Call me: +44 (0)1293 608755

E-mail me: ken@activateevents.com

Formerly head of travel & events with a major global pharmaceutical company, Ken has over 20 years event management experience during which he has personally produced a wide range of events involving as many as 1500 delegates around the globe. Ken’s particular expertise lies in event strategy, content development and delegate engagement, helping clients to identify exactly how their events can communicate creatively and effectively with their audience so that they feel valued, inspired and enthused.

Ken thinks that “we really should be called master blenders! We’re always aiming for the perfect blend: a great venue, in a great location, with great content which makes our delegates go ‘Wow! I didn’t expect that!’” And at Activate we’re always perfecting the recipes for total event success.

Call me: +44 (0)1293 608751

E-mail me: paul@activateevents.com

Paul has been in the events industry for 25 years as an owner and director of both his own business and as a managing director of a mid sized PLC. Activate is a return to roots for Paul.

In 2011 he brought together the core of a terrific live events team and injected it with a purposeful direction. The past few years have seen the Activate team grow significantly into a successful business with an excellent track record in delivering seamless, meticulously organized events, with flair, versatility and a creative edge.

“Activate has flourished as a business because its service levels are second to none and because the entire Activate team are motivated, enthusiastic professionals with the experience and drive required to deliver live events at a the highest level.”

Call me: +44 (0)1293 608750

E-mail me: louisa.ritchie@activateevents.com

In Louisa, we have the face of client relationships in our team and a calm, extremely experienced and talented event professional who has supported client businesses and organisations in a client services capacity at global level, during a career spanning 20 years.

Louisa is a joy to be around as, in her own words, she is “empathetic, self-motivated and passionate about building relationships.” A true collaborator and communicator at heart, Louisa thrives working with teams to help them achieve their business results.

At Activate, Louisa enjoys flying the team colours at various industry events, supporting our business development work and helping nurture a growth mindset across the team.

Call me: +44 (0)1293 608750

E-mail me: ioana@activateevents.com

Ioana is a growth marketing and personal branding specialist, with a 20-year career which started in Tokyo and continued in Bucharest, London and Frankfurt.

Through her work, Ioana supports international businesses and professionals with their brand identity, body of work, and growth strategies. Ioana is PMP and CIM-certified, a contributor to the think tank ‘Japan Creative Enterprise’, a speaker and panellist at University of Warwick, and a speaker and member of the Project Management Institute, UK.

Ioana’s partnership with Activate goes back to our earliest days when the business was founded in 2012 and it continues to evolve through support across our social media and marketing communications, creative design and joint public speaking engagements with the Activate Leadership Team.

Call me: +44 (0)1293 608753

E-mail me: liz@activateevents.com

Liz is a driven and passionate Account Director who will get the job done for you. Having worked in Medical Communications for the Pharmaceutical Industry, Liz has the compliance knowledge to ensure your event will tick all the required boxes. With experience of the rules, but with her flare for creativity and knowing how to engage an audience, Liz is the person you need managing your event.

Being professional and personable enables her to work closely with the client, strengthening relationships and giving the confidence and reassurance the team will deliver an exceptional event.

Call me: +44 (0)1293 608754

E-mail me: amanda@activateevents.com

Amanda has over 13 years of event management experience, encompassing a wide variety of event types around the world, for as many as 10,000 delegates.

With extensive experience in all aspects of event creation to support our client’s events, whether that is a high-end sales incentive on board a yacht in Monaco during F1 Grand Prix, an international pharma conference or investigator meeting or the coordination of an international football tournament, Amanda has the project management skills to deliver all events to the highest standard.

A fluent French speaker, Amanda has worked for event agencies in Belgium where her role included the organisation of global events for the European Commission. Amanda has obtained the PRINCE2 Foundation and Practitioner qualification in Project Management in 2015. She now brings her expertise and enthusiasm for quality experiences to Activate.

Call me: +44 (0)1293 608756

E-mail me: megan@activateevents.com

Megan is a Project Manager and plays a key role in supporting the operational coordination and delivery of our events.

Megan has had nine years industry experience, with her most recent role as account manager for a telecommunications company in Portsmouth. Activate is a new and exciting challenge for Megan. She loves to work as part of a team, and prides herself on her enthusiasm to satisfy clients' needs. Her passion for organisation and meeting new people makes for a great fit to our team of Activaters!

Megan joined Activate following a 6-month South East Asian adventure where she visited Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Kuala Lumpur and 1 month on the west coast of North America.

Call me: +44 (0)1293 608750

E-mail me: skye@activateevents.com

“For me the future is key and I’m for sure a forward thinker. I want to make an impact and influence others within the industry on topics close to me, such as sustainability, wellbeing, and project management efficiency, and I feel that Activate will help me in achieving that goal,” explains Skye.

