AEO - Association of event organisers

About Us

AEO

Welcome from AEO 

Chris Skeith, CEO

At the AEO, we understand what our members want and deliver initiatives that add value. By continuing to work with and represent our members, understanding their shared needs, addressing challenges and developing opportunities we hope to see membership broaden so other event businesses can learn and grow from being part of the AEO community. Our four pillars of Representation, Community, Talent and Insight are what drives us to deliver results that positively impact all levels within our members' organisations. We will continue to improve on our educational aims both in terms of staging excellent content driven events and encouraging young and exciting talent into our industry. Finally, AEO will continue to provide hours of insight and networking opportunities that perfectly balance hard work with fun, let your hair down moments that the industry enjoys so much.
Chris Skeith, CEO

Our Mission Statement

AEO is the voice of the event organising community. It serves the collective needs and promotes the interests of event organisers and the industry at large.

What's important to us?

Our members are important to us. Making sure that we support them and help create opportunities for them to grow and prosper. With this in mind, we focus our attention and resources on areas that our members have highlighted as vital to help them deliver results in their day to day roles and capitalise on opportunities for developing their businesses:

 

AEO Sister Associations

AEO has two sister associations, AEV and ESSA, whose members come from the event venue and supplier communities. AEO works in partnership with its sister associations on a number of initiatives including research, cross association working groups and lobbying. This enables the event community to come together as one voice, responding to a range of opportunities or issues into which all sides of the industry have an important input.  

Association of Event Venues (AEV) is a vibrant, effective and highly professional trade body that serves an established event venue community. 

Event Supplier and Services Association (ESSA) is a trade association representing contractors and suppliers of goods and services to the exhibition industry.  

87

of business directors agree it is easier to communicate face to face than on the phone or email.

80

of directors agree that a person spends more money with people or companies they have met face to face.

69

of attendees go on to recommend brands they have encountered at events.
  • "Broadway Events joined the AEO on the Enterprise Membership. We’ve already taken advantage of the many benefits including the excellent FaceTime Masterclasses and training guides for exhibitors."
    Emma Barrett
    Broadway Events
  • "We are a member of the AEO because it is a proactive association for the events industry. As an organiser it provides us with high value ideas, networking, guidance and information."
    David Harrison
    PPMA Group
  • "This year, the association has led working groups to address industry issues and put on some amazing events full of insightful content for both organisers and, through the AEOs FaceTime initiative, exhibitors. In addition, the AEO has represented the industry at a Governmental level to raise awareness of the importance of events to the UK economy."
    Paul Byrom
    Upper Street Events
  • "I genuinely believe that if you’re involved in organising events you should become a member of the AEO."
    Simon Kimble
    Clarion Events
  • "Our membership of the AEO represents real and tangible value for UBM - it provides fantastic networking opportunities, practical training for our team as well as valuable insight into the state of our industry."
    Simon Parker
    Informa Markets
  • "As an Association business, we appreciate the excellent work the secretariat of the AEO do for our community. From the events side of our business, the AEO provides an excellent return on investment, providing thought leadership, fantastic networking, brilliant awards, excellent research and FaceTime, a valuable tool to tell our markets why exhibitions and events should be an essential part of the marketing mix."
    Neil Felton
    FESPA
  • "AEO’s networking and member meetings are valuable for individuals at all levels within our organisation. The promotion of our sector to the outside world, to government, authorities and business at large is another vital aspect of the AEO’s purpose for members, many of whom, like my company, work on events throughout the world."
    Stephen Brooks
    Mack Brooks Exhibitions
  • “Knowledge is power and the AEO dinners are certainly powerful, there is always a wealth of knowledge at the table. Insightful presentations make for a constructive and extremely social way to learn from the experts who’ve done it before. I attended the Japanese evening and gained really valuable insight about the culture and how best to communicate with a local audience.”
    John Whitaker
    Vice President Marketing, Data & Digital , dmg events
  • "We have the opportunity to contribute positively to the industry as well as gaining valuable insight and advice. There’s no need to spend valuable time and money reinventing the wheel when you have so many experienced professionals in AEO membership to learn from”
    Emma Cartmell
    CHS Group
  • "JOINING THE AEO HAS BEEN FANTASTIC! Being able to gift our customers with free places at the FaceTime masterclasses, learn alongside industry peers and seek advice to common challenges is invaluable”
    Sharon Azam
    GovNet Communications
  • I just wanted to send my most sincere thanks for everything that you and the AEO team are doing to help navigate the events industry through the pandemic. The working groups and communication from the AEO have been excellent and I’m really appreciative of being part of such a wonderful organisation.
    Simon Burns
    ICHF Events
  • I think what the AEO has been doing during this tough time has been exceptional.
    Greg Cherry
    QD Events LTD
  • It is so useful to hear from your peers at this time. Please pass my thanks to Ruth and the BTIG panel
    Dan Assor
    CloserStill Media
  • Just wanted to thank you and Ruth this morning for the Zoom meeting - it was really interesting to hear how things are moving along in the virtual/hybrid meeting/exhibitions. All very new to me, so a lot to digest.
    Maureen Wright
    Optic UK
  • The session this morning was fantastic. We are right in the midst of this and the information was so useful. We can apply it immediately
    Claire Adams
    FESPA

 

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