Strata accelerates automotive growth with senior client services appointment
Strata, the brand experience agency within the Strata Group, has strengthened its automotive capabilities with the appointment of Louise Smith as client services director, automotive. The new role underlines the growing importance of automotive within Strata’s growth strategy and its investment in a specialist division for the sector.
Working alongside Group Head of Automotive, Paul Banham, Louise will lead client services for a portfolio of automotive brands. She will be a central point of contact for clients, ensuring they receive consistent, strategic support from brief through to delivery and helping to sharpen Strata’s automotive proposition.
Louise brings more than 20 years of automotive experience, built predominantly agency side. She has worked across brands including Volvo, BMW and General Motors marques, leading marketing programmes, pan-European campaigns and major product launches which includes the New MINI. Her career has focused on building long-term client partnerships and delivering campaigns that drive measurable results.
“Automotive has been the thread running through my entire career,” said Louise. “I have grown up in this sector, from hands-on marketing through to leading integrated campaigns across multiple brands. Strata already has an incredibly strong foundation in automotive, with an experienced team and a client list that spans some of the most exciting brands in the industry. My focus is on understanding where we can add even more value and creating experiences that deliver real commercial impact for our clients and their retailer networks.”
Louise’s appointment builds on the creation of Strata’s dedicated automotive division in 2024, launched in response to increased demand from a growing client portfolio that includes Polestar, Volvo, Renault Group, OMODA JAECOO and brands within the Stellantis group. Automotive is now one of several strategic pillars being championed by Strata’s senior leadership.
Cole Mulkerrins, CEO of Strata, added: “Louise’s arrival is an important next step in our automotive growth. She combines deep sector knowledge with first-class client service experience and will help deepen relationships with existing clients and ensure Strata is positioned as the agency of choice for automotive brand experiences.”
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Strata strengthens pharmaceutical focus with senior appointment
Strata, the brand experience agency which is part of the Strata Group, has reinforced its commitment to growth in the pharmaceutical sector with the appointment of Vicky Fraser as Head of Pharmaceutical Growth.
Vicky has stepped into a newly created senior role designed to sharpen the agency’s focus on healthcare and pharmaceutical clients. With more than two decades of experience delivering international pharmaceutical events, she will lead the development of Strata’s pharmaceutical proposition, drawing on deep sector knowledge and long-standing client relationships to shape a distinct offering in an increasingly competitive market.
Vicky has worked with leading pharma companies including Allergan and AbbVie during her 11 years at Strata, overseeing international congresses, sales conferences and global meetings.
“My whole career has been in pharma events,” explained Vicky. “I’ve grown through every stage of the industry, from hands-on logistics to leading global congresses with 900 delegates from 50 countries. This new role is an exciting opportunity to build on the strong foundations we have at Strata, using that experience to deliver even greater value for our clients. We’re already working with some of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies, and my focus is on amplifying that success, clearly communicating what makes our approach unique, and driving continued growth for the agency.”
The move reflects Strata’s broader growth ambitions. Pharma is one of several strategic pillars being championed by a senior leadership team dedicated to expanding the agency’s client base across key sectors.
Cole Mulkerrins, CEO of Strata, commented: “Vicky’s appointment marks an important milestone in our growth journey. Her track record and credibility in pharma are second to none and she brings both the insight and the passion needed to elevate our presence in this sector. This is about more than winning new business. It is about building on the strong foundations we have already established, showcasing the work we deliver for leading pharmaceutical clients and carving out a lasting position for Strata in healthcare and pharma.”
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Strata appoints industry leader John Farrell as chairman to drive next phase of growth
Strata, the award-winning brand experience agency, has appointed John Farrell as its new non-executive chairman, marking a significant milestone in the company’s continued growth journey. The appointment follows a strategic minority investment from Ethos Partners and is aimed at accelerating Strata’s expansion, innovation, and integrated service proposition across the sector.
Simon Hambley, Group CEO of Strata, said of the appointment: “This is a significant moment for Strata. John’s experience and industry gravitas will be vital in supporting us on the next stage of our growth journey, which we are ambitious to continue. John brings an incredible depth of
sector expertise that will strengthen our leadership and help us deliver even greater value for our clients. He has already taken a proactive approach to understanding the business and shaping the thinking behind our next major strategic initiatives.”
John Farrell brings exceptional expertise to Strata at a pivotal time in its evolution. Selected in partnership with Ethos Partners, he is a respected figure in the advertising, marketing services, digital, media and brand experience world. His track record on assisting companies in these disciplines with their growth agenda and creating associated shareholder value is second to none.
His experience includes senior roles at Huntsworth, Oliver, Feed, as well as the successful $175m exit of programmatic media company Blis to T-Mobile. His appointment reflects Strata’s ambition and readiness for its next phase of growth.
John Farrell said: “I am thrilled to take on the role of Chairman at Strata at such a pivotal time in the company's evolution. Strata's impressive growth and strategic acquisitions, such as On Event Production Co., Trinity Event Solutions, and Element London, have solidified its position as a leader in the integrated events and brand experiences industry. I look forward to working with the talented team at Strata to build on this momentum, ensuring we continue to deliver exceptional experiences for our clients.”
“John’s appointment is another important step in building a stronger, more strategic Strata,” Hambley concluded. “As we continue to grow, we’re focused on scaling our capabilities and delivering even greater value to clients across every touchpoint.”
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Elevate marks a decade of impact with 2025 launch at Protein Studios
Elevate, the UK’s largest free mentoring programme for event professionals, hosted its annual kick-off event in London on 27 March to launch its 2025 programme. Since its inception, Elevate has supported and inspired over 2,000 individuals across the sector.
