Meet The Team!
The Event School London bring together talented Industry Facilitators, Lecturers, Tutors, Coaches, Mentors and Guest Speakers with the expertise and know-how to enhance our participants academic, professional, leadership or career development. Our team members are specialists in the event industry and have the up-to-date knowledge to ensure our courses offer relevant, contemporary industry-led training and education.
Lecturers
Nicholas Oxborrow
Lead lecturer on our event management courses, Nicholas Oxborrow has created and managed events worldwide while running his award-winning events agency “Fabulation” in Singapore. His event portfolio includes marketing activations, celebrations, exhibitions, conferences, galas and large outdoor events.
With an educational background in Hospitality Management from Hotel School Switzerland and Boston, Nick has had a 30-year career in hospitality and events management.
His impressive client list includes Silicon Valley giants such as Netflix, Facebook and Microsoft and international luxury brands such as Soho House, Chanel and LVMH.
Siobhan
Craven-Robins
Lead lecturer on our exclusive wedding planning courses, Siobhan is widely acknowledged as having established the UK's first wedding coordination service in 1996.
Siobhan's beautiful weddings have featured in Hello, OK! and many bridal magazines in various countries around the world.
As a Founder & Director of the National Association of Wedding Professionals, and Chairperson Legacy & Representation Working Group for The UK Weddings Taskforce, Siobhan also represents the wedding industry as a key-note speaker at events such as Bridelux Symposiums & WedMeetUpUk.
Terrence
Teixeira
Terrence Teixeira is a seasoned major events consultant with a rich tapestry of experiences spanning four continents. His portfolio features roles in the Olympics, Paralympics, Pan Am/Parapan Am Games, Invictus Games, Commonwealth Games, and the Cycling World Championships. He has held significant positions with prestigious organizations like the Canadian Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee.
What sets Terrence apart is his unique blend of practical experience and academic prowess. As Founder and Managing Director of a sports consulting firm, he specialises in areas critical to the success of any major event: programme management, operational planning, Para sport, and Event-time governance.
Dave
Lewis
David brings over 30 years of expertise in festivals and live music shows. He began his career at the iconic Duchess Of York venue, a launching pad for bands like Oasis, Pulp, Nirvana, Stereophonics, Pearl Jam, and Muse. His journey in live event production has seen him rise from ground-level roles to Logistics, Site, and Production Management. David has been part of diverse shows, from small venues to major festivals like Download, V, Latitude, Leeds & Reading, and Monsters of Rock. His notable contributions include Logistics Management for RHCP’s UK tour dates, overseeing crew logistics for Robbie Williams and managing production and logistics for Ricoh Arena’s Jaguar Halls. David founded his own crew company, supplying local crew and touring techs for major events, including the Diana Memorial Concert at Wembley Stadium and Global Gathering.
Emma
Murray-Jones
Emma has an international background having lived in the UK, Spain and Hong Kong. She speaks fluent Spanish and high level Mandarin and she loves translating different cultural needs into an event anywhere in the world.
Emma's impressive career includes Private Dining and Events Co-ordinator and Deputy Events Business Development Manager with The Ritz London, Social Events Executive Planner and Sales Manager, Events Manager for The Royal Versailles Ball at The Palace of Versailles, Winner of the Bridelux 'Planner Rising Star" Award 2022.
Degree educated in the UK, Emma also spent Year Abroad in Beijing at Capital Normal University and a Term Abroad at Granada University.
Rachel
Williams
Rachel has held senior management positions in some of London’s most
prestigious events venues. She spent 15 years with etc.venues Limited where she led the event management and successful delivery of over 10,000 events annually.
Rachel also worked in a senior role at ExCeL London account managing a diverse range of events including corporate learning events for Top UK Banks and Accounting Firms, graduate programmes, AGMs, product launch, themed events, receptions, executive round tables & exhibitions. MBA Educated, Rachel now works as a Hospitality, Venue & Events Consultant with specialities in CX Strategy and CRM Implementation|Sales, Revenue Management and Service Transformation.
Monia
Ben nejima
Monia brings 10+ years experience in event management, project management, and business development. Her work has significantly impacted tech startups, corporates, and policymakers, showcasing her versatility and adaptability in different environments.
Her expertise lies in the seamless integration of event management with business development and marketing strategies, an approach that ensures the success and impact of the events she oversees. Her career has spanned the globe, encompassing diverse locations such as San Francisco, various European locations, and Tel Aviv.
Lauren
Spencer
Lauren's career began in prestigious 5-star properties in South Africa. She then co-founded and operated a digital Marketing Agency, Social Inbox, served as the Head of Marketing for The International Hotel School, and as the Sales & Marketing Manager for a group of luxury 5-star hotels in KZN, South Africa, under Best of KZN.
Moving to the UK, she has held roles as Employer Branding Manager and Internal Comms Manager at The Ivy Collection and The Wolseley Hospitality Group, where she shaped brand identities, provided essential training and HR support forShakespeare’s Globe and served as the People Experience Manager for Bartlett Mitchell, a leading UK catering company.
