Declan Gane

Events Industry Alliance

Freelance PR

119 High Street, Berkhamsted, London, HP4 2DJ

www.eventsindustryalliance.com

Contact: Declan Gane

Company description

The EIA promotes live event marketing to the wider marketing and business world on behalf of three industry bodies: AEO, AEV and ESSA.

About the expert

I'm an award-winning, CIM-qualified marketer and have worked in the world of events throughout my career. Starting on the contracting side, moving equipment to trade fairs around the world, I took the sideways step into marketing ten years ago after getting married and having kids. Marketing shows in the UK and overseas for two of the UK's most respected independent companies was hectic, but less demanding on my time. What I learned marketing events was how critical exhibitor 'buy-in' is. I also learned how most exhibitors fail miserably to maximise their investment, despite calls from shows' marketing teams to get involved.

Since going freelance two years ago, I have worked with the EIA promoting the power of live event marketing to the wider business community, many of whom fail even to consider the channel when reviewing their communications strategy. Attitudes are changing though as marketers strive for 'engagement' and 'brand experience' just two of the boxes that the genre delivers on.

I'm a keen rugby fan and coached mini rugby at Richmond FC for a number of years, am a School Governor and am also slogging my way through an Open University course on Innovation.