Held at Protein Studios in Shoreditch, the event welcomed 250 guests from across the events industry to celebrate the start of Elevate’s landmark tenth anniversary year.
The evening provided mentors and mentees the opportunity to share their experiences. Elevate also introduced its 2025 programme partners: Cvent, Jack Morton, Live Union, Powwow, Protein Studios, PSP, The Production Department and We Are Collider. Its supporters include; 2LK, CastleBell, Trivandi, TRO, Xquisite Productions, Special Sauce Training (Training Partner), TIMES x10 Coaching and Nic Neal (People and Culture Partners), ABPCO, EMC3, Event Decision, Hels and Seen Presents. All are united by Elevate’s mission to transform lives, careers and the industry for the better.
Led by industry pioneers Melissa Noakes, Max Fellows and Peter Kerwood, Elevate is completely free to join. It has a single core purpose: to inspire, inform and empower professionals within the events sector.
The programme has more than doubled in size over the past two years. In 2025, a record-breaking cohort of nearly 600 participants have been matched, representing 265 different businesses. Collectively, Elevate’s mentors bring over 3,545 years of industry experience. With applicants from 15 countries across North America, EMEA and APAC, Elevate’s global reach continues to grow.
Max Fellows commented: "When we launched Elevate 10 years ago, we never dreamed just how big it would become. We are so grateful to everyone – our mentors, mentees, partners and supporters – for their continued belief in what we do."
Melissa Noakes added: "A huge thank you to everyone who joined us at Protein Studios for our 2025 kick-off and to all those who continue to make Elevate such a powerful and impactful programme. We can't wait to see the relationships that form and the mentoring journeys that unfold over the coming year, from graduates to senior professionals advancing their careers."
Peter Kerwood said: "The Elevate community continues to draw in some of the most brilliant, kind, generous and inspiring minds in the industry. Our kick-off event was a perfect reflection of that. The atmosphere was absolutely electric!"
As Elevate enters its tenth year, the programme remains committed to shaping the future of the events industry by connecting, developing and empowering its people, one mentoring relationship at a time.
Photo credit: Paul Clarke
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Strata appoints Louise Greig as head of logistics
Strata, the award-winning brand experience agency, has appointed Louise Greig as head of logistics, tasked with delivering world-class logistics solutions to Strata’s ever-growing client base.
Greig’s appointment is the result of significant client growth and continued demand for exceptional delegate experience support.
Greig has over 20 years of experience in the live events industry and joins Strata from Top Banana, part of the TBA Group, where she was Client Services Director.
Andrea Bishop, Director of Live and Virtual at Strata, said of Greig’s appointment: “We are excited to welcome Louise Greig to the Strata family as our new Head of Logistics! With two decades of industry knowledge, she brings a wealth of expertise to our team, and we are thrilled to have her on board at this exciting time for our business.”
Greig said: “As one door closes another one opens, and boy what a door it is! I am happiest in an agency environment working with like-minded people, being inspired by forward-thinking leaders, and creating amazing experiences for clients and audiences. Which is exactly why I am excited to join Strata at such an exciting time for the company and to be part of something amazing.”
Greig will be working closely with recently acquired venue finding company, Trinity Event Solutions, to help Strata deliver seamless single touch point delegate experiences for our clients.
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Groundbreaking new partnership from event:decision and You.Smart.Thing.
Event sustainability leaders "event:decision" and travel demand management platform "You. Smart. Thing." are to deliver a brand new proprietary solution for the measurement of event sustainability that will support more efficient travel data collection and encourage delegates to travel by more sustainable modes of transport.
Traditionally one of the hardest factors to report, the partnership between event:decision and ‘You. Smart. Thing.’ focuses on the Meetings Incentives Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) sector. For the first time, it allows B2B and B2C event planners to automatically include their audience’s travel patterns, and the associated impact of visitor/delegate travel, with an unparalleled degree of accuracy within event:decision’s Track reporting service.
Every Track report can now include sustainable door-to-door travel planning delivered via the ‘You. Smart. Thing.’ platform. The global system recommends personalised low-carbon journey options and records model choice, accounting for multimodal routes and providing a curated visitor experience that nudges people towards net-zero travel. Over 200 event brands use event:decision’s Track reporting service for a wide variety of events and will now be able to understand & mitigate their event travel impacts more effectively.
This new integration of services underlines both companies’ commitment to providing event organisers with formalised processes to plan, deliver, and track the environmental impact of events, helping the sector to make more sustainable planning decisions.
Matt Grey, Director at event:decision, adds: “Whilst we’re delighted to be recognised as market leaders in event impact measurement and mitigation, automatically adding the capabilities of ‘You. Smart. Thing.’ into Track reporting takes our service to a completely new level.
“Now organisers of events, conferences, congresses, and exhibitions can both measure visitor travel impact and start to nudge visitors onto more sustainable modes of transport.”
Chris Thompson, CEO at You. Smart. Thing., comments: “Partnering with event:decision is an important way for us to extend our commitment and reach into the corporate and agency-led market. We know that our large event and public sector clients already benefit hugely from our sustainable travel planning platform. We’re delighted to be able to bring this unique new product to the MICE market alongside event:decision.
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Strata appoints Endellion King as head of incentives
Strata, the award-winning brand experience agency, has appointed Endellion King as Head of Incentives, tasked with further developing and growing the organisation’s in-house incentive offering.
