Our guest on this episode is my friend Mel Noakes, Head of Sponsorship and Events at Santander, and co-founder, with me, of the event industry’s largest mentoring and training provider, Elevate.

Mel has worked both agency and client side and has spent the last 20 years creating and delivering world-class brand experiences and sponsorship activations globally for Santander, Sony Ericsson and Sony Mobile, Shell, L'Oreal, Budweiser, Jack Daniels, and Disney to name just a few. She’s also been lucky enough to work on some of the most iconic sponsorship properties including Ferrari, Formula 1, Williams Racing, UEFA Champions League, the World Cup, and Santander cycles. She’s also a successful coach and a published author. 

She says, get comfortable with being uncomfortable because that’s where the magic happens. 

Our sound and mix engineer is Matteo Magariello and our producer is Peter Kerwood.

Elevate is a pioneering free mentoring programme that has been designed with a specific goal in mind – to inspire, inform and empower people within the event industry.

Elevate operates, thanks to the generosity of our partners and supporters. Our partners are: Cvent, Jack Morton Worldwide, Live Union, Powwow Events, Protein STUDIOS (venue partner), PSP, The Production Department, We Are Collider and CastleBell Ltd, SPECIAL SAUCE TRAINING LTD (training partner), Times Ten Coaching, Nic Neal (people and culture partners). Our Supporters include; Trivandi, TRO and Xquisite Productions. Together, we’re changing lives, careers and the events industry for the better.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest on this episode is Max Fellows, the founder of Allpoints and Co-founder of Elevate, the event industry’s largest mentoring and training provider.

With nearly 20 years of experience, Max has successfully scaled global event businesses in commercial sales roles at some of the world's biggest agencies, and now leads a team of consultants delivering best in class support, helping business owners realise their companies full potential, this covers all aspects of growth, from training, sales and AI through to PR/ Marketing and M&A. Additional achievements include his TED talk and frequent global speaking engagements and commentary across mainstream news channels.

His career success is a testament to his drive, determination, persistence, ingenuity and hard work. He lives by the mantra of his favourite quote: 'The brave may not live forever, but the cautious will never live at all.'

Our sound and mix engineer is Matteo Magariello and our producer is Peter Kerwood.

Elevate is a pioneering free mentoring programme that has been designed with a specific goal in mind – to inspire, inform and empower people within the event industry.

Elevate operates, thanks to the generosity of our partners and supporters. Our partners are: Cvent, Jack Morton Worldwide, Live Union, Powwow Events, Protein STUDIOS (venue partner), PSP, The Production Department, We Are Collider and CastleBell Ltd, SPECIAL SAUCE TRAINING LTD (training partner), Times Ten Coaching, Nic Neal (people and culture partners). Our Supporters include; Trivandi, TRO and Xquisite Productions. Together, we’re changing lives, careers and the events industry for the better.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest on this episode is Simon Mitchell, CEO of KERB Food and founder of events agency KIN. Simon’s impressive career spans over two decades in events and hospitality, beginning behind the decks as a DJ before moving into event production and leadership, where his creative drive and commercial instinct really stood out.

Ten years ago, he joined the fledgling street food collaborative KERB as Managing Director and now leads the business as CEO, overseeing its transformation into one of the most influential forces in the UK street food scene. Under Simon’s leadership, KERB has expanded from local markets to bricks-and-mortar food halls, securing long-term residencies at venues including Kew Gardens and the National Theatre.

He continues to push the brand into new territory, with international ventures in Berlin and San Francisco, and a strong focus on nurturing the next generation of food entrepreneurs through KERB’s inKERBator programme.

Simon brings sharp business acumen, creative energy and a deep understanding of what makes experiences and people succeed. We’re delighted to have him with us.

Our sound and mix engineer is Matteo Magariello and our producer is Peter Kerwood.

Elevate is a pioneering free mentoring programme that has been designed with a specific goal in mind – to inspire, inform and empower people within the event industry.

Elevate operates, thanks to the generosity of our partners and supporters. Our partners are: Cvent, Jack Morton Worldwide, Live Union, Powwow Events, Protein STUDIOS (venue partner), PSP, The Production Department, We Are Collider  and CastleBell Ltd, SPECIAL SAUCE TRAINING LTD (training partner), Times Ten Coaching, Nic Neal (people and culture partners). Our Supporters include; Trivandi, TRO, Xquisite Productions. Together, we’re changing lives, careers and the events industry for the better.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest on this episode is Natalie Duvall, