Event Industry News Podcast

Recorded live at Confex 2026 inside an Evolution Dome, James Dickson sits down with Lefteris Angelidis, CEO and creative director of Visual Architects. They discuss the company’s journey from club and festival theming to a full-service creative production house with manufacturing, 3D, robotics and interior design capabilities. The conversation covers how 3D renders and AI speed creative briefs, the importance of in-house synergy between design and production, sustainability through reusable assets, Manchester roots and international projects, and the logistics and opportunities shaping events today. Find out more about Visual Architects  Thanks to our friends at Evolution Dome for helping make these episodes possible. To keep up to date with all the news, subscribe for free here. If you would like to take part in a podcast, then please complete our submission form.

Recorded live at International Confex 2026 from an Evolution Dome pod, James Dickson interviews Fran Starkie and Joe Chilvers about The Training Department’s new nine-module corporate production management programme. They discuss how the hands-on, modular courses bridge the gap between academic learning and real-world event production, while supporting students and career switchers. The episode covers course structure, industry partnerships, networking opportunities, accreditation plans, and practical realities of event work, plus where to find more information and a discount code (EPS200) at https://thetrainingdept.live/. Thanks to our friends at Evolution Dome for helping make these episodes possible. To keep up to date with all the news, subscribe for free here. If you would like to take part in a podcast, then please complete our submission form.

James Dixon talks with Jenny McNeil, founder of Feast & Fable, about creating immersive, narrative-driven dining experiences that use food as the central storytelling device for brands and events. They cover Jenny’s career path, examples of multi-room and sensory activations, and how sound, scent, performance and context make meals memorable for press, influencers and consumers. Visit https://www.feast-fable.co.uk/ to find out more To keep up to date with all the news, subscribe for free here. If you would like to take part in a podcast, then please complete our submission form.

James Dickson speaks with Jens Nisson, Director & Executive Head Chef at Bubble Food, about translating restaurant techniques to events, crafting narrative-driven menus, and prioritising provenance and sustainability. The episode also explores logistics, front-of-house staffing, street-food influences, staying creatively current, and how Bubble Food delivers standout experiences across venues. Visit https://bubblefood.com/ to learn more. To keep up to date with all the news, subscribe for free here. If you would like to take part in a podcast, then please complete our submission form.

James Dickson is joined by A Greener Future’s Claire O’Neill to talk about GEI18, AGF’s Green Events & Innovations Conference taking place next week on 24th February at Royal Lancaster London. GEI18 is set to be a day of succinct, practical sessions on sustainability in live events covering certifications, power, waste, community impact as much more. Speakers include industry leaders and music-sector partners (Earth Percent), with awards recognising the best green events and venues. The conference blends case studies, deep dives and discussion to help organisers take real steps toward greener, inclusive events. To find out more visit: https://www.agreenerfuture.com/gei To keep up to date with all the news, subscribe for free here. If you would like to take part in a podcast, then please complete our submission form.

James Dickson welcomes event business success coach Nick Oxborrow to kick off 2026 with a candid conversation about his journey from hospitality into events, starting a business in Singapore, and the impact of the 2008 financial crisis. Nick explains why event professionals often struggle to monetise their skills, the importance of financial planning and relationship-building, how tech and AI should support, not replace, human connections, and practical tips for using simple tools like Notes and Excel to run events effectively. To keep up to date with all the news, subscribe for free here. If you would like to take part in a podcast, then please complete our submission form.

James Dixon records live from Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, with guest Goc O'Callaghan — co-founder of ArcTanGent Festival and founder of UBQex. They discuss measuring the "return on experience", real-time metrics, personalisation, imagination poverty, accessibility, and the need to design events around people. The episode offers practical ideas — using apps and algorithms for personalisation, psychographic design, breaking physical content compartments, and balancing ROI with meaningful attendee impact — to help organisers create more engaging, inclusive and future-proof events. Thanks to our friends at Jacobs Massey for their help recording these live podcasts. Find out more about their great work here: https://jacobsmassey.co.uk/ To keep up to date with all the news, subscribe for free here. If you would like to take part in a podcast, then please complete our submission form.

James Dixon sits down at Allianz Stadium in Twickenham with event lead Johanna Byrane to explore the venue's recent refurbishments, new on-site hotel and upgraded conference technology. The episode highlights flexible event spaces, pitch-side experiences including an alfresco auditorium, the World Rugby Museum, and practical advice for planners on collaborating with venues to create memorable events. Thanks to our friends at Jacobs Massey for their help recording these live podcasts. Find out more about their work here: https://jacobsmassey.co.uk/ To keep up to date with all the news, subscribe for free here. If you would like to take part in a podcast, then please complete our submission form.