King’s appointment is the result of significant client growth and a continued demand for a creative and bespoke reward recognition and incentive offering.
King has over 15 years experience in the live events industry and joins Strata from Top Banana, part of the TBA Group, where he was director of Reward and Recognition. His previous experience has seen him enjoy various event and operational roles at Crown before Crown became part of Strata, and AddingValue.
Simon Hambley, CEO of Strata, said of King’s appointment: “I have worked alongside Endellion in a previous role, so I’m thrilled he’s joining us. With the launch of Sherbet and the increasing demand from clients for bigger, better, and more creative incentive events, there is no better person to head up our incentive team than Endellion. He lives and breathes incentives and is incredibly passionate about his work. He is an exciting addition to our team, someone who will champion the value of incentives and the capabilities within Strata to our clients.”
King said: “Strata has entered an incredibly interesting and exciting period of growth and so I am thrilled to be joining at this time.
“The incentives industry is changing constantly, and clients are seeking fresh and innovative ways to incentivise their teams all the time.
“In my new role, I’m looking forward to collaborating with the wider Strata team, to progress their forward-thinking approaches to live events, incentives, rewards, and recognition and to enhance their already impressive offering. With the recent launch of Sherbet and its exponential growth, the timing couldn't be more perfect.”
King will take over the role previously held by Mike Parrott, who will be moving over to become managing director of Sherbet, a brand new rewards and recognition platform, which sits within the Strata Group.
With the launch of Sherbet, and the acquisition of Endellion, Strata’s ability to offer clients added value is further strengthened through their offering of end-to-end support with client’s rewards and recognition delivery.
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Strata appoints Caroline Lumgair Wiseman
Strata, the award-winning brand experience agency, has appointed Caroline Lumgair Wiseman as Group Head of Strategic Meeting Solutions, a new position created to develop Strata’s Strategic Meetings Management (SMM) offering.
Lumgair Wiseman has specifically been tasked with helping Strata to build a stronger meetings management proposition to directly meet client demand. In her new role, she will draw upon her extensive experience in global venue sourcing, event management, and high-end experience design, advising clients on all aspects of event strategy and working within the wider group, devising future growth plans.
Simon Hambley, CEO of Strata, said of Lumgair Wiseman’s appointment: “Caroline is a well-known and respected figure to many in the industry and I’m delighted she’s chosen to join
Strata. She has considerable experience in the world of events, which I have no doubt she will bring to Strata at such an important time for the business.”
Hambley continued: “Strata has long held the ambition to be in the Strategic Meetings Management (SMM) space, supporting clients such as Allergan and Dentons with their global programs helping them to make the most effective use of their spend and resources on their meetings and events programming. Caroline's global experience, industry connections, and entrepreneurial mindset enable us to put all the right elements in place to operate in this space, on a global scale.”
On her appointment, Lumgair Wiseman said: “I have a huge amount of respect for Simon and all that he and his team have achieved at Strata. Ambitious plans are in place for future growth and I’m honoured to be included in the team and excited to get to work to help deliver on those goals. I’m looking forward to collaborating and contributing to the ongoing success and evolution of Strata, as the company continues to excel in this innovative industry.”
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Strata launches bespoke rewards and recognition platform, Sherbet
Strata, the award-winning brand experience agency, has designed and developed a bespoke rewards and recognition platform. Called Sherbet, the proprietary technology product has been developed by Strata’s in-house team of experts who have a deep understanding of product innovation and the agency and incentive markets.
Sherbet will strengthen Strata’s portfolio of reward, recognition and retention programmes, expanding the agency’s ability to deliver clients more value-added benefits.
The platform is the culmination of almost two years of work led by Mike Parrott, a veteran of incentive and rewards programmes and Head of Performance Improvement & Incentives at Strata.
He said: “What’s different about Sherbet is that it has been built from scratch, starting with a clean sheet of paper. We were able to rethink what a rewards and recognition platform should be and that has resulted in some unbelievably exciting results. The technology combines a perfect blend of calculation algorithms and AI to truly influence the behaviours for success at a uniquely individual user level. It's perfectly structured to enable businesses to self-service their campaigns with speed and ease, ensuring the cost of delivery can be at its lowest, whilst the impact on company performance is at its highest. The potential of our platform is incredible and will disrupt the traditional rewards and recognition market.”
Strata has invested considerable time and resources into Sherbet, therefore, a dedicated team will harness the platform’s capabilities and operate as a separate division within the growing Strata Group.
Sherbet will strengthen Strata’s position within the market as a single touchpoint agency that can deliver a full-service offering to clients.
Simon Hambley, CEO of Strata, said: “Developing and launching a whole new service offering and division isn’t easy but it’s hugely exciting for the business.
“Sherbet’s development is perfectly timed and sits within our ambitious plans and company vision. We want to continue striving for our clients, developing ideas and products that help them achieve their goals. We want our clients to see us as the leader in our field, driving maximum value and ROI from their budgets.”
Hambley continued: “In today’s competitive marketplace, recognition and retention is harder than ever but that’s where Sherbet can help and why it’s been developed.
“We saw a need for a full end-to-end performance improvement product that was both user-friendly and affordable, so we took the opportunity to talk with clients and build a solution that meets the needs of our customers.
“Furthermore, Strata continues to grow through innovation as well as acquisition and that puts us in an advantageous position.
“Innovation is vital if we are to continue to keep our place at the top table and meet the opportunity of growth in live events that is forecast over the next five years,” Hambley continued.
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event:decision expands team following strong start to 2024
Laura Robinson joins event:decision's growing team as head of sustainable event operations from her role as head of events and marketing at the Royal College of Physicians.
Matt Grey from event:decision said of the appointment, “Laura’s knowledge and experience in both sustainability and events will be invaluable to event:decision as the business continues to scale in both proposition and geography. We could not be more pleased to have Laura join us at this time.
Our steady growth and continued success, evidenced by our support for agencies and brand event teams through 'Track'—our carbon footprint services—set the stage for our latest advancement: the launch of 'Impact.'
This new service expands our offerings to include comprehensive assessments across Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors. With this expansion, Laura will play a pivotal role in supporting our initiatives. Her efforts will extend our reach to more than 100 agencies and over 70 brands across the UK, EMEA, US, and APAC regions. Laura's expertise will be instrumental in guiding these organisations towards enhanced event sustainability, ensuring they not only understand but also improve their environmental impact moving forward."
Laura Robinson shares her excitement about joining event:decision, saying, “Working in events and travel for the last fifteen years has provided me with a variety of global opportunities and I am so pleased to now combine my experience and passion. By utilising my recent master's in the field, I intend to positively support the events industry to navigate its way to a more sustainable future. With event:decision now offering both Track and Impact to capture the environmental and human impact, I couldn’t have joined at a more exciting time!”
event:decision is committed to leading the way in sustainable event management by providing services that help agencies and brands assess and improve their environmental and social impacts.
With the addition of Laura Robinson to the team, event:decision is set to further its mission of promoting sustainability across the events industry.
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Strata has launched a specialist automotive division
Strata, the award-winning brand experience agency, has launched a specialist automotive division. Comprising of an expert team, dedicated to meeting the growing needs of an extensive automotive client list, the division has been launched in direct response to increasing client demand for instant and consistent support and specialist services.
Paul Banham has been appointed group head of automotive and will head up the new division, reporting to Cole Mulkerrins, Strata’s director of client services.
“We have a long history of working within the automotive sector, with a highly experienced team delivering automotive events and brand experience campaigns,” Banham explained. “We are bringing this experience into one group to create a division solely focused on the automotive industry that provides our clients with focused experience and expertise, offering deep knowledge and understanding of their sector.
“Our new division features a breadth and depth of skills and is made up of talented people who know the industry inside out. The knowledge and experience that we have within our team means we can be more focused in our approach, sharing industry insight and knowledge with our clients which will prove hugely beneficial.”
Strata is proud to work with many respected automotive brands, including; Polestar, Lotus, Renault and Stellantis brands; Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Citroën, DS Automobiles, Fiat, Jeep, Peugeot and Vauxhall.
Banham continued: “We want to deliver real value for our clients. We are already seen as experts in this sector, delivering events and strategic campaigns at a rate of knots.”
The creation of the automotive division enables the team to immerse itself deeper into the industry, providing clients with a deeper sense of value-add.
Mulkerrins said: “We have had automotive experts entrenched within our organisation for years, but the creation of this dedicated automotive division cements our intentions as an agency. It gives our clients assurances that their accounts are being managed by the brightest minds, who understand the world of automotive and are devoted to delivering moments that matter for the client.”
He added: “The creation of the new division also bolsters our position in the marketplace as an agency that is on an upward trajectory.
“Not only is our team now perfectly placed to deliver expert-based narratives and national strategies that will enable us to continue growing our skills and expertise, but having such a dynamic division within the agency enables better resource planning, ensuring greater efficiency and speed of delivery.
“I’m really looking forward to growing the division, working with Paul and the wider team to develop our offering and to increase our visibility within the automotive sector.”
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event:decision releases new ESG assessment tool
event:decision, the #1 global partner for event sustainability, has released a new tool for event planners, Impact.
Impact assesses, benchmarks and certifies events in a wide-range of environmental, social and governance factors.
Impact, from event:decision allows planners to submit up to thirty responses to questions relating to environmental, social and governance (ESG) elements of specific events. This data is assessed, benchmarked and certification issued to confirm assessment.
Planners can then understand how successfully they are addressing each element of ESG, against the rest of the industry, on an event-by-event basis.
“Impact was born of a direct result of corporate, agency and venue planners asking us ‘Where can we start?’ and “What should we be doing?’ With event sustainability still being a relatively new concept, it makes sense to support planners across the whole range of ES&G factors” says Matt Grey, Director at event:decision.
“For the first time, event professionals can start to put some numbers and comparisons against their sustainability efforts. Not only can you ensure that you are considering the widest range of factors within ESG on each and every event, but we’ll show you how you compare on each against the running industry average.
“We’re also very proud to be partnering with a range of sustainability-focused partners, to whom you can be referred if you need support with any individual elements within the assessment. We don’t ask for any commission or referral fees from our partners, so we can honestly say that sustainability advice is being delivered in a truly collaborative manner.
“event:decision will be publishing insights on a quarterly basis, so that event planners can see the progress that is being made industry-wide.”
Impact is already in use with multiple clients and events in the UK, Europe and the US. Sitting alongside event:decision’s Track service that reports on more events than any other event-focussed carbon footprint tool, Impact now gives planners the opportunity to look at sustainability with a far wider lens than purely carbon.
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Strata appoints Phil Staines as chief of staff
Strata, the award-winning brand experience agency, has appointed Phil Staines as chief of staff, a newly created role that will see Staines assist the agency with strategy development, organisational structure and process, and continued expansion plans.
Staines, who has vast live events and agency experience, will assist the agency’s board, helping it to shape, prioritise and execute strategic business initiatives, including acquisitions and proposition development.
