The Event Freelancer Summit - 22nd July 2020 Brought to you by Connektd - Your Freelance community www.theeventfreelancersummit.com www.getconnektd.com Keynote - Where are we as an industry? Simon Hughes - Chair, BVEP Simon Hughes, Chair of BVEP will deliver the keynote address Since May 2012 Simon has run a business consultancy specialising in providing strategic services to the events sector. Previously he spent 10 years as Director of Live Events at COI, where he worked on a number of high profile events for a diverse range of government departments and agencies. He has worked in creative industry management and production roles for over 30 years. He is passionate about getting the end-to-end production process right for live events. He believes that bringing people together to share ideas, learning and experience remains one of the most powerful communication tools available today. Widely recognised by the industry over the years for his varied contribution, he serves on the board of Evcom and is chair of the Business Visits and Events Partnership (BVEP).

The Event Freelancer Summit - 22nd July 2020 Brought to you by Connektd - Your Freelance community www.theeventfreelancersummit.com www.getconnektd.com How do we move forward as an industry? Simon Hughes - Chair, BVEP & Michael Wyrley-Birch - CEO, TRO A conversation between Simon Hughes, Chairman of BVEP and Michael Wyrley-Birch, CEO of TRO discussing how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected the industry and how it can move forward with new strategies and solutions. Simon Hughes​ Since May 2012 Simon has run a business consultancy specialising in providing strategic services to the events sector. Previously he spent 10 years as Director of Live Events at COI, where he worked on a number of high profile events for a diverse range of government departments and agencies. He has worked in creative industry management and production roles for over 30 years. He is passionate about getting the end-to-end production process right for live events. He believes that bringing people together to share ideas, learning and experience remains one of the most powerful communication tools available today. Widely recognised by the industry over the years for his varied contribution, he serves on the board of Evcom and is chair of the Business Visits and Events Partnership (BVEP). Michael Whyrley-Birch Michael is CEO of TRO Group. He has more than 20 years industry experience working across multiple sectors with leading brands including BA, Bacardi, BMW, Google, Lucozade, MINI, Nike, Nissan, Samsung and Volvo to name a few. Michael is personally passionate about the power of human connection and the ability for great experiences to create life long memories. TRO is the Shared Experience Agency. In Person. On line. In Culture. The very best experiences are the ones you can’t help but share – the ones you want to do together, the ones you have to share on social, the ones you know you’ll have in common – shared experiences bring us closer together. TRO was delighted to win The Drum 2018 Experiential Agency of the Year. An award that TRO has received for the past 3 out of 5 years. And in 2019 TRO was awarded the Drum B2C Experience of the Year. TRO is a founding member of the Omnicom Experiential Group www.omceg.com, which is borderless agency working from 29 offices across 15 countries.

The Event Freelancer Summit - 22nd July 2020 Brought to you by Connektd - Your Freelance community www.theeventfreelancersummit.com www.getconnektd.com MICE - What's the Global picture? ILEA UK, Europe, Hong Kong and Middle East The Global Picture. How the events industry is returning to business around the world. A discussion between the Presidents of the ILEA chapters from the UK, Hong Kong and Middle East, with input from the US and Europe. This session is designed to give a snapshot and 'state of the nation' style view of the world. Chaired by Cecilia Lavin, President of the UK chapter The International Live Events Association, ILEA, is a global community of thousands of creative event professionals whose skills, expertise and experience power some of the most recognised and respected live events around the world. ILEA provides education and collaborative networking opportunities that achieve creative event experiences. ​ILEA membership helps you navigate the maze of managing your business and achieving new levels of inspiration. Join ILEA to be welcomed into a global community of accomplished creative events professionals who will help you find your way.

