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Meet our Affiliates

Affiliates promote our venue to contacts in their specific industry sector as a space for meetings, congresses and events. Click your cursor over each image to find out more about our affiliates or download our affiliate toolkit here.

<h2>Alison McRae</h2><p>Alison McRae is the Director of Destination Liverpool for Liverpool City Council. She is responsible for delivering activities which help to improve the city's international competitiveness building on the success of 2008.She has over 18 years experience in economic development; project management; new concept development and marketing in both the public and private sectors.

She also ran her own business Blue Toucan for 8 years delivering projects across tourism and the creative industries including contemporary art exhibitions in Brussels and GlobalScot strategy and inaugural conference development. Alison has also broadcast for BBC Radio Scotland researching and presenting documentary series 'Wealth Creators' featuring top entrepreneurs as well as live shows with Fred Macaulay.</p>

<h2>Clare Ruby</h2><p>Clare Ruby is Director of Operations at IBC, where she oversees the premier annual event for anyone engaged in the creation, management and delivery of entertainment and news content worldwide. She has spent twelve years in the events industry managing a range of events from the
largest healthcare conference and exhibition in England to private networking events with Ministers and ex Prime Ministers to a ski-ing trip for IT executives and venture capitalists.

Her experience spans the private, public and charitable sectors. In her spare time she is an avid outdoor swimmer and she also volunteers for her local community centre, the Albany Centre, in South London, where she mentors other volunteers and gives advices on their events programme.</p>

<h2>David Pendleton</h2><p>David Pendleton is the Business Development Director of Mersey Maritime, the umbrella organisation representing the interests of the 1000 plus maritime companies within the Merseyside region. Prior to joining the company David worked as an International Business evelopment Manager with Corning, a US based technology company and was responsible for negotiating business with major telecommunications carriers across the Europe, Middle East, African and Chinese Markets. David holds a BSc honours degree in Applied Physics from Liverpool John Moores University. David is married and lives in Liverpool with his
wife and three children.</p>

<h2>Dougal Paver</h2><p>Dougal has spent his career in PR consultancy, much of it focused on regeneration-related clients, a key area of expertise. He undertook a management buyout in December 1997 to establish Paver Downes. A second buyout of the agency’s PR division followed in June 2006, leading to the establishment of Paver Smith. The agency is now pushing for market leadership in the north west and is growing strongly. Dougal is a board member of Liverpool’s Chamber of Commerce and is a fundraising patron of Claire House Children’s Hospice.

A key role at Paver Smith is to drive through the company’s innovation agenda and people policies, which so far has encompassed Investors in People, the PRCA’s prestigious Consultancy Management Standard, its training academy and now ISO 14001.</p>

<h2>Eryl Parry</h2><p>Eryl Parry was born in Liverpool into a Welsh-speaking family. Having worked in six cities for John Lewis, including Head Office in London, she returned to her native Liverpool. For the last ten years she has run businesses that have added richly to the city’s conference and tourism offer. For Liverpool Archdiocese, she set up the award-winning Conference Centre at LACE in Sefton Park and the Piazza development at the Metropolitan Cathedral. She now runs the trading company, Liverpool Cathedral Enterprises Ltd which generates income through tourism, retailing and hospitality to maintain free entrance to one of the city’s key landmark buildings. </p>

<h2>Geoffrey Piper</h2><p>Geoffrey Piper is the Chief Executive of the North West Business Leadership Team, an independent group of senior business leaders working together to promote the sustainable economic development and long-term well-being of North West England. As one of the Social Economic and Environmental Partners of the North West Regional Assembly, Geoffrey was the Chair of the North West Regional Review and Scrutiny Committee from 2003 to 2008. Geoffrey was the founder and Chairman of the BOOM initiative (“Business Opportunities on Merseyside”) from 1987 to 1993 and Deputy-Chairman of its successor body, The Mersey Partnership, from 1993 to 2007. He is also currently Chair of the North West’s 2012 Business Forum.</p>

<h2>Ian Ayre</h2><p>Ian Ayre is the Commercial Director and main board director of Liverpool Football Club, and
has over 25 years of experience gained across the Technology, Sport and Media sectors.