The former chief of staff at brand experience agency FIRST, Staines joins Strata following roles at BCD Meetings and Events and Grass Roots also.
He will report directly to Simon Hambley, CEO of Strata, who explained that Staines’ understanding of the sector is a huge win for the agency.
Hambley said: “Phil joins Strata at an incredibly exciting time. He will be working on a variety of tasks, helping us to achieve our ambitious business goals and ensuring slick communication and collaboration across the Strata portfolio and all departments.
“Phil is no stranger to the live events industry so I am certain that his knowledge and comprehension of our exciting sector means he can hit the ground running and help us to achieve amazing things.”
Hambley continued: “Phil’s skill set complements the wider Strata team. I am looking forward to seeing how he can work with the board and push us on our journey, ensuring optimal performance at all times by supporting colleagues, applying critical thinking and inspiring effective decision-making.”
Staines said of his appointment: "I am thrilled to be joining Strata at this exciting juncture, in what promises to be a real time of change and innovation for the Events industry.
One of the things I admired most about Strata is the exceptional reputation it has, which is driven by a truly passionate team. You don't often get a chance to work with great people, who want to do some great things, so I am excited to get going.
Strata is well placed to help its clients navigate this changing landscape, and I am looking forward to helping the Strata board bring to life some of the ideas and propositions we have in the pipeline!”
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Strata appoints Kevin Robinson as Group Head of Strategic Accounts
Strata has appointed a Group Head of Strategic Accounts, cementing the award-winning brand experience agency’s ambitious growth and expansion plans.
Kevin Robinson, the former Chief Client Officer at First, has extensive agency experience and joins Strata following several strategic-level roles at First, BCD Meetings and Events, and Grass Roots Meetings and Events.
As Group Head of Strategic Accounts, Robinson will lead Strata’s client teams, nurture key agency relationships, and support the board as it continues to develop an exciting blueprint for the agency’s future.
Robinson, whose previous roles have enabled him to develop a deep commercial awareness of the event agency landscape, will report to Cole Mulkerrins, Director at Strata Creative Communications.
Robinson said: “My role will be to strengthen and lead our key client relationships and client teams across the pharmaceutical, technology, FMCG, financial and professional services sectors. I’m looking forward to working with Strata’s extremely experienced and talented teams in supporting our clients’ objectives and the continued growth of the business.”
Simon Hambley, CEO of Strata, said of Robinson’s appointment: "We are thrilled to have Kevin join the team. He has a huge amount of experience across a range of sectors that is going to be invaluable in helping us achieve our ambitions in the coming years.”
Robinson is just one of several high-profile and key appointments at Strata.
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Strong end to 2023 caps off biggest year yet for Strata
Strata has gone from strength to strength in 2023 with a further 18 per cent growth in revenue and investment in people and developing new offerings..
2023 has also seen Strata increase its client base further to 28 clients and deliver innovative and experiential campaigns across a broad range of sectors including pharma, automotive, technology, financial services, public sector and FMCG, for brands including Peugeot, Polestar, Sony, Intel and Citroen.
In November, Strata received the Rising Star Award at EVCOM Awards (Event and Visual Communication), in a year that saw Strata deliver landmark activations including the award winning Peugeot Presents campaign.
“We’re thrilled to see the hard work and creativity of our team rewarded,” says Simon Hambley, CEO of Strata. We are proud to offer our clients a layered agency service, crafting brand experiences from conception right through to end. It is this one touch point agency differentiator that drives us to develop and grow the Strata offering.”
The awards success follows the acquisition of On Event Production, a live, virtual, and hybrid event production company. The acquisition strengthens Strata’s in-house AV production, fabrication, and production management capabilities, broadening our offer and increasing our team of talented event professionals, including skilled production managers and CAD specialists. This acquisition increases our speed of response, capacity, and resources and strengthens our current growth trajectory, providing huge opportunities to expand our creative services and production facilities.
The year also saw Strata’s workforce grow by 42 per cent to more than 85 employees in Strata and more than 110 in the group. With a move to a new London office in Covent Garden to accommodate the growth.
“Our people are at the heart of the business, and recruitment of the very best talent continues to be a priority for Strata,” says Hambley. “At Strata, we firmly believe that diversity is baked in our approach as a company. We have developed robust DEI policies that ensure an inclusive and supportive work environment where every team member feels valued and empowered. By actively promoting diversity in our hiring practices and fostering a culture of respect and open communication, we have built a team that represents a wide range of backgrounds, perspectives, and expertise. Something we are very proud of.”
2023 also saw Strata increase its focus on sustainability with the appointment of a Sustainability Officer and a six month programme to develop an implementation of comprehensive ESG strategy policies to minimise both ‘ours and our client’s environmental impact.’
Another key launch for Strata in 2023 was Strata Insights, an exclusive series of insights events which gathered key industry specialists and Strata clients at venues across London to discuss key topics for marketeers in 2023.
Following almost two years of development. 2024 will see the launch of a major new proprietary technology product developed in-house by Strata, Sherbet. That will extend the Strata offering in reward, recognition and retention programmes. Adding to its exiting incentive offering to provide a full end-to-end performance improvement service.
Reflecting on the successes of 2023, Giles Cattle, director of creative and strategy at Strata said: It’s fantastic to see the hard work and creativity of our team help us build towards a future where brand experiences will continue to become one of the most valuable channels for brands to connect to their audiences.
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Key 2024 event tech trends unveiled at Strata Insight event
Attendees at the Strata Insights event, at The Ned in London last week, were treated to a preview of some of the most important tech trends which will shape the events industry in 2024 and beyond.
