AEV announces new board members, steering groups

Following its September board meeting, the Association of Event Venues (AEV) has announced three new appointments to the board, namely Max Bull of the Business Design Centre (BDC), Steve Sayer of The O2, and Michael Watton of Farnborough International.

Bull, Sayer and Watton will take the seats on the board that have been vacated by Graham Stephenson, Graeme Jones and Rebecca Kane Burton respectively. Dominic Fleming and Tim Banfield have also vacated their seats whilst Kathryn James remains as treasurer and Nigel Nathan was re-elected. The three new board members join the recently appointed chair, Jeremy Rees of ExCeL London, and vice chair, Dan Thurlow of the Scottish Event Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC).

After the board meeting, Rees welcomed the three new members, saying, “Michael, Steve and Max all bring significant experience and knowledge to the board, and will all be great assets to the association, particularly to the new steering groups we have launched today. Both at the board and within the groups, they will be using their skills and expertise to help develop and deliver the AEV's future objectives.”

The new steering groups will cover areas including conference & events, sales & member benefits, research, website marketing comms & PR, health, safety & security, and technology.

Rees concluded, “At the AEV our objective is provide all our members with the resources, expertise and support they need to achieve their commercial goals and ambitions. With a more focused structure of board engagement through the new steering groups, and three very capable new board members, I believe the association is better placed than ever to meet our members' needs."