James Dixon speaks with Penny Banks, Creative Director at GES, about the launch of Show Ready - The Edit, a curated range of four modular exhibition designs (Khan, Luter, Vico, Rho) aimed at the 30–50 sqm exhibition stand sweet spot. The episode covers the product’s circular design principles, recycled materials and integrated LED flooring, plus faster builds, configurable layouts and operational benefits for exhibitors and show organisers.

Recorded at Stream7 to mark Event Industry News’ 15th anniversary, this episode brings together event producers, staffing experts and broadcasters to share real-world stories and practical insights. Guests discuss Wildfire’s show‑stopping props (yes, hovercrafts), the role of temporary staff and people-first culture, and how production teams add value through problem‑solving and client focus. Conversation covers the technical side — live streaming, connectivity and production checks — alongside softer but crucial topics: wellbeing, inclusivity, teamwork and the power of adaptable, multi‑skilled crews. Listen for practical tips, examples of great on-site professionalism, and resources from Event Industry News and Stream7 for anyone involved in planning and running live events. To keep up to date with all the news, subscribe for free here. If you would like to take part in a podcast, then please complete our submission form.

delighted to record this episode in person at the Stream7 studios in Sheffield. Joining us for the conversation was a brilliant panel of Northern-based event professionals, all members of the fantastic NOWIE community: Emily Woods, Marketing at Stream7 Lia Baron, expert in end-to-end event management Hannah Pugh, Freelance Event Manager and AAA 30Under30 Evie Booth, Events & Marketing Freelancer Together, they shared their journeys into the world of events, what they love most about the industry, and how being part of NOWIE has supported their careers and networking opportunities. We explored the importance of transferable skills, the common ground that connects their different paths, and even had a lively discussion about Sheffield’s legendary Tramlines festival. (And yes, we might have asked the big question - who really knows how to use a ratchet strap?) It’s an insightful, fun, and inspiring episode, and we want to give a huge shout out to NOWIE – we’re proud to be corporate members and encourage you to find out more at nowie.org. We can’t wait to check back in with these fantastic women in the future to hear how their journeys continue to unfold. To keep up to date with all the news, subscribe for free here. If you would like to take part in a podcast, then please complete our submission form.

Recorded at Stream7’s Sheffield HQ as part of Event Industry News’ 15th anniversary series, James Dixon sits down with long-time listener and big fan of the podcast, Andy Jeffries. They explore Stream7’s journey from event broadcasting to hybrid solutions, how the team adapted during the pandemic, and their role across live, virtual, and festival productions. The episode dives into working with event platforms, lessons learned from the virtual pivot, the Greenbelt festival project, team growth, and plenty of practical insight into delivering modern AV and streaming for events of every scale. The Stream7 team will be exhibiting at Event Tech Live at Excel, London this November, be sure to meet with them there! To keep up to date with all the news, subscribe for free here. If you would like to take part in a podcast, then please complete our submission form.

In this episode of the Event Industry News podcast, host James Dixon is joined by Matt Pearce, the CEO of Talk2 Media and Events, to delve into the dynamics of the Asia-Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event (AIME 2025). Held in Melbourne, Australia, AIME is recognised as the leading business event in the Asia-Pacific region, drawing in 675 exhibitors from 30 countries and facilitating nearly 20,000 meetings. Exploring the evolution of the event industry with insights into networking, the growing impact of AI, and the shift towards sustainability, this episode demonstrates that AIME is not just a trade show, but a hub of innovation and collaboration in the business events sector.   To keep up to date with all the news, subscribe for free here. If you would like to take part in a podcast, then please complete our submission form.

In this episode of the Event Industry News Podcast, host James Dixon welcomes Carly Gibbs, recently appointed as the Head of Customer Experience at Olympia Events. Carly shares insights into her new role, discussing her extensive background in the events industry and how it shapes her approach to enhancing guest experiences at the iconic London venue. With exciting developments underway at Olympia, Carly explains the shift towards viewing the venue as a comprehensive cultural destination, complete with new music halls, theaters, dining options, and office spaces. She highlights the importance of understanding and catering to diverse customer demographics to create seamless, memorable journeys for everyone who visits Olympia. Carly emphasises the significance of collaboration among various departments and partners to align with the venue's evolving brand identity and customer expectations. Listen in to discover how Carly plans to integrate both modern and heritage elements to elevate Olympia's unique status while ensuring that every interaction with the brand is exceptional.   To keep up to date with all the news, subscribe for free here. If you would like to take part in a podcast, then please complete our submission form.  

Managing director Craig Mathie founded full-service event production agency Project 30 in 2022, after nearly 12 years as MD with Bournemouth 7s Festival.   In conversation with host and friend Adam Parry, Craig gives a detailed background to the thinking, decisions, and numbers that bore Project 30. Not just the want to run his own business but to do things a bit differently, and how that’s paying dividend – Bournemouth 7s, London Marathon and Glastonbury Festival among the Project 30 clients.   A free-flowing conversation, this episode takes in so much - the power of partnership, the currency of authenticity, behaviours the events industry should be challenging or dismantling, and how to choose who to support - by way of examples…   To keep up to date with all the news, subscribe for free here. If you would like to take part in a podcast, then please complete our submission form.