Speaking to an audience of event industry leaders, three key trends were showcased to help brands deliver greater results through events and marketing in 2024, by Chris Vernon-Smith, creative director of On Event Production Co (a division of Strata).
Tech Trend Number One – Personalisation
Opportunities now exist to personalise content to individuals dynamically, matching the mood and environment. Two examples were presented:
- 3D Audio Beam forming – such as the HOLOPLOT speakers used at ABBA Voyage. This beams highly directional sound to a specific audience or space. In a conference environment, the speaker could be translated into a different language instantaneously in different parts of the room.
- Facial recognition - unobtrusive face recognition technology can gather attendee data with no need to scan badges or QR codes. (This can be GDPR compliant in a fully opted in closed environment). Room engagement could also be measured based on facial expressions meaning an event speaker could detect the mood of an audience through feedback from the tech, changing their energy or delivery accordingly.
Tech Trend Number Two – Sustainability
Two examples relevant to the events industry were presented:
- PET eco-fabric – uses dye sub printing and water-based inks to significantly reduce emissions compared to traditional print. For every roll of material that goes through the printers 3,000 bottles are saved from ending up in the ocean or in landfill.
- Green mobile power – is now delivering the power output and duration to make it usable for large-scale outdoor events.
Tech Trend Number Three – Immersive Tech
Two ways in which immersive tech can transform event experiences were showcased.
- LED film – improvements in LED resolution, power and price point means translucent screens on a massive scale can now add new dimensions to event spaces, product launches and exhibitions.
- The Vegas Sphere – mapped with flexible LEDs and functioning as a giant video screen inside and out, produces video which dynamically changes throughout a show. Flexible LEDs can be used on projects of all sizes not just enormous Vegas venues!
Giles Cattle, director of creative strategy and business development at Strata, said: “This was the third in our ‘Making Moments Matter’ Insight Series. First, we looked at globalisation, then we followed-up with our Big Budget debate. This time we gathered together experts, leaders, and visionaries to showcase the predictions and trend insights that will be shaping event brand and marketing in 2024 and beyond. It was an incredibly thought-provoking event and attendees went away inspired.”
Speakers and panel attendees also included Greg Clayton, head of markets, brands and shoppers insights at Ipsos, Jen Bonassera, global events director at Charlotte Tilbury, Kristian Cholmondeley, managing director at Jeep and Fiona Macnish, head of global events at M&G Investments.
A full Insights Report from the event will be published in January and will be available on www.stratacreate.com
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Elevate announces eighth season intake for new mentees and mentors
Elevate, the pioneering not-for-profit mentorship programme supporting and inspiring event professionals, announces the launch of its eighth season for new mentees and mentors and is inviting applications.
Founded in 2016 and led by industry luminaries Melissa Noakes, Max Fellows and Peter Kerwood, Elevate’s ground-breaking programme was conceived to fill a huge gap in the events industry for training and personal development and is now the biggest community of its kind in the world with an alumni of more than 1,500 from across every sector within the events industry.
Elevate is entirely free to join and has been designed with one goal in mind – to inspire, inform and empower people within the events industry.
In 2023, 268 mentors and mentees from eight countries successfully completed the mentoring programme. Mentees benefitted from 800+ mentoring hours fuelled by a combined 2,270+ years of experience from their industry mentors. Programme mentors volunteering their time join Elevate from across the full breadth of the events industry from venues to agencies and brands, such as TikTok, Pinterest, O2 and Netflix.
Dan Keene, Elevate advisory board member and director at Wonder, commented: “As an industry, we all have a collective responsibility to pass the baton on. Like many others, I wouldn't be in the lucky position I am today without the help, belief, guidance and support of kind peers and mentors at critical moments of the journey. In its eighth year, it's doubly impressive that we're already seeing Elevate go full circle, with mentees of yesterday becoming the industry leaders and mentors of tomorrow.”
Anton Jerges, CEO at We Are Collider joined the Elevate advisory board this year and commented: “The Elevate programme is fantastic and the people behind it are brilliant. Mel, Max and Pete have created something incredibly professional. They are people with big hearts, and they set the tone for the organisation as a whole. A community of lovely, friendly people who want to do good things and help people do better, it’s amazing to be involved in something like that.”
Fellows said: “We're proud of what we've created over the last eight years. The way the industry has got behind us to support so many people has been wonderful.”
Registrations will remain open until February with all mentee/mentor partnerships announced soon after. All applications should be made via the Elevate website.
Strata strengthens event production capabilities with On Event Production Co acquisition
Strata, the award-winning brand experience agency, has acquired award winning On Event Production Co., a live, virtual, and hybrid event production company with offices in London and Derby.
The acquisition will strengthen Strata’s in-house AV production, fabrication, and production management capabilities, broadening its offer and increasing its team of talented event professionals, including skilled production managers, technicians, designers and fabricators. .
Simon Hambley, CEO of Strata, said: “We have worked alongside On Event Production Co. for several years and know the team well. When the opportunity to acquire the company came along it was an easy decision for us to make and offering us the chance to work together on a more strategic level. We know how each other thinks and share the same great work ethos and values. It was clear that our respective businesses are aligned perfectly both culturally and professionally.”
On Event Production Co. has vast experience in corporate conferences, brand activation, and exhibition markets. All the company’s employees will continue to be employed by On with On Event Production Co. now a division of Strata Group.