The Event Freelancer Summit - 22nd July 2020 Brought to you by Connektd - Your Freelance community www.theeventfreelancersummit.com www.getconnektd.com How do companies manage their freelancers? Marc Iacono - GM, GPJ Australia, Dawn Dennis - Executive Producer/ Operations Director, Hong Kong Adrian Bell - Executive Director, Action Impact, Dubai Chris MacDonald - Operations Director, Hong Kong The events industry would not function without freelancers, but agencies have always managed their relationships with their freelancers with little long term strategy or business model. It tends to be very ad hoc, a last-minute scramble around the office or several WhatsApp messages to find someone you need, and thats if they're available. Agency owners and senior operations professionals from around the world share their experience of working with freelancers and the methods and tools they use to help them do this Marc Iacono Marc has over 20 years’ experience in developing, managing and executing brand experiences, events and respective sponsorships for corporations, in and out of Australia. He has worked in some of the largest global agencies that are constantly striving to push the envelope creatively and still deliver flawlessly, which is what he personally thrives on. These agencies have included; Jack Morton Worldwide, George P. Johnson and Momentum Worldwide and are best-in-class for events, sponsorship activity and brand experiences. Working in an agency environment ensures that the task at hand is always centred on delivering measurable results for the customer. Dawn Dennis Adrian Bell Adrian is fascinated by audiences. How you get attention, keep it, and create live experiences that are compelling and memorable. He's spent all his working life in creative communications – from an early background in theatre lighting, to jobs in some of the world’s leading production companies Action Impact is one of the leading brand experience agencies in the Middle East. Every project is exciting – whether it’s for FIFA, Expo 2020, The United Nations, Google, or IBM, each is a challenge. ​ Chris MacDonald Chris has over 20 years experiential marketing experience leading B2B and B2C programs for some of the world’s leading brands (such as American Express, HSBC, Marriott International, Manulife) in the UK, Australia and key Asian markets such as Hong Kong, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, Japan, Korea and China. He drives and leas teams to deliver exceptional programs that cultivate creativity and passion, whilst keeping a steady eye on deliverables and business objectives ​

The Event Freelancer Summit - 22nd July 2020 Brought to you by Connektd - Your Freelance community www.theeventfreelancersummit.com www.getconnektd.com How do I raise my profile as a freelancer and build my client base? Samantha Salisbury - Event Manager & Lecturer in Events Kim Gerard - Head of Production, GPJ Australia & NZ Simon Burton - CEO, Exposure Communications ​So often freelancers come into this industry as a vocation, either through someone they know or simply by a chance meeting and over the years, event by event, become experts in a unique sector of the industry. With little support to help you navigate through the management chain of an agency and into new areas of the industry it can be easy to stay in your comfort zone, wait for the work to come to you and for you to avoid developing a professional profile. This session covers the importance of presenting yourself as a business and thinking like one, top tips to build your network and becoming the go-to resource for your clients in their hour of need. This is your time to shine and to raise your PR game. Samantha Salisbury Samantha Salisbury has more than 20 years’ experience managing events all over the world. Sector experience includes sport, academia, pharmaceuticals, banking, public sector, and weddings. In 2006 Samantha returned to the UK after some time spent working in Australia and set up a wedding planning business, based in Cambridge, specialising in large multicultural weddings. This business developed into Jonsam Events Ltd which organises academic conferences and corporate events for a portfolio of high-profile clients in the Cambridge and surrounding area. Samantha runs a Facebook Group – “Get Ahead in Events” full of free tips and tricks to help ambitious individuals looking to get their first events management role or further their current career in events management. Since the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the events industry, Samantha has been running virtual events to give events professionals practical actions they can take. She also offers Events Career Strategy Sessions on a 121 basis and regularly speaks on topics such as elevating your events career and raising your profile in the events industry. Kim Gerard Kim was, until recently, Head of Production at GPJ Australia & New Zealand. Simon Burton Simon is a serial entrepreneur in the event industry, having successful launched and sold events in the worlds of media, clean tech, events and social media. He is a widely recognised as a champion for the power of face-to-face marketing, social media and story-telling through events. His work in the event industry includes trade shows, awards, conferences and networking events as well as a best-selling book – The Event Professionals Handbook. He is a founder of the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, Charity Film Awards, Football Business Awards and the Citizen Event networking club. He has an extensive global network of contacts and business partners in the event industry and holds several no-executive positions. In his leisure time he can be found being miserable about Arsenal, drinking red wine (unrelated to the Arsenal situation), walking in the English Countryside, reading books, watching films and gaming on his PS4.