In August 2007 Ayre was recruited by Tom Hicks and George Gillette to spearhead the
development of Liverpool Football Club’s commercial operations, a position which he
continues to hold today. Ian is also the non executive Chairman of the Vistor Economy committee for Merseyside and Liverpool City Region.</p>

<h2>Jack Stopforth</h2><p>Jack Stopforth was appointed CEO of the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce and Industry in March 2005, having spent the previous eight years as Managing Director of Cumbria Inward Investment Agency Limited. He was born in Liverpool and held several senior positions in Merseyside between 1978 and 1997, including Chief Economic Adviser to Merseyside County Council and Managing Director of Stopforth Bright Anderson Limited, a leading public affairs consultancy.

Jack attended High School in Liverpool and then was awarded a BA in History and Government from Manchester Polytechnic and a MA in Local Government Management from the University of Kent. He lives with his journalist wife, Carolyn, in Liverpool and the Lake District.</p>

<h2>Jon Kelly</h2><p>Jon has over 14 years experience in the event industry – starting his career managing large scale road shows and sampling campaigns around the UK. Following this Jon moved into the conference, event and live communications field, working with clients such as Clarks, Levis, Wrangler, P&G, Nationwide, Astra Zenica, Per Una, Dunelm Mill & HFMA – To name but a few.

Jon prides himself on having effectively developed and created events that have excited, stimulated and engaged audiences with unique ideas from concept to completion with many of the clients recommending him to their associates. Jon is launching himself onto the Liverpool scene and promises not to disappoint. Liverpool needs a full service agency and one has finally arrived!</p>

<h2>Keith Millard</h2><p>I have been station manager for Virgin Trains in Merseyside and Cheshire for almost 6 years working with Virgin Trains and over-seeing the implementation of new trains and services at Liverpool Lime Street, Runcorn and Warrington Bank Quay and promoting the Virgin Trains Network.

I have been employed on the Railways for 33 years which has seen me undertake many roles which included Guard, Station Supervisor, and Performance Manager at various locations mainly in the North West.
I have many things I enjoy doing in my spare time which include spending time with my grandchildren , motorcycling , writing poetry and overseas holidays</p>

<h2>Ken Pye</h2><p>As Executive Director of Continuing Professional Development and Enterprise Fellow at Liverpool Hope University, Ken brings over 40 years of diverse business and community development experience to the University. In an extensive career Ken has experience in all professional sectors. In parallel with his current role, Ken now delivers a business development programme called The 3-Thinking Programme with The Windmills Foundation. He also facilitates an independent, informal business network known as The Intelligence Network. He is the official historian for Radio City, and also has a weekly local history slot on BBC Radio Merseyside.</p>

<h2>Michael Eakin</h2><p>Michael Eakin took up the position of Chief Executive of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic in October 2008. Michael joined the Phil from Arts Council England, with whom he had been Executive Director North West since 2001. Previously, he was Director of Arts and Leisure for Reading from 1997.

Michael’s initial career was in theatre management, in Hillingdon, West London, and then Reading. He worked for Reading Borough Council as Head of Arts and Theatres, where for several years he ran and programmed the major regional presenting theatre and concert hall, The Hexagon and led the establishment of the UK’s major world music festival, the WOMAD Festival in Reading.</p>

<h2>Michael Foreman</h2><p>Michael Foreman started working in the Congress Industry in 1995 for Kenes Group (Kenes International) in roles including Director of the Registration Dept. In 1999 he relocated to the UK working for a UK based professional conference organisation. Michael has expertise in every aspect of organising from registration through to industry sales, systems implementation and financial control. With an extensive worldwide network of contacts in the Industry, Michael was instrumental in setting up Confab Consulting with his two co-directors in 2003. Michael is now Managing Director of Kenes UK and current Vice Chair of the Association of British Professional Congress Organisers (ABPCO).</p>