Adam Dewhurst, managing director of On Event Production Co., said of the acquisition: “I have been a big fan of Strata’s work and projects for many years and have admired the work that Simon and his team have delivered for brands and clients.
“I will be working closely with Strata’s senior management team and look forward to watching On Event Production Co. grow and writing our next chapter with Simon.”
Strata’s acquisition of On is a continuation of its strategy to offer more of what a client needs through its one touchpoint helping clients make their budgets work harder and achieve greater return on engagement. It will increase the agency’s speed of response, capacity, and resources and accelerate the agency’s current growth trajectory, providing opportunities to expand its creative services and production facilities.
Hambley continued: “We respect On’s approach to events and their approach to client management. On has a fantastic team that delivers solid results for amazing clients such as Toyota, Aldemore Bank & NHS England.
“This acquisition is a hugely positive step for Strata and for On, and we look forward to working with their team on an exciting journey ahead.”
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Christ Church Spitalfields to relaunch venue with catering partner Jimmy Garcia Catering
Creative, award-winning luxury event caterer Jimmy Garcia has won the coveted position of exclusive caterer at the recently restored historic venue Christ Church Spitalfields who have trusted Jimmy Garcia Catering to deliver all of its event business.
Already a preferred supplier at many of London’s most prestigious venues, this appointment is Jimmy Garcia’s first as exclusive caterer.
Jimmy Garcia said: "This is a massive moment for my business and a proud one for me personally. I'm incredibly excited that Christ Church Spitalfields is our very first venue as the exclusive caterer. Not only is this a stunning landmark venue and one that is equipped to deliver the very best events, it stands proud at the heart of the east end and has been welcoming people through its doors for nearly 300 years. We can't wait to start welcoming our clients and their guests".
Justicia Adjei head of sales and marketing at Christ Church Spitalfields said: “We are so impressed with Jimmy and his team's refreshing approach to delivering events. We really loved their focus on local, seasonal produce. They really do bring a wow to events, and we can’t wait to start working with them. Their creativity shines through, and I know they will do justice to our beautiful venue.”
Jimmy Garcia Catering and Christ Church Spitalfields are collaborating to produce a series of showcase events next month and their Christmas party package promises spectacular Christmas events within the historic venue.
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Marketers must adapt new event strategies to create meaningful moments, says Strata
What do King Charles III and Ozzy Osborne have in common? You would think not a lot, but they do share several traits. They are both aged 74, and they are both married with children. Their estimated personal wealth is more than £100 million, and you could say that they both have an interest in dogs, wine, and cars. But if you were marketing your brand to them, would you promote your product to Ozzy Osborne in the same way that you’d market it to King Charles? And would you expect Ozzy and King Charles to react to your brand’s messaging in the same way too?
These exact same questions were put to an invited audience at The Hoxton, Holborn, earlier this month, when event and marcomms specialists gathered for an exclusive insights event hosted by Strata, the award-winning brand experience agency.
Titled “Reimagining Global Event Programmes”, the event – comprised of a keynote and panel discussion – examined how brands can creatively reinvent event experiences that not only resonate with diverse audiences but also transcend global markets and create moments that matter.
Strata invited Behave, the human insights agency, to deliver a presentation called "When global EX meets CX: Revamping the value of connection through meaningful moments". The presentation was given by Dr. Alexandra Dobra-Kiel, Behave's innovation and strategy director, and Lea Karam, consulting director. The presentation analysed micro and macro behavioural changes in marketing and communications.
Karam said: “We feel that some brand marketers are currently falling short in creating meaningful moments.
“It’s all about deploying the understanding and capabilities that shed light on the real drivers of consumer-brand connection.”
According to Behave, the marketing landscape now requires a blend of capabilities to truly understand people’s behaviour and how it can be influenced to achieve superior business performance. Technology, data science, and behavioural science are just some of the tools at the disposal of event professionals and savvy marketers.
“Consistency is key and so is creative messaging,” added Karam. “Words flow through employees and customers. It’s important to create better moments and better engagement but to do that teams need better data. The good thing is that there are billions of data points out there but it’s about using them in the right way to really understand the customer experience.”
Simon Hambley, CEO of Strata, said: “The pandemic has meant consumers, and employees, experience an overwhelming amount of information, which can lead to a reduced attention span. Therefore, brand marketers need to adapt their strategies to foster a culture of belonging and meet a range of cultural and individual needs.”
Hambley added: “The global event space has been transformed over the past few years. The disruption of the pandemic has shifted how audiences are interacting with brands and organisations and there are growing expectations to shift seamlessly across formats. Combine these changing expectations with a global recession, and brands need to reimagine what a high-performing event programme looks like.
“Brands can’t achieve true engagement without experiences that connect and captivate. Within these experiences, every brand moment is an opportunity for positive reinforcement, a chance for your brand message to have clarity and relevance.”
Giles Cattle, director of creative, strategy and business development, said: “We're all in the business of distinction. Distinction is what differentiates us. Being seen to be different is powerful because distinction requires you to continuously challenge and elevate your service and by elevating, you become better for your customers.”
Clare Merton, executive director, global head of enterprise events at S&P Global, Ali Phillips, group head of internal communications at BAT, and Liz Meade, head of EMEA at Global Event Marketing, also took part in the event and joined a Strata panel discussion that debated global event frameworks, brand loyalty, and growth opportunities.
Hambley concluded: “Our first Reimagining Global Event Programmes session allowed our audience to hear the most inspirational views from some of the most brilliant minds in our industry. I am certain that they appreciated this exclusive opportunity to listen, network, and debate the ideas that were raised by Lea, Alexandra, Clare, Ali, and Liz, and I am certain that future sessions will provide our guests with even more opportunities to discover new ideas and the latest insight.”