The Event Freelancer Summit - 22nd July 2020 Brought to you by Connektd - Your Freelance community www.theeventfreelancersummit.com www.getconnektd.com How do I use social media to get noticed? Kitty Newman, Director, Trapeze Media Kitty Newman, Director @ Trapeze Media talks about the importance of using social channels to promote yourself, which ones you should focus on and some tips on how to do it. "Trapeze Media is an innovative and driven company with the strengths and skills to develop your content & advertising strategy to drive sales through social media. We will help take your business higher. We have a strong affinity working within the hospitality sector; restaurants, bars hotels and catering. Having worked with Searcys, HIX Restaurants and Caprice Holdings. We deliver on our client’s objectives and understand the importance of the bottom line. Social media marketing spans brand awareness to targeted conversion and lead generation. Whether you’re a start up looking to start to build your tribe online or a blue chip organisation looking to reconnect with your audience we can work with you to achieve your objectives through social"

The Event Freelancer Summit - 22nd July 2020 Brought to you by Connektd - Your Freelance community www.theeventfreelancersummit.com www.getconnektd.com Insurance - What do I need? Luke Perkins, Create Insurance What insurances do you need as a freelancer in the events industry, and how much? Everyone knows about Public Liability, but what does it cover? Do you need Professional Indemnity and why? Create Insurance specialise in cover for creative freelancers and will talk about all these things and more. The content in this session will be UK- focussed, however will be useful in giving some insight for those outside the UK

The Event Freelancer Summit - 22nd July 2020 Brought to you by Connektd - Your Freelance community www.theeventfreelancersummit.com www.getconnektd.com How should I run my freelance business? Lucy Cohen, Mazuma Money Sole Trader? Limited Company? Umbrella Company? There are many ways to run your freelance business, but what is the best for you? Lucy from Mazuma talks about the various options and the pros and cons of each Mazuma was founded in 2006 by childhood friends, Lucy Cohen and Sophie Hughes. As qualified accountants, the pair spotted a gap in the market for low cost and stress-free accountancy services. Fast forward to today and the company is the UK’s leading provider of online accounting for small and micro businesses in the UK! The content in this session will be UK- focussed, however will be useful in giving some insight for those outside the UK

The Event Freelancer Summit - 22nd July 2020 Brought to you by Connektd - Your Freelance community www.theeventfreelancersummit.com www.getconnektd.com Are you prepared for new normal? Expanding your skills Madeleine Johnson - Event Director/ Campaign Director, Charity Film Awards, UK Angie Choi - Freelance Show Producer/ Show-caller, Hong Kong Gareth Tomlinson, Director, FourImpact, UK Our panel will talk about new challenges they have been presented with this year and how they have pivoted to running events virtually. They reveal some important lessons to be applied and giveaway some of the pitfalls you need to be aware of. The presenters also talk about the need for producers to continue to learn new skills, develop a stronger understanding of IT, networks and connectivity, understand digital content and of course now be able to transition their skills to webinars and virtual meetings. Every day is a school day in the life of a producer. ​ Madeleine Johnson Angie Choi Gareth Tomlinson After starting his career with HP:ICM, Gareth, along with Susie Evans, co-founded the corporate conferencing specialists, fourimpact, back in 2003. With an in-house focus on project management and client service, fourimpact have always leveraged their trusted network of freelance talent to deliver. With a passion for performance and a keen analytical eye, Gareth always strives to deliver maximum impact while ensuring value for the client and their stakeholders. Outside of events, Gareth is a keen adventure runner and loves a good movie. He hopes to return to both soon! Recently Gareth led a multi-agency effort to produce a pan-European “Digital Experience” sales event for a major tech sector client, including 6 x live keynotes and over 30 hours of on-demand content. He will be joining us to share some insights into bridging the worlds of broadcast and conferencing.