Event strategist and consultant at ElectraLime Marketing, a company she founded in 2009, Lisa Schulteis is also a director of the North West Event Show. Coming to the sector from working as a neuropsychology technician isn’t the most traditional route, but using those skills to analyse show content for optimal brain function, unlocking the secrets of neuroscience in event design, has proved to be an extraordinary asset. This episode sees Lisa reunited with host Adam Parry, who she has worked with at Event Tech Live and Event Sustainability Live, discussing attention spans and how organisers can get people back in the groove. Across a fascinating 40 minutes, Lisa and Adam look at ‘pattern interrupts’, combating the scrolling impulse, gamification, energising audiences after breaks/lunches, and memory mapping. Listen out for examples of events getting it right on one hand, and bad choices, such as over-stimulation, on the other. It’s all here…   To keep up to date with all the news, subscribe for free here. If you would like to take part in a podcast, then please complete our submission form.

Duncan Strain started Silent Noize 16 years ago. A gamechanger. In this episode, Duncan talks host Adam Parry through the journey from promoting Birmingham club nights to hearing about headphones for events from his business partner, launching Silent Noize and the circumstances/breakthroughs that led to the Silent Seminars offshoot some 10 years later. Duncan, and Adam, remember the impact of introducing headphones to an early edition of Event Tech Live, at the Old Truman Brewery, and how the idea has become almost ubiquitous across the model since – at home and, increasingly, abroad. The conversation takes in Goa beaches, Silent Seminars providing for silent yoga and meditation too, event wellness rooms, immersive experiences, cinemas, the spoils of headphones for students and staying in front of wireless earbuds. It covers new partnerships, the challenges running/expanding Silent Seminars, picking the right people, the enormity of the US market, and beyond.   To keep up to date with all the news, subscribe for free here. If you would like to take part in a podcast, then please complete our submission form.

A part of the event industry for as long as he can remember, in some form or other, latterly Chris Carver is co-founder and CEO at Florida-based content/speaker management platform Sessionboard.   Beyond the traditional background detail, Chris’s work with non-profits, the Covid tipping point et al, this episode is a fascinating focus on Sessionboard’s latest element, AI Evaluations.   With questions from host Adam Parry, Chris highlights the artificial intelligence impact on evaluating content workflow and indexing, why he’s introducing AI Evaluations now and how it will/can/is saving organisers’ time.   AI is a revolution in efficiency and accuracy, and in the context of such a finite element of the live event model this conversation combats conspiracists too, Chris stressing, ‘It’s about supporting people not replacing them’. He goes on to highlight safeguards and checks in the Evaluations template, input from the customer advisory group and feedback from the testing phase - getting the views of the many not the few…   A fascinating, truly educational 45-minutes then about the hottest tech topic.   To keep up to date with all the news, subscribe for free here. If you would like to take part in a podcast, then please complete our submission form.

In among the event tech-world for 20 years, working with the likes of Cvent and SwapCard, Kevin Singh launched data integration platform RunMerge little over four months ago. Prompted by host Adam Parry, Kevin, who’s picked a luxuriant backdrop, details his career history before focusing on the here and now. This episode is about the triggers that spurred Kevin and company to develop a solution to the industry’s ‘biggest pain point’, data integration. Getting systems, which can be rooted in their own language, to talk to each other via RunMerge, a behind the scenes translation model. The conversation pushes the platform’s bridge between people/relationships and tech. It details multi-tenant architecture, and how RunMerge can migrate to client clouds for super security, custom connectors, and who are the early adopters… To keep up to date with all the news, subscribe for free here. If you would like to take part in a podcast, then please complete our submission form.

With 40 per cent of an organiser’s time spent ‘chasing exhibitors’ according to a recent Bizzabo study, this episode is about what’s broken, what exhibitors want, and the impact/potential impact of smart technology.    Client director at Ascender Design, Christian Skelton, went on to co-found exhibitor management platform Eventflow in 2022, winning Best Technology Startup at the Event Tech Awards 12 months later. Adam Parry puts the questions, so there is a whole lot of apt experience on both side of the Teams table   In a non-stop 50 minutes the conversation looks at flaws in the onboarding process and the ensuing challenges for exhibitors, why some organisers neglect the problem, black holes, and ways to better management.   Adam and Christian go on to discuss insurance, AI, a world without forms, the Eventflow solution, and much more besides…   To keep up to date with all the news, subscribe for free here. If you would like to take part in a podcast, then please complete our submission form.