AEO names Anna Golden of Olympia Events as new CEO
The Association of Event Organizers (AEO) has named industry veteran Anna Golden as its new CEO from January 2025.
Anna joins AEO after more than two decades at Olympia Events, where she most recently served as commercial director. Read more about it below.
Here are the top headlines for your weekly event news updates:
- AEO names former Olympia Events commercial director Anna Golden as new CEO
- DWTC launches first phase of AED 10 billion DEC expansion plan
- Net Zero Carbon Events to integrate methodology with UN’s green measurement tool
- IEG revenue ending Sep 30 jumps 19.8% to €179.4 million
- Diversified Communications strengthens clean energy portfolio with acquisition
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AEO names former Olympia Events commercial director Anna Golden as new CEO
AEO has appointed Olympia London’s former commercial director Anna Golden as its new CEO, effective January 2025.
Anna joins AEO after serving as a consultant and previously leading commercial operations at Olympia London, where she achieved record-breaking revenue growth and managed the venue’s £1.3bn redevelopment initiative.
At Olympia London, she secured major contracts with the Ideal Home Show and London Book Fair while overseeing the venue’s rebranding campaign.
AEO chair Rachel Swann said: “After a thorough selection process, we are excited to welcome Anna as our new CEO.
“With her extensive industry expertise and excellent reputation, she is the ideal choice.
“We’re confident she will bring fresh ideas and a strong strategic vision to the AEO, driving continued growth and delivering greater value for our members.”
Anna said: “I’ve known the AEO and its community for many years, so the opportunity to lead this important organisation is very exciting.
“I look forward to reconnecting with familiar faces and collaborating closely with the chair, executive committee, team, and members to drive growth and ensure continued relevance.
“With a handover period planned for December, I’m eager to hit the ground running in 2025.”
Anna also co-founded ‘The Grand Plan’ – the venue’s environmental, social and governance program.
She brings more than 20 years of events industry experience to AEO, where she will focus on advocacy and membership growth for UK event organizers.
DWTC launches first phase of AED 10bn DEC expansion plan
Dubai World Trade Centre has launched the first phase of an AED 10bn expansion plan for the Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC) at Expo City Dubai.
The project was approved by UAE Vice President Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in September and aims to create the region’s largest indoor events venue.
The new space will double Dubai’s annual large-scale events capacity to 600 by 2033.
Mahir Julfar, executive vice president at DWTC, said: “The Dubai Exhibition Centre expansion marks a transformative era for Dubai’s MICE sector, solidifying our city’s standing as a global powerhouse for mega events.
“The expanded venue will enable us to double the number of events from 300 to 600 by 2033, setting new international benchmarks for exhibitions and conferences.
“With this state-of-the-art facility, we are building a next-generation venue to meet the evolving demands of the global events industry, reinforcing Dubai’s leadership as the destination of choice for world-class mega events and exhibitions.”
Phase one construction includes 515 foundation piles, 14,000 tonnes of structural steel and 48,000 cubic meters of concrete.
The expansion will add 64,000 square meters (sq m) of permanent exhibition space and 30,000 sq m of temporary halls to the existing 46,000-sq-m facility.
Amer Al Farsi, acting vice president of real estate development at DWTC, said: “The DEC expansion is a pivotal step towards the future of Dubai’s flagship mega exhibitions and events.
“The first phase alone will increase our purpose-built indoor event hosting capacity to 140,000 sq m.
“The venue is designed to elevate both the exhibitor and visitor experience while embedding sustainability into every aspect of its design and operations.
“Beyond its physical footprint, this development serves as a catalyst to redefine the global events industry, with Dubai leading the way.”
The development aligns with Dubai’s 2040 Urban Master Plan, connecting Expo City Dubai with Dubai South and Al Maktoum International Airport.
DWTC expects the expanded venue to triple the MICE sector’s economic contribution to AED 54bn annually by 2033.
The facility will pursue LEED certification from the US Green Building Council.
Net Zero Carbon Events to integrate methodology with UN’s green measurement tool
Net Zero Carbon Events (NZCE) has announced the integration of its measurement methodology with the UN’s Green Events Tool at COP29 in Baku.