How the industry needs to change to meet the needs of freelancers Martin Fullard, Editorial Director, Mash Media Caroline Jackson, Event Consultant & Educator A discussion between Martin Fullard, Editor of Mash Media and Caroline Jackson, Event Consultant & Educator, talking about current event industry structures, policies, trends, and associations supporting the people, talent, and skills that make up the industry. Martin Fullard Award-winning, experienced web and print editor and video presenter across news, sport, business events, technology, lifestyle and automotive sectors, with demonstrable experience of high-profile website building and management, including social media. Currently Editor, Video Presenter & Producer at Conference News, Mash TV and Conference & Meetings World - part of the Mash Media Group. Winner: Brand Ambassador of the Year, Mash Media, 2019 Winner: Best Use of Digital for Meetings & Events, Business Travel Journalism Awards 2018 Winner: Supplement of the Year, Business Travel Journalism Awards 2017 Winner: Best Contribution to a Product (Conference News), Mash Media AGM, May 2017 Winner: Best Digital Product (Euro 2016 website and video series), Gulf News Editorial Awards, July 2016 Caroline Jackson Caroline has been a Vice Chair of BVEP since 2016, and is passionate about advancing the profile and performance of the valuable people within the events sector. She was an integral part of the Events Industry Board Talent Task Force (2018-19), which assessed the skills, talent and HR processes across the events industry, with the objective of helping the events industry develop a sustainable, competitive, highly skilled workforce. Caroline has also contributed to the ‘people’ content of the past and upcoming BVEP Events are GREAT reports.

The Event Freelancer Summit - 22nd July 2020 Brought to you by Connektd - Your Freelance community www.theeventfreelancersummit.com www.getconnektd.com My first steps in the industry Priya Narain - Co-Founder, Event First Steps Grace Nelson, Jordan Lewis-Pryde, Benedicta Asante Coming into the industry for the first time, either from an event management studies background or fresh from another industry is an eye-opening experience. 4 new starters to the industry share their experiences and talk about how reality differs from the textbook. Event First Steps The Event First Steps initiative works to help industry newcomers of all ages and abilities to build their networks, learn from industry heavyweights and forge their own career path. It was formed when the co-founders discovered, through personal experience, that that the gap between what is taught and what it is like to work in the events industry is huge. They understood that taking the first steps in the events sector is daunting no matter age or previous experience and wanted to do something to change that through creating a community of like-minded people. Priya Narain After a career in the travel industry Priya made the transition into the world of events, primarily in sales, where she is currently the sales manager for an event catering company. Priya is one of the co-founders of Event First Steps which is an industry initiative aimed at encouraging newcomers to the industry to find their own career path. As a collective they are passionate about routes into the industry, visibility of the entire industry and diversity. ​ Grace Nelson Grace is currently the Events and Marketing coordinator for a London based company. Grace has been working within this role since the beginning of the year, after graduating from Manchester Metropolitan University in 2019 with a degree in Events Management. During her time at University, Grace continued to stay pro-active within the industry by completing a placement overseas in the United States and working part time within an events function team during her final year in Manchester. Now that Grace has been furloughed, she has used her time productively to publish her own blog, grow her social media platforms within the events industry and has inspired recent graduates from her own University. Benedicta Asante Benedicta is a recent graduate and venue sourcing specialist at American Express Global Business Travel. She has been in the events industry in both professional and freelance roles for 6 years. Benedicta is passionate about community and empowering young professionals across the globe. ​ Jordan Lewis-Pryde With a First-Class BA (Hons) in Tourism and Events Management from University of Westminster, Jordan is an experienced Event Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the events and music industry. From working in major stadiums across London to working in the wedding industry at the Royal Botanical Gardens of Kew, she has been committing the last 4 years to Ministry of Sound working on both corporate events and live music events. She has also been involved with the development of transforming the brand to Ministry Venues whereby an additional 3 venues were acquired in order to become both a venue consortium and events management agency.