Maria
O'Dea
The Event School London's School Director is an experienced General Manager and Group Director having held senior roles across both public and private education organisations and with service oriented businesses. Maria has contributed to the success of complex, dynamic, high-profile, high-volume organisations as:
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Chair, Learning Management Authority,TAFE QLD (Tourism, Events, Hospitality, Cookery, Patisserie, Sports & Recreation)
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Director of Faculty, Business, Tourism & Personal Services - TAFE Brisbane
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Director, School of Tourism & Hospitality (COTAH) - Southbank Institute of Technology
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Director, HTE Schools Ltd London (The Event School London & London Hotel & Tourism School)
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Head of Human Resources & Training - ExCeL London
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Senior Training Consultant-The Millennium Dome ( The O2 )
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National Group Manager- The Hospitality Training Company Australia (HTC Vocational Institute)
David
Vogel
Over the last 25 years, David has accumulated event production experience on 5 continents in 40+ countries and in 6 languages.
From high profile incentive programs, classic orchestra concerts, extreme sports competitions, product launches and gala events, the list of clients is eclectic and include names such as Lamborghini, Bayer Healthcare, Toyota, the Orchestra of the Americas, the Professional Kite Rider Association and Hermes.
After the specialised education for hospitality, event and tourism management in one of Austria's most prestigious tourism colleges in Krems, he acquired fundamental work experiences in the luxury hotel industry in 5 star houses in Munich and Vienna.
That is also where he gained his initial expertise in training others by teaching colleagues in the areas of catering and event basics.
Natalie Green
Natalie brings over 10+ years experience in business operations and events management. She has honed her skills most notably as the Senior Executive Director of Business Operations at The Black British Business Awards and at TNON (The Network of Networks). Her positions involve overseeing critical aspects of event planning, financial management, and execution, while also driving the annual awards that spotlight the success of Black professionals across diverse sectors. At Key Position, a global events and creative agency, Natalie delivers bespoke events from product launches to conferences and exhibitions. Her career also includes noteworthy stints as a Marketing Events & Communications Specialist at McKinsey & Company, Senior Event Manager at Chill Out Event Management Ltd, and roles at mcm Creative Group, FireEye Inc., Truphone, GSMA, and Gartner a
Amanda Rayner
Amanda is a multiple award winning event manager with 28 years in the industry, with significant expertise planning and delivering charity and fundraising events.
She has organised both large and small events, including community activities such as the Shepherd's Bush Green Festival through to global summits, conferences and exhibitions. Noted for her professionalism, her clients praise her attention to detail, creativity, leadership and energy.
Amanda's specialties are charity, not-for-profit and public sector activities and award ceremonies including: MS Life, Race in the Media Awards, Princes Youth Business International Global Summit and the Heropreneurs Awards.
Shaan
Dua
A creative and driven events professional with over 12 years of international experience producing high quality and impressionable event experiences. Shaan has spent his career leading on high profile concerts, festivals, large-scale conventions and global sporting events. He is passionate about the arts, culture, and collaborating to build community through unique event experiences. His industry experience encompasses: Event Manager at Factory International Venue Manchester, Host Country Site Logistics Manager, FIFA World Cup Qatar, Ceremonies Logistics Senior Office, FIFA World Cup Qatar, Events Specialist Toronto Regional Board of Trade, VP Membership at International Live Events Association Toronto Chapter, Festivals and Event Coordinator at Yonge-Dundas Square and Special Projects Coordinator, Fan Expo HQ Informa Exhibitions - Canada, Events & Programming Assistant , Humber College, Outdoor Programming Assistant at City of Waterloo and Project Coordinator at
Neruda Arts.
Carly
Gibbs
With a remarkable 18 years of experience in event leadership, Carly brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to our school, especially in the realms of strategy, operations, customer experience, and brand management. Carly's most recent role as Head of Guest Experience at Chiswick Park Enjoy-Work showcases her exceptional skills in creating and delivering dynamic event experiences. Imagine organizing 300m zip lines, urban beaches, and music festivals, not to mention managing fireworks displays, sports tournaments, clubs, and workshops! Her ability to oversee such diverse and large-scale events speaks volumes about her capabilities and the insights she will bring to our students. Before joining Chiswick Park, Carly worked at Grounded Events Company as a Project Manager, where she played a pivotal role in the UK rollout of the Electric Run Events. These included spectacular nighttime 5k events at iconic venues like Wembley Stadium in London and Etihad Stadium in Manchester, engaging up to 15,000 participants, 1,000 volunteers, and 500 crew. She was also the Event Director for the Finish Village of the Brighton Marathon Weekend
Guest Lecturers
James Mark
A Past Guest Lecturer and International Venue & Major Events Consultant, James Mark delivered specialist training for Event School clients. James has extensive experience from Executive Director at ExceL London to Venue Consultant for the Ashgabat Games, Venue General Manager for the IAAF World Championships at the London Stadium and Independent Advisor for the Pan American Games in Lima.
