updated our systems and overhauled our website. You’ll find Annie on the IMEX show floor collecting testimonials and photos, or in our education spaces welcoming you all to the wonderful sessions. However, her main focus is our website builds and maintenance. Before joining us, Annie worked in digital marketing for a range of brands including a decade at a music bar in North London. Outside IMEX, Annie enjoys swimming, live music and family time (not necessarily in that order).

Doris’ responsibilities at IMEX Group include talking to our intermediaries and hosted buyers in their native languages. Doris has worked at the British High Commission in Kenya, and also at the Australian Embassy in Lebanon. Outside work, Doris enjoys art exhibitions, concerts and country walks (as long as a pub lunch is involved). She also enjoys going off the beaten path with travelling to unusual places one of her favourite activities. 

In his previous digital project management and transformation roles, Jordan found his passion for product ownership and software development. Jordan owns our event management system and spends his days refining, prioritising, designing, developing and managing all the features which support our shows. When not deep in our event management system, Jordan can be found upskilling his digital skills and gaming (when he’s not napping alongside his miniature dachshund).

Before joining IMEX, Alex was a property manager, managing properties across Sussex. She originally joined us as an administrator for our Hosted Buyer Team. Now Operations Administrator, her focus is checking exhibitor stand plans and managing bookings for meeting rooms at the show. She also supports our Operations Team with barter contracts, our exhibitor manual and show staff manual. Outside work, Alex enjoys spending time with family and friends, and travelling. If she hasn’t got a trip booked then she’s planning her next one.

Alisha is part of our People and Talent Team. Alisha’s role includes people administration, recruiting new people to our team and supporting them. Before joining IMEX Group, Alisha worked in the travel industry for more 10 years mainly in event planning before switching to a career in HR. Beyond IMEX, Alisha is a keen swimmer, walker, and (summer-time) river canoeist.

Part of our in-house design studio Maddy brings her creative flair to everything from our show signage to our digital and print advertising campaigns, putting her previous digital design and marketing experience to excellent use. Outside IMEX the creativity continues through crafting, crochet, embroidery, sewing and drawing. When not busy creating, hula hooping is Maddy’s pastime of choice.

Before joining us, Bobby worked for International Medical Group (IMG) in their finance department. At IMEX Group, he works in our supplier accounts team in our finance department. Bobby handles supplier payments, daily cash management, invoicing and month-end reconciliations. And most importantly Bobby patiently helps many (many) IMEXers with their expense queries and purchase orders. Outside work, Bobby is a keen long-distance runner.

Part of our design team, Pat is responsible for the creation and design of all our show signage and material. Pat has more than 35 years’ experience as a graphic designer with 20 of those years spent happily in the exhibition industry. He’s worked for diverse clients including First Choice, i2i events, FESPA and EMAP. Outside IMEX, Pat is a huge sports fan. Brighton and Hove Albion is (naturally) his football team. He’s a lifelong member of Lewes Bonfire Society, which raises thousands of pounds each year for local charities. And he’s also a regular blood donor, having so far donated more than

Before joining IMEX Group, Paolo worked in the finance sector as a department manager for a document and data outsourcing business. Beyond IMEX, Paolo enjoys all sports with but especially football and basketball (when not travelling or baking delectable cakes). As our sales administrator, Paolo is devoted to contracting, reporting, system testing and ensuring our exhibitors never have a question unanswered.

Tahira curates our education programme with the intention to inspire and create joy. With an extensive career in the business events industry and a background in intentional event design, Tahira boasts a 30-year history of delivering global events and volunteering in the industry. An avid globetrotter, weight lifter, gardener, writer and lifelong learner, Tahira has recently completed a Master’s degree in Creativity and Change Leadership.