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In association with 

ges las vegasmanchester central

 

AEO CONFERENCE 2025

The Association of Event Organisers (AEO) is pleased to bring you the annual AEO Conference. This event brings together key players within the events industry, offering networking, insight and motivation.

With an outstanding speaker line-up delivering inspirational, dynamic and thought-provoking content, the AEO Conference 2025 is fantastic platform from which to debate, learn and share ideas with your peers, which can help shape your organisation and the industry. 

The event attracts 250 senior industry professionals from the UK and abroad, from organisers to venues and suppliers, creating an unmissable opportunity to network in a relaxed environment.

Audience: managing directors, portfolio directors, SME directors, group MDs, heads of departments

Chaired by Alison Willis,

CEO, Easyfairs UK & Global

Alison Willis is a visionary leader in the exhibitions and events industry, currently CEO of Easyfairs UK & Global. With over 25 years of experience, she has consistently demonstrated a passion for connecting communities and fostering innovation across diverse sectors.

Beyond her corporate responsibilities, Alison is deeply committed to the broader events community. She serves as Vice Chair at the Association of Event Organisers (AEO) and is an active mentor for Women in Exhibitions (WIE), reflecting her dedication to leadership, talent development, and inclusivity within the wider industry.

As a mother to two young daughters, she understands the challenges of balancing a demanding career with family life. She is a passionate advocate for flexible working and well-being in the workplace and serves as a positive role model for working parents striving to achieve harmony between their professional and personal lives.

Ali Willis

7

Sessions

13

Speakers

200+

Visitors

Countless

Opportunities
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The 2025 conference theme is

Quantum leap: events in the transformation era

The events industry is undergoing rapid change driven by AI, shifting customer expectations and new commercial models.

This year’s AEO Conference invites you to take a quantum leap - to think differently and seize new opportunities.

The theme draws on the quantum field; a space of pure potential, where energy becomes matter. It’s a fitting metaphor for an industry entering a new phase, and a nod to our host city, Manchester, where the atom was first split and a new era of discovery began. Today, we face another leap - powered by data, technology and transformation.

Testimonials

  • The AEO Conference is an important forum because it brings together change makers in the event industry, I'm also looking forward to networking with some great people as well.
    Raphael Sofoluke
    Founder & CEO, UK Black Business Show
  • The AEO Conference has always been a really important forum, it talks about some of the kind of key topics and trends and certainly as I've sort of developed throughout my career it's always topics around mergers and acquisitions or where the industry is going or the pivot to digital it's always given us really good talking points and things to think about.
    Duncan Reid
    CEO & Co-Founder, Reset Connect
  • The conference was a fantastic experience, truly living up to its theme 'Motivate. Innovate. Create.' The speakers were highly engaging and entertaining, offering invaluable insights into key industry topics. Well done, Team AEO!
    Ian Kidson
    Harrogate Convention Centre

HEADLINE SPONSORS

Event Sponsors

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