The Event Freelancer Summit - 22nd July 2020 Brought to you by Connektd - Your Freelance community www.theeventfreelancersummit.com www.getconnektd.com How can I look after my mental health? Laura Capell-Abra, Stress Matters Laura Capell-Abra from Stress Matters will run an interactive session with tips and advice on managing your mental health, not just during this difficult time, but also when things return Laura Capell-Abra Founder of coaching company, No More Ifs Or Buts and workplace wellbeing organisation, Stress Matters; Laura believes that Success doesn’t have to be Stressful and is a public speaker on the topic of stress management and workplace wellbeing. As a business and career coach, working with teams from apprentice level up to C-suite. Helping individuals and teams identify and achieve their goals from soft skills development to M&A. Laura previously ran marketing events agency, Sledge Ltd and is well-versed in the pressures for senior management. Her work as a Lecturer at the University of Hertfordshire and as a trainer on an apprenticeship programme, has also allowed her to develop a good understanding of the lives of juniors entering industry. Being recognised in awards such as the top 35 under 35 list and being voted number 36 in the Event Top 100, plus being commissioned to write a For Dummies guide, Laura has the ability to translate complex subjects into accessible and fun content.

The Event Freelancer Summit - 22nd July 2020 Brought to you by Connektd - Your Freelance community www.theeventfreelancersummit.com www.getconnektd.com How can I develop my career? Caroline Jackson, Event Consultant & Educator - Chair David Preston- CEO, Realise Claire Derrick - Principal & Founding Director, Event Academy A session on the growth of formal training certification for the events industry. A session looking at how the current wave of graduates are likely to develop careers and how people with experience can develop new skills and new career opportunities through the growth of education and training programmes designed for the events industry. Caroline Jackson Caroline has been a Vice Chair of BVEP since 2016, and is passionate about advancing the profile and performance of the valuable people within the events sector. She was an integral part of the Events Industry Board Talent Task Force (2018-19), which assessed the skills, talent and HR processes across the events industry, with the objective of helping the events industry develop a sustainable, competitive, highly skilled workforce. Caroline has also contributed to the ‘people’ content of the past and upcoming BVEP Events are GREAT reports. ​ David Preston CEO - Realise, Director of Education @MPI UK&I, Committee Member - Diversity Ally "Realise is a specialist event services and training agency, combining our experience in the world of global events with our knowledge of learning and development. We focus only on the events industry, combining our experience as practitioners in the events industry with the world of training and education. This gives us a unique ability to deliver up to date training based on current event experience. Event organisations large and small use the Realise offering of coaching and mentoring to develop their people and their organisations. We also offer innovative business growth, marketing and PR support to some of the world’s most exciting and innovative event suppliers, delivering campaigns that drive real business results. Realise also provides quality personnel to deliver exceptional onsite registration service for organisers of events on every continent" Claire Derrick Claire Derrick is the Director of Education at Event Academy. She has over 15 years of experience in the events sector in hands-on and strategic management roles. Claire studied at The University of Greenwich and New Hampshire College, Massachusetts, USA, attaining a degree in International Business & Marketing and a Diploma from the Chartered Institute of Marketing. Now a member of the Association of Event Managers, Claire is also a contributing journalist for the London & UK Datebook. Claire has worked in an event management or consultancy capacity for clients in the USA, UK, Europe, China, Peru, Israel, Nepal and Vietnam.

