More and more event niches are being disrupted – often by the incumbent market leader – by formats and business models that are built on customer outcomes, not features.
1-2-1 matchmaking
Integrated live / digital communities and marketing services
Membership groups (sponsored and member-funded)
Data, consulting and research-led programmes and propositions.
For independent events business owners and leaders, this disruption presents a big opportunity, but also potentially significant risks and investment costs. Done right, however, they can have a profound impact on outcomes.
The More than an Event webinar is for Founders, CEOs and owners of independent events companies. Watch the webinar on demand to better understand why investors value these models; how they’re valued; how to scope and validate them; and how long they realistically take to implement.
Lisa Hannant, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Clarion Events
Elisabeth Mork-Eidem, Managing Director, Communications and events, AgriBriefing
Debra Chipman, VP, North America, Collingwood Advisory
Speakers
Karin Hausmann, Senior Adviser, Collingwood Advisory
Karin is a strategic marketing leader with over 15 years’ experience across the subscriptions, media and events industries. Karin started her marketing career working for global intelligence and event businesses including marcusevans, Reed Business Information and Ascential. She joined Hyve Group (formerly ITE) as part of the Transformation & Growth Program where she was responsible for introducing and leading two new marketing functions across the UK, Russia, Turkey, and China.
She then led the marketing team at Hyve where she also oversaw the launch of a B2B trading platform and their virtual event series. Karin now works with B2B and B2C clients, from Bitcoin and SaaS start-ups to mature events businesses, to build and improve their marketing teams, processes, and strategies.
Lisa Hannant, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Clarion Events
Lisa joined Clarion in 2008 and since joining has been part of the senior management team that has led and delivered a strategy of expansive growth, diversifying the Clarion business and portfolio mix substantially in recent years.
Lisa joined the Board and was appointed Group Managing Director in 2013, and become CEO in 2022. With over 30 years’ industry experience working across a broad range of sectors and international markets, Lisa has extensive experience of building market leading brands and positions, both organically and through acquisition and also across a wide range of customer driven formats including large scale live events and digital products.
Prior to joining Clarion, Lisa held a number of senior management positions within the exhibition and conference industry and was integral to the success of two start-up businesses that were later successfully acquired by major UK organisers
Lisa also serves on a number of industry boards, including UFI, SISO, and the AEO.
Elisabeth Mork-Eidem, Managing Director, Communications and Events, AgriBriefing
Elisabeth is a highly experienced events professional with over 20 years of expertise in the industry. Currently, she serves as the Managing Director of Global Communications and Events at AgriBriefing, where she leads the event strategy to support the subscription business, and establish the brands as thought leaders in the industry.
Elisabeth launched the Women in Food and Agriculture campaign in 2019, involving key stakeholders in the agribusiness sector as supporters, creating a real advocacy piece for Agribriefing and the industry as a whole.
With an impressive track record of building successful event and marketing communications businesses, diversifying revenue, and driving profits, Elisabeth is a proven leader with a passion for creating outstanding event experiences that drive business growth and industry impact.
Debra Chipman, VP, North America, Collingwood Advisory
Debra is an entrepreneur and C-suite executive with deep expertise blending strategy, digital transformation, M&A, and operational skill sets in private and public B2B events businesses. She has been a founder, a buyer and a seller of event companies. Debra began her B2B events career at the privately held Institute for International Research (IIR), culminating in her role as CEO of U.S. Events. In her tenure at IIR, Debra transformed event formats, business models, revenue streams, all while scaling from ~120 to ~500 events annually. She also served on the executive committee that oversaw the preparation for and eventual sale of IIR to Informa in 2005.
Debra stayed on at Informa as the President of Global Life Sciences, where she continued to grow the company organically and through acquisitions, including the purchases of Prepaid Expo in 2007, European Business Development (EBD) Group in 2013 and Boston Biotech Conferences in 2015.
Piers is an entrepreneur and investor who has built and sold his own media businesses, and who has worked on M&A for major buyers, both as CEO and consultant. Piers Bearne is an entrepreneur and investor who has built and sold his own media businesses, and who has worked on M&A for major buyers, both as CEO and consultant.
Piers sold his first exhibition business, Rock Media, to Imago Group in 2006. As CEO of Clarion Conferences, he was involved in the sale of Clarion to VSS in 2008. More recently, he sold Tank World Expo to ArtexisEasyfairs, led the sale of TowerXchange to Euromoney and sold SmartRail World to DVV Media International.
As Chairman and shareholder with GFC Media Group, Global Transport Forum, Bio-Based World and World Retail Insights, he works on strategy, resourcing, sales maximisation and value creation in conferences, exhibitions, digital communities and intelligence reports, and co-hosts the Media Entrepreneur Meetup group.
Piers previously worked on off-market acquisitions for Clarion Events, ITE Group plc and i2i Events Group (now Ascential plc). He has presented target acquisitions to CEOs and Boards, and understands the value drivers and risks from a buyer’s point of view. Through Bio-Based World, he led the acquisition of World Bio Markets from GreenPower Conferences.
Karin Hausmann, Senior Adviser, Collingwood Advisory
Lisa Hannant, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Clarion Events
Elisabeth Mork-Eidem, Managing Director, Communications and Events, AgriBriefing
Debra Chipman, VP, North America, Collingwood Advisory
Piers Bearne, Founder, Collingwood Advisory (moderator)