James led as Guest Lecturer on the Australian Study Tour - International Event Management and the BBC Live Music and Events Team, Event Production MasterClass.
Louise Garlick
Louise has a wealth of industry knowledge leading teams and managing logistics at events around the world. As the Events Director of The Hospitality Group she was involved in major international sports events including World Cups and Olympics, before founding CAPE in 2016.
Louise adds guest lecturing to her portfolio as she continues to run her own consultancy and manage projects for corporations from grassroots to global scale. With skills across international sports, festivals and major events, Louise's students benefit from her expertise in event operations, planning and logistics.
Sharifa Wilkinson
Sharifa's love of sports, venues and events began at Syracuse University Upstate New York as a high- performance athlete.
After playing at the highest level in women’s football she transitioned to event organising. Sharifa has worked for the Organising Committee in Venue Management and Games Operations Planning for international multi-sport events; The 2015 Pan/ Parapan Am Games, 2018 Commonwealth Games and 2019 Arafura Games.
Sharifa continues to work in the major sports and event industry with her most recent role as Last Mile Lead at FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, with Qatar's Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy.
Petta Naylor
Petta runs Start2Finish event and conference consultancy as Operations Director with responsibility for overseeing, organising and managing all aspects of events and conferences.
Petta also leads on our event and corporate event courses.
Petta's wealth of experience and expertise in events includes working on event processes and protocols with the Offices of Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, the Princess Royal and Prince Edward, and events with high-profile individuals such as Steve Redgrave, Beth Tweddle, Kelly Holmes and Victoria Pendleton
Nick Carden
Nick is a freelance Technical Director/Production Manager with 44 years experience working in theatre, opera, musicals, concerts and exhibitions in over 40 countries. Nick
has been a Technical Director/Production Manager/Crew on many touring shows you may recognise including: Aida at The Pyramids, Egypt; A Chorus Line; Crazy for You; 42nd Street; Evita; Jesus Christ Superstar; Beauty and the Beast; Phantom of the Opera; Flashdance; My Fair Lady; Grease; Lindsay Kemp, Shadowland; Ballet Revolucion; Merchants of Bollywood; Tap Dogs; African Footprint; Peter Gabriel; One Night with Tina.
Rita Conde Luís
Rita brings with her a wealth of specialist skills in corporate event management from a global perspective having worked as:
* Event Manager with Marcus Evans (EMEA & APAC)
* Events Executive Planner with Starwood Hotels/Resorts Worldwide
* Events Manager with PwC (Middle East)
* Senior Events Coordinator with Dish Catering and Events (Dubai)
* Commercial Events Associate with Flash Entertainment (Abu Dhabi)
* Global Event Operations & Optimization Manager with Accenture
Vicki Sutton
A graduate of Sport and Coaching studies in Oxford Brookes, Vicki has worked in the sports industry for 13 years in a variety of roles including Head of Operations, Head of Performance and Business Development Manager.
Vicki has presented at UK wide sports coaching summits on three occasions and co-compered the inaugural Hockey Wales Awards ceremony.
Bill Price
Bill Price has 15 years of experience across the events, experiential, music, hospitality & marketing landscape. Bill brings to his teaching, extensive expertise from roles with iconic venues, global hospitality brands and the UK's biggest club events and independent agencies.
With expertise in VIP, celebrity and high-profile event management, Bill has worked with highly renowned brands such as Google, Mulberry, Michelin, BBC, L'Oreal, Pretty Little Thing and Zurich, as well as artists such as Stormzy, Fatboy Slim, Skepta, Peggy Gou and Mark Ronson.
Ben Parker
As Head of MICE Destination Services Ben is a self-confessed 'Event Obsessive' and a widely acknowledged Venue Expert. Travelling extensively with his work, Ben will bring an international perspective to his classes along with a passion for the event industry that's second to none!
Ben is widely known in London as the "Venue Expert" and his work provides him with insight into the latest trends and practices in event management and venue management and marketing.
Ben's experience includes: Head of Events at Unlocked, Relationship Manager at HireSpace, Account Manager at HireSpace, Venue Expert at HireSpace.
Jerome Buchanan
Jerome's roles as Owner and CEO at Jerome Buchanan Consulting Ltd and Commercial Partnerships & Exhibitions Lead at ERTICO have seen him partner with international associations and mastermind innovative strategies for virtual and physical events on a global scale. From Sydney to Singapore, Dallas to London, Jerome has overseen the operational aspects of exhibitions in major cities, ensuring exhibitor projects, risk assessments, venue logistics, and engagement strategies are flawlessly executed.
As the Commercial Director at MCI Group, Jerome generated an impressive 30 million AUD in annual revenue across Asia-Pacific events, all while meticulously managing exhibition operations for top-notch event delivery.
