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Speakers

AEO Conference 2024

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Alison Willis - Easyfairs - UK & Global

Alison Willis

CEO, Easyfairs - UK & Global

Alison Willis is a visionary leader in the exhibitions and events industry, currently CEO of Easyfairs UK & Global. With over 25 years of experience, she has consistently demonstrated a passion for connecting communities and fostering innovation across diverse sectors.

Alison's career began in exhibition sales, progressing through pivotal roles in event management at Centaur, UBM, and Ascential. Her tenure in these organisations allowed her to gain extensive experience across multiple sectors, including technology, packaging, food festivals, and aesthetic medicine. She has been instrumental in launching numerous events and media platforms, leading diverse portfolios, and focusing on community engagement.

Since joining Easyfairs in 2017, Alison's strategic vision and collaborative leadership have propelled her through the ranks, culminating in her appointment as CEO in 2024. 

In this role, she oversees the UK & Global region of Easyfairs, a dynamic organisation that orchestrates over 150 events across 12 countries and manages eight state-of-the-art venues in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Sweden. Easyfairs is committed to 'easifying' the lives of its customers by delivering outstanding event experiences through time-efficient, customer-focused solutions and advanced technology.

Beyond her corporate responsibilities, Alison is deeply committed to the broader events community. She serves as Vice Chair at the Association of Event Organisers (AEO) and is an active mentor for Women in Exhibitions (WIE), reflecting her dedication to leadership, talent development, and inclusivity within the wider industry.

As a mother to two young daughters, she understands the challenges of balancing a demanding career with family life. She is a passionate advocate for flexible working and well-being in the workplace and serves as a positive role model for working parents striving to achieve harmony between their professional and personal lives.

Sessions

Testimonials

  • The AEO Conference is an important forum because it brings together change makers in the event industry, I'm also looking forward to networking with some great people as well.
    Raphael Sofoluke
    Founder & CEO, UK Black Business Show
  • The AEO Conference has always been a really important forum, it talks about some of the kind of key topics and trends and certainly as I've sort of developed throughout my career it's always topics around mergers and acquisitions or where the industry is going or the pivot to digital it's always given us really good talking points and things to think about.
    Duncan Reid
    CEO & Co-Founder, Reset Connect
  • The conference was a fantastic experience, truly living up to its theme 'Motivate. Innovate. Create.' The speakers were highly engaging and entertaining, offering invaluable insights into key industry topics. Well done, Team AEO!
    Ian Kidson
    Harrogate Convention Centre

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