The Event Freelancer Summit - 22nd July 2020 Brought to you by Connektd - Your Freelance community www.theeventfreelancersummit.com www.getconnektd.com Sustainability in Events Livvy Drake, Sustainable Sidekicks Anna Abdelnoor, Sustainability Consultant The events industry does not rate highly in terms of looking after the environment. Livvy Drake and Anna Abdelnoor talk to us about what they are doing to help agencies and clients improve their environmental credentials and make the world a better place Livvy Drake Livvy provides consultancy support on sustainability and waste issues using the principles of circular economy, behaviour change and systems thinking. "I am excited about the opportunities for change being presented by the Blue Planet effect and eager to work with organisations to redesign their products and services. Plastics and the bio-alternatives are a specialist subject area. I love investigating waste issues and checking the credentials of new products and services that present as the 'new solution', so if you have a query about the claims of a material or a coffee cup- get in touch." Anna Abdelnoor Having worked as an Event Producer with some of the UK's biggest agencies on large scale events for global companies. Anna recently transitioned into sustainability and has developed a number of resources to support the standardisation of event sustainability measurement and methodology across the sector. She is currently working on launching a nationwide project to support the event industry transition to the future normal by prioritising sustainability in the Covid recovery. Using knowledge gained as a producer, Anna has created a suite of tools which enable event organisers to track and manage the environmental impact of their events. These tools and resources include the Four Pillars Scoring System - Organisers can score their methodology and approach across Energy, Catering, Travel & Transport and Production. The score demonstrates that procedures are (or are not) in place to reduce the environmental impact of event activity. Organisers can quickly review and assess their supply chains against their performance in these four areas.

The Event Freelancer Summit - 22nd July 2020 Brought to you by Connektd - Your Freelance community www.theeventfreelancersummit.com www.getconnektd.com How's it looking in other industries? Anna Robb, Theatre Art Life Danny Fenton, Zig Zag Productions Gareth Ellis-Unwin, Screen Skills The events industry has been severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, but how has this affected other industries similar to ours? We hear from professionals working in the film, theatre and TV industries on how it has affected them and what they are doing to get back to business Anna Robb Co-Founder Of TheatreArtLife.com, Producer, Production Stage Manager, Show Caller Anna is an experienced Producer / Production Stage Manager / Show Caller with a demonstrated history of working in the entertainment industry. Skilled in Production Management, Show Calling, Resident Show Management and Show Production. Work history spans Asia Pacific, the Americas, the Middle East and Europe. Danny Fenton Danny founded Zig Zag in 1999 and has established the company as an innovative transatlantic television production company, respected for its eclectic approach to over 700 hours of programme making. The company is one of the largest remaining truly independent UK production companies. Prior to Zig Zag Danny began his career at the BBC and spent a brief time working with a number of UK production companies. Danny is renowned in the international TV industry not only as a pioneer of audacious ideas, but he has a strong track record of unearthing new TV talent. Recent discoveries include magicians Dynamo and Troy and adventurer Richard Parks, whom he has taken to international audiences. Danny is executive producer on all Zig Zag productions. Recent shows he has created include ‘I Wanna Marry Harry’ for Fox, ‘Scam City’ and ‘Apocalypse 101’ for National Geographic, ‘Troy’ for Channel 4 and ‘Xtreme Endurance: Race to the Pole’ for Channel 5. Other recent hit productions include ‘Body Bizarre’ for Discovery, ‘Split Second’ for Nickleodeon and ‘Ultimate Brain’ for CBBC. Danny is a regular speaker at a major industry conferences, judge for several industry awards and a commentator in the international trade media. Gareth Ellis-Unwin Gareth is the Head of Film and Animation at ScreenSkills, the industry-led skills body for the UK's screen-based creative industries. He is leading on delivering the BFI’s action plan, Future Film Skills, and also manages the Film Skills Fund (formerly known as the film levy). Gareth was previously co-founder and CEO of multi-award-winning Bedlam Productions, which was formed in 2000. He was producer of the critically acclaimed The King’s Speech, the highest grossing British independent film to date, which won four Academy Awards including Best Film and seven BAFTAs, including Best Film and Outstanding British Film. His other credits as producer include Zaytoun, BAFTA-nominated British war film Kajaki: The True Story and Exam, which was also nominated for a BAFTA and won Spirit and Dinard awards. His most recent film, Steel Country, starring Andrew Scott and Denise Gough, was released in Spring 2019. Gareth remains involved with Bedlam’s current projects as a non-executive director of the company.