Elevate mentoring programme launches at The Hoxton, Holborn
Elevate, the free mentorship programme for event professionals, has launched its 2023 programme.
One hundred and thirty guests from across the events industry gathered at The Hoxton, Holborn, this week (February 28) to celebrate the programme’s seventh year. With 285 applicants from eight countries signed up for 2023, Elevate continues to go from strength to strength.
As well as giving both mentors and mentees the chance to share their experiences, the evening also allowed Elevate to introduce both its supporters and partners for 2023, including Owl Live, We Are Collider, The Hoxton, Special Sauce, the Association of British Professional Conference Organisers, Castlebell, Event Decision, Times x 10, and TRO. All share Elevate’s mission to change lives, careers and the events industry itself for the better.
The programme was launched in 2017 by Melissa Noakes, head of sponsorship and events at Santander UK, and Max Fellows, founder of allpoints, to fill a huge gap in the events industry for training and personal development.
Seven years later, Elevate has helped almost 1,500 people, from graduates to senior professionals, to advance their careers.
Fellows asid: “When Mel and I launched Elevate seven years ago, we had no idea just how big it would become. We are so grateful to everyone – our mentors and mentees, our partners and supporters – for their continued faith.”
Noakes said: “This year is especially exciting as we are focusing on social mobility – working with young people aged 16-25, in particular those from lower socio-economic backgrounds such as those leaving the care or youth justice systems. By nurturing such underrepresented talent, we can in turn help ensure the events industry as a whole becomes more diverse.”
Caspar Norman, co-founder of Roundhouse Trust, launches the invenue Network
Caspar Norman, the co-founder of the Roundhouse Trust has assembled a collective of dedicated venue consultants and launched a network, specifically designed to support venues with targeted and impartial advice and support. The invenue Network – developed by Norman, the London venue’s first events director – aims to help venues of all sizes to maximise their revenue streams, increase their resilience, and realise their potential.
The invenue Network matches venues, their operators, and stakeholders, with independent experts who have run venues, launched them, founded them, managed them, or supplied them.
Norman, director of invenue Network, said: “Across the UK, there are thousands of wonderful venues, large and small. They host incredible organisations – arts, sports, community, social, heritage, municipal, and cultural – which sit at the heart of our communities, delivering unquantifiable support and opportunities to the people they serve. However, these venues are under huge pressure. How do they find the right advice and where do they get their support from? This is where we can help.”
In the late 1990s, Norman found himself trying to generate revenue from a dilapidated steam engine shed in Camden – the iconic Roundhouse. Maximising the income generated from the space helped underpin the Roundhouse Trust’s charitable aims. Now, Norman hopes to pass valuable experience and knowledge onto other venues through the invenue Network.
Norman continued: “invenue is a growing network that is not only for venue people but is run by venue people, who understand all the nuances that come with venue management, and venue operations. invenue exists to offer these incredible venues the right advice and support, ensuring such amazing spaces remain flexible, operational, and agile.”
The invenue Network is guided by an advisory group including Fiona Price (Fiona Price Events), Neil Ormondroyd (Jono Events), Lucy Gemmell (Rhubarb), Michael Aldridge (Unique Venues Consultancy), Jack Franklin (Spectra), Mary Griffiths (The Project Hub Venues and Hospitality), Susan Morrissey (Venue Doctors) and Peter Kerwood (Venue Doctors).
Lucy Gemmell, food artist and founder of Rhubarb, the high-profile catering company, sits on the advisory group. She said: “Marketing and sales, strategy and planning, catering, health and safety – whatever the challenges that venues face, the invenue Network is passionate about giving venue operators the tools and support they need to maximise their resources and power their primary objectives. It’s a much needed and timely resource.”
invenue is already looking to expand the invenue Network across the UK and would welcome conversations with independent venue consultants and freelance professionals, who would like to see UK venues thrive.
Norman concluded: “When we started the Roundhouse Trust, independent venue consultants simply did not exist. There was very little advice and delivery available. invenue Network aims to serve a need for targeted support, impartial advice, and independent ideas. We are looking forward to creating a thriving network of spaces and supporting the people, communities, and organisations behind them.”
Event Decision partners with You Smart Thing
Event Decision is partnering with You Smart Thing to help brands and event agencies measure and mitigate the environmental impact of their events.
The collaboration between Event Decision and You Smart Thing on Carbon-Track Reporting allows event owners to measure the travel patterns and associated impact of visitor/delegate travel, traditionally one of the largest and hardest factors to measure in sustainability reporting.
The partnership underlines both companies’ commitment to providing event organisers with formalised processes to plan, deliver and track the impact of events and in making more sustainable decisions.
Matt Grey, director of Event Decision, said: “Whilst we’re delighted to be recognised as the market leader in event impact measurement and mitigation, adding the capabilities of You Smart Thing into Track Reporting takes the offer to a completely new level. Now organisers of B2C events, B2B congresses and exhibitions can both measure visitor travel impact and start to nudge visitors into more sustainable travel behaviours.”
Chris Thompson, CEO of You Smart Thing, said: “Partnering with Event Decision is an important way for us to extend our commitment to the corporate and agency-led market. We know that more than 70 per cent of emissions generated by larger-scale public events come from visitors travel and they will now benefit hugely from measuring and being able to reduce this critical metric. We’re delighted to be able to bring this offer to the MICE market alongside Event Decision.”