The tool, managed by the Gulf Organisation for Research and Development, measures carbon footprint for UN conferences.
The integration follows NZCE’s Industry Roadmap release at COP27 and its Measurement Methodology launch in December 2023.
This collaboration aims to enhance the tool’s capabilities for business events industry measurements.
James Rees, president of the Joint Meetings Industry Council, said: “This is a very exciting development for Net Zero Carbon Events and for the industry.
“It takes our cooperation and integration with the United Nations’ standards on measurement a significant step forward.
“The joint Launch Event at COP29 and the signing of an MoU between both institutions marks a commitment to substantive discussions, paving a pathway to future collaboration.
“Since its inception at COP26 in Glasgow, the Net Zero Carbon Events initiative has made remarkable progress in advancing sustainability practices within the business events industry.
“Thanks to the collective efforts of our community, we have achieved significant clarity on environmental aspects relevant to our sector, clearing the way towards a more sustainable future.”
IEG revenue ending Sep 30 jumps 19.8% to €179.4m
Italian Exhibition Group (IEG) reported revenue of €179.4m for the period ending September 30 2024, marking a 19.8% increase from €149.7m in the previous year.
Key financial highlights:
- Adjusted EBITDA: €42.8m, up 32.5% from €32.3m
- Adjusted EBIT: €30.0m, a 49.4% increase
- Net profit: €21.0m, more than double from €9.6m
- Net financial position: €79.6m, improved by €7.9m year-over-year
The company’s organized events division, representing 57.8% of total revenue, reached €103.6m. Growth was driven by:
- Widespread expansion across all events
- Strong performance of key exhibitions
- Biennial events including Tecna in Italy and Fesqua in Brazil
IEG’s conference business hosted 86 events at venues in Rimini and Vicenza, generating €14.7m in revenue compared to €14.3m from 88 events in the previous year.
The services division showed significant growth with:
- Exhibition services up 31%
- Digital services increasing 29%
Group CEO Corrado Arturo Peraboni said: “The robustness of our business model and our growth are evidenced by a simple fact: in the first nine months of 2024 alone, the company has exceeded all of its pre covid financial results for the entire last year.
“The last quarter will only add value to our result. The performance of the third quarter are higher than expected in our Strategic Plan 2023-2028.
“The period benefited from a more favourable calendar that included the Tecna – International Exhibition of Technologies and Supplies for Surfaces in Italy and Fesqua – Feira Internacional da Industria de Esquadrias in Brazil, events that added to the excellent results achieved in the first part of the year by our core products in the segment of organised events such as VicenzaOro, Sigep and RiminiWellness.”
He added: “The related services segment also performed well in terms of both turnover and margins.
“The investment plan to support the growth of the Strategic Plan is proceeding on schedule, and during the quarter work was completed for the installation of the three temporary pavilions in Vicenza, while in October the two pavilions that will enrich the Rimini exhibition centre up to the construction of the large dome on the west side were completed and will make a further 8,300 square metres available for future events.”
Diversified Communications strengthens clean energy portfolio with acquisition
Diversified Communications has acquired Midwest Solar Expo to expand its clean energy portfolio of trade shows and conferences.
The family-owned media company will integrate Midwest Solar Expo into its Intersolar & Energy Storage North America division, which focuses on solar technology, energy storage and EV charging infrastructure.
The acquisition marks Diversified’s latest move in the renewable energy sector since purchasing Intersolar North America in 2019 and Energy Storage North America in 2020.
Oakley Dyer, corporate VP, strategy & corporate development at Diversified Communications, said: “The addition of Midwest Solar Expo to our Clean Energy portfolio further strengthens our commitment as a company to the renewable energy sector.
“This acquisition was a perfect fit, both strategically and culturally. We are always looking for acquisitions that align not only with the industries that we serve but also our values as a business.
“Diversified is a unique acquirer in the B2B media landscape, as one of the few family-owned companies of scale.
“I think this makes us a great home for sellers looking to find someone to carry on and grow what they have built.”
The company’s clean energy portfolio includes multiple industry events and digital networks: Energy Storage North America, Smart Energy Decisions, Net Zero Forum, Renewable Energy Forum and Intersolar & Energy Storage North America Texas.
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