Skye loves diving into a brief and working with the client to crystalise their objectives and messaging. “There is nothing more rewarding than the end result, seeing people enjoy themselves, connect and share experiences. Knowing that you put this together and made it happen, makes all the hard work worth it; this is why I love working in events. Right now, I am working on pulling together the budget for 1000 attendees and I am truly excited to be part of the team!”

Given her strong history of client success, we are delighted to have Skye on board!

Call me: +44 (0)1293 608750

E-mail me: emily@activateevents.com

"I am a people person who got hooked on the sense of achievement felt when an event comes to life, especially after all the hard work, time and attention you put into it,” confesses Emily.

With a degree in History and Sociology, Emily joins Activate with substantial experience in managing logistics, communication, exhibitions, forums and corporate networking events, having been a key player in both exhibition organiser businesses and previous Account Management roles.

With a love for travel following a solo round-the-world trip which included Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, the USA and culminated with Iceland, and upskilling with the Prince 2 Foundation Course during the pandemic, Emily is ready to make herself, our clients and Activate proud. Are you ready to meet her?

Call me: 01293 608752

E-mail me: Catia@activateevents.com

A high calibre project manager and a very well-rounded human being, Catia is simply surprising in so many ways! Take for instance her extensive language skills (from her native Portuguese to Afrikaans, English, Spanish and even French), her Master’s degree in English Literature, and her teaching and publishing background!

A wonderfully warm personality, Catia candidly admits that in the past she was always given “the projects that other people didn’t like to tackle!” And indeed, Catia is unphased by a true challenge, even if this means arranging a magical experience for 400 law-makers and diplomats at a Christmas market in Vienna!

“You have to love chaos a little bit to be in this industry!” True words from a true professional. Welcome on board, Catia!

Call me: +44 (0)1293 608750

E-mail me: bex@activateevents.com

What impresses so much about Bex is her wonderfully-rounded experience in interacting with people of all ages and backgrounds, and her positive energy!

Prior to joining Activate, Bex worked in a special care hotel, where she delivered high levels of communication and care in accordance with The Royal Blind Society standards. She also excelled in her role managing art design orders and stock with a UK manufacturer. These were administrative roles with varied stakeholders which prepared her for the demanding live events environment. Since joining our team, Bex has not only been supporting us with office administration, supplier management and project research, but she has also been invaluable onsite, most recently in Spain, for a 1000-delegate event.

Bex is a devoted Devon fan and when it comes to travel, Florida is a firm favourite, having grown up with regular holidays in Orlando.

Call me: +44 (0)1293 608750

E-mail me: romy@activateevents.com

Bournemouth University Event Management student Romy van der Veen joined the Activate team in July 2021 and will support the team with live, hybrid and virtual event production.

She is half Dutch, and half Flemish, was born in Belgium, moved to the UK with her family when she was 5, and grew up bilingual: Flemish and English.

Romy explains: “What I enjoy about the events industry is how broad it is. There are so many sectors to go into such as corporate, private, tourism, festivals etc. I have always imagined events to be very active, both physically and in terms of communications, having a very close relationship with the client. I think what appeals to me most is the satisfaction post event, knowing all the hard work you have put in and having fulfilled the clients’ desires. Once I leave uni, I would be very keen to do events that involve travel.”

Call me: +44 (0)1293 608754

E-mail me: Christina@activateevents.co.uk

One of the main reasons I am excited to start at Activate is the opportunity to travel and to be part of unique events! Whilst I have organised events in the past, I am looking forward to the challenge of something bigger!
I have a BA in Drama from Loughborough University, almost 4 years of experience with a members’ club, where I was part of a team who managed the community and organised member events, and secretarial experience from a solicitors’ firm. These experiences gave me the foundation to pivot towards the world of global events management. I am excited to bring my passion for problem solving, attention to detail and creative flair to the Activate team.

Cyprus is my second home, Malaga a regular summer bolthole and Toronto... my first ‘big event’ destination with Activate!

Call me: +44 (0)1293 608750

E-mail me: birgit@activateevents.com

Activate’s bookkeeper and financial administrator, Birgit (known as Bibi) ventured into the finance field of accounting, budgets and VAT after a diverse working background ranging from recruitment consultant to content writer for financial compliance conferences. Originally from Gent, Belgium Bibi decided to stay in the UK after extensive travelling and meeting her Mr Right.

Accuracy, timeliness and standardised processes do make a difference to Bibi’s work. She is also prepared to advise team members on the most efficient way to structure the event in order to ensure the end result is not hindered by financial oversights. Her eye for detail and trouble-shooting ability is worthy of her much-loved fictitious countryman, Detective Poirot!

Call me: +44 (0)1293 608750

E-mail me: rob@activateevents.com

A creative designer / art director leading design, creative development and photographic art direction for major entertainment brands and retail promotions, from packaging design, product launch advertising, wall graphics, large format outdoor displays to trade press.

An enviable list of previous clients including Warner Bros., HBO, Universal, Paramount, BBC, ITV, SKY, Electronic Art Games, Louisiana Tech (Bulldogs) Football and Kingfisher/Comet retailers.