One year in post - by Anna Golden
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1. What has been the standout moment of your first year as chief executive, the moment that made you think, “Yes, this is exactly why I took on this role”?
To be honest there have been a few, it’s been an incredible year, and I have been overwhelmed by the support of the AEO team, Board and members. If I was to pick one stand out moment -it will be the People’s Awards. Just watching and observing such incredible talented rising stars celebrating together, supporting one another and genuinely being joyful! That was a moment of exhaustion, pride and genuine admiration for the warmth and jubilation I witnesses throughout the event.
2. When you stepped into the role, what were the top priorities you set for yourself, and how do you feel you delivered against them over the past year?
I knew I had ‘big shoes to fill’ and conscious that Chris Skeith OBE had steered the AEO ship fantastically well, for over a decade. I was curious to see how the team and the industry would react to someone new coming into the role.
I was also, keen to listen and try and understand where the opportunities for our members, sponsors and partners are; to increase engagement with members, offer more value and stay relevant and connected. Additionally, recognise, support and champion our incredible partners and sponsors.
Our key focus this year has been working on our value proposition -which culminated in some honest feedback, reflection and opportunity. Many of the initiatives in the pipeline will be realised in the New Year although we have launched some new events this year such as the Partnership Summit, Business at Breakfast event (pre AEO Conference) and roundtables.
All have been well received, and we are already working on next year’s calendar of events, training, roundtables and social gatherings. Alongside our Board and Chair, Alison Willis we will be working hard to make the AEO as accessible as possible.
3. Now that you’ve spent a full year inside the Association of Event Organisers, what’s something about the organisation or its members that genuinely surprised you?
I am surprised by the affection that so many have for the association. I think it was summed up beautifully by Rachel Swann at this year’s Excellence Awards when she made her Chair’s speech. The AEO is the catalyst for people in the industry to meet, learn, share and grow – hearing Rachel’s AEO journey and just how pivotal the association had been to her career development and time within the industry was humbling but reflective of many stories I’ve heard.
4. Event organisers have been navigating a lot of change this year, from artificial intelligence and new technologies to shifting customer expectations, economic pressure and skills gaps. From your position leading the Association, what has been the most significant shift you’ve seen members grappling with, and how have you focused on supporting them through it?
AI has been high on the agenda, and I believe we still have some way to go before we are truly embracing AI and seeing the ROI on all the investment that is currently being made and removing the fear factor. We are partnering with Uptake AI to support our members’ AI journeys, training and those all-important dos and don’ts.
M&A still dominates many of the headlines, and the race for global expansion is very real amongst the larger members. Our international dinners covering North America, Middle East and Southeast Asia were extremely popular and well attended. The conversations flowed and were fascinating, reiterating that those markets are top of everyone’s agenda.
5. Future proofing the Association of Event Organisers for the next generation has been a major theme in your first year. Which piece of progress are you most proud of, and how will it improve the experience for members?
What is fundamental to the success of the association is connecting people. We see this across all of our events, the importance of networking. At the 2026 AEO Forums, we will be introducing AEO PeerConnect, which will be a digital platform to help our members connect outside of those diarised touchpoints. It will provide the opportunity for mentoring in the traditional sense and mentoring over a specific need for development or support.
6. You’ve put a stronger focus on clearly demonstrating the value of membership. What changes do you think members have felt the most strongly this year?
Our engagement score has made a massive leap forwards this year and that is due to our focus on engaging with our members and trying to steer them to events, working groups, fam trips, training and roundtables that we think they will genuinely benefit from attending, or participating in.
We’ve also been keen to bring new voices to the table, curate interesting content and encourage other people from within their organisations to get involved, and benefit from this incredible community.
7. This year has included important advocacy work, from pushing for better recognition of business events to meeting with ministers and other decision makers. Which conversation or milestone felt like a real turning point for the industry?
Advocacy at government level continues to be a hard slog, and just when you have built a strong relationship with the relevant civil servant or Member of Parliament, the revolving door kicks in and you have to start all over again.
A key achievement has been securing a Department for Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee hearing, which took place this week. This marked the first real opportunity for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to formally recognise the value of the events industry and to support the growth of both trade and consumer events.
We are championing a National Events Strategy, and I believe we are genuinely starting to gain traction, working in conjunction with the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Events and the Business of Events. Our case studies and examples of ‘what great looks like’ from other international destinations have been pivotal in building support and recognition.
In addition, the work we have initiated with the Department for Business and Trade to secure a Mutual Recognition Agreement with the European Union has also gained momentum. Liaising with our counterpart organisations in the European Union has helped strengthen support for this initiative on both sides of the Channel.
8. Inside the Association, what changes have you made to the culture, processes or ways of working, and why were these important to you?
What was most important to me was stability within the team. With change, there is always a level of nervousness, especially when a team have been so cohesive and successful for many years. Luckily, the AEO team have been open to change, and enthusiastic to share their ideas and thoughts.
Creating an environment to think creatively and support one another and our members is at the core of the team, and preserving, fostering and encouraging this remains my number one priority.
On a practical level, we have had the opportunity to introduce some new benefits, streamlined some processes and empowered the team.
9. The events community is known for its creativity, resilience and willingness to collaborate. What have you learned about the culture of the industry this year that you didn’t fully appreciate before becoming chief executive?
One of my biggest learnings has been the kindness, the support and the generosity from people within the industry, who happily give their time, share their knowledge and expertise- when and where they can.
I’m also impressed by the honesty, and the candidness when talking about successes, failures, dos and don’ts amongst members -even those who are actively in competition with one another.
Members will come together under the AEO banner and genuinely support one another and are interested in what people are up to, not from a manipulative perspective -but one of genuine appreciation and admiration. What they say when they leave the room -well that’s debatable!
10. As you look ahead to your second year, what’s the biggest shift you hope to achieve, whether for the association, the wider industry or your own approach to leadership?
2026 is all about membership engagement and making sure that the value proposition is relevant and fit for the future. We will be focusing on inclusivity and accessibility and making the association a ‘club’ for everyone, at every level.