The Event Freelancer Summit - 22nd July 2020 Brought to you by Connektd - Your Freelance community www.theeventfreelancersummit.com www.getconnektd.com How will events run in a Covid-19 environment? Andy Lenthall, Production Services Association (PSA) Jim Winship, Event Industry Forum (EIF) Rob Haworth, Event Safety Plan New guidelines have been developed for the industry and are in the process of being approved and and announced by the Government. These are key to how events and exhibitions will be delivered for the foreseeable future The panel will discuss these new guidelines and how they can be implemented Andy Lenthall Andy Lenthall is the General Manager of the Production Services Association (PSA) as well as a director of Mondiale Publishing’s Technology Division which is responsible for magazines such as Mondo and TPi (which Andy co-founded) as well as the TPi Awards, the UK Festival Awards and Conference, and the European Festival Awards. The PSA enjoys close dialogue with Government and its agencies, has helped devise an industry-specific insurance scheme, developed the Safety Passport Scheme that has delivered over 10,000 courses in basic safety knowledge, and has consulted with government agencies on matters as diverse as health and safety, apprenticeship development, employment status and spectrum management.. ​ Jim Winship Jim is Secretary of the Event Industry Forum, and focuses on representing industry groups across a range of areas, including lobbying government, as well as publishing magazine and organising events, including the British Firework Championships which is now the biggest annual event in the South West. ​ Rob Haworth Rob is an experienced Production & Logistics Event Manager specialising in Conferences, Conventions, Festivals, Concerts and Social Action Events. Event Safety Plan is an online tool to help you write and manage your event safety planning. Try a 14 day free trial to see how it could make your safety planning easier and more efficient.

The Event Freelancer Summit - 22nd July 2020 Brought to you by Connektd - Your Freelance community www.theeventfreelancersummit.com www.getconnektd.com What's new in virtual events? Chris Burke, Creative Technology A unique session with insights into the current trends and technology solutions and services on offer by Creative Technology, one of the leading audio visual companies in the world. Chris Burke Chris is the Managing Director of Creative Technology (CT) Asia Pacific and is responsible for overseeing all work in the Asia Pacific locations, with offices in Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore and Shanghai. Chris has been with the company for 10 years, first joining CT as Project Director of Asia in 2009. In 2015, he was promoted to Managing Director of the Hong Kong & Singapore offices. Two years later, he became Managing Director of CT Asia Pacific in 2017. Before joining NEP, Chris worked at two of the worlds leading event marketing agencies; the first being George P. Johnson, where he was Technical Director in London from 2000 to 2005 and then Jack Morton Worldwide where he was Production Director in Hong Kong from 2005 to 2009. Throughout his career, Chris has had the unique experience of delivering projects from both the agency and technical production/contractor sides.

The Event Freelancer Summit - 22nd July 2020 Brought to you by Connektd - Your Freelance community www.theeventfreelancersummit.com www.getconnektd.com A light in the darkness. How have we come together as an industry? Gary White, Tom Rees, Samantha Lee, Richard Kirk, Sarah Webster, Chuck Crampton, Kenny Underwood - representing The Make it Blue Collective The last session of the day is about one of the good news stories the industry during the Covid-19 pandemic. “Members of The #MakeItBlue Collective describe an initiative that was created as a way to thank medical and frontline workers during the pandemic. In the space of just four months, it has evolved to become a global movement with a dedicated mental health mission. The role of freelance specialists all working on a voluntary basis to make this happen, and sharing the desire to create a lasting legacy, will be of particular significance to today’s Summit.” The Make it Blue Collective Gary White, team leader of the Make It Blue Collective, which created #LightItBlue, said: “When the events and entertainment industry initially found itself without work due to COVID-19, we wanted to harness our collective skills to thank both the NHS and key workers during this pandemic. “We’re delighted to have been asked to support NHS staff by turning the UK skyline blue in what promises to be a great expression of national unity.” Prerana Issar, chief people officer for NHS England, added: “The support the NHS has received from the public during this pandemic has been truly overwhelming, and the Light It Blue campaign is a great way to celebrate the 1.5 million NHS staff and volunteers who have worked tirelessly during the past few months to help patients and their families.”