<h2>Mike Southon</h2><p>Mike is one of the world’s top business speakers, a Fellow of The Professional Speakers Association. He is a very experienced conference facilitator and moderator, having interviewed over 100 top business people, now featured every Saturday in his Financial Times column, “My Business”. Mike is co-author of several best-selling business books, including The Beermat Entrepreneur and Sales on a Beermat. He is a Visiting Fellow in Innovation and Entrepreneurship at London South Bank University and has made frequent appearances on television and radio. Mike built and sold his own company in the 80s and worked on seventeen different start-ups in the 90s (two later went public, three went broke!). Mike Southon is now the UK’s leading entrepreneur mentor, and delivers over 100 presentations every year, all over the world.</p>

<h2>Nathan Alemany</h2><p>Born of dual British and Spanish Nationalities in Barcelona, Spain, Nathan has worked in the Tourism, Hospitality and events industries for the last 15 years Nathan started his career working in the hotels industry, in operations management and sales and marketing roles for Principal, InterContinental brands and Thistle & Guoman Hotel groups.

He spent 5 years as manager of the Liverpool & Merseyside Convention Bureau, primarily seeking to drive new convention business to the City region and supporting the tourist board’s efforts in Europe. Nathan is now in London with VisitBritain and now heads up the eventBritain unit, part of the Business Visits and Events department, which has a remit of supporting the bidding of major International business, cultural and sporting events.</p>

<h2>Neil Pakey</h2><p>Neil is Deputy CEO of Peel Airports Limited, having been Managing Director of Liverpool John Lennon Airport from 2003 to 2008. Neil held several roles for Manchester Airport plc, particularly in Marketing, Operations and Planning, and has also worked for British Caledonian Airways and Air Seychelles, where he was Director of Marketing and Industry Affairs in the Seychelles. Neil also worked in the aviation unit of the European Commission for a three year period in Brussels from 1991 - 1994 on the EU liberalisation of air transport, and was Chair of the UK Airport Operators Association from 2005 to 2008. Neil chaired the Tourism Board of the Mersey Partnership during Liverpool’s bid for Capital of Culture and is an active participant in various TMP stakeholder forums.</p>

<h2>Robert Harrison</h2><p>With over 20 years in the meetings industry throughout various levels, Rob Harrison now holds the position of Regional Managing Director of Congrex UK & Benelux who have delivered over 140 events in the past year alone equating to over 320,000 delegate days. Rob began his days in the global events and conferences industry firstly as an intern with Congrex in Venezuela, and then by joining the registration team and delivering events for a number of national and international associations and societies. In 2005, he was approached by the Board and CEO of Congrex Group to lead the newly formed Congrex UK offices in London and Glasgow, both of which were new acquisitions by the Group. Rob represents Congrex at ICCA and IAPCO, is a member of MPI and sits
on the Congrex Management Team.</p>

<h2>Robert Johnston</h2><p>After Graduating Liverpool John Moores University with a teaching qualification Rob went on gain a Post Graduate Diploma in Management from the Liverpool Business School. Having worked in the Public, Private and Voluntary sectors throughout the Northwest Rob has consistently achieved through his work around young peoples development. Notable achievements include the Duchy of Lancaster’s Award for Citizenship, The 5 Star Mark for Quality Innovation and Special Achievements and in 2004 brought the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award National Conference to the NW for the first time in the Award’s 48 year History.

Today he is the Director responsible for the NW of England for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, a scheme which is regarded to be the worlds leading personal development programme for young people.</p>

<h2>Steve Smith</h2><p>As Industry Director - ICT for Liverpool Vision, Steve founded Software City, the company, in 2007 to bring entrepreneurs and investors together and his keynote event Software City International is now in its 3rd year. Steve has developed strong international links with the Nordics through a strategic relationship with VeraVenture, Finland’s state Venture Capital organisation and with the USA steering regular trade and investment missions to both geographies.

Steve's previous roles include: GroupTechnical Services Director For Elcom UK Ltd, General Manager of Landis ICT Services Ltd, Founding Director of Comhar (Eire) Ltd, Founding Director of the Lamberhurst Corporation. The majority of these roles have been in an international capacity working across Europe and the USA.</p>

Downloads:

Affiliate ToolkitPDF [1.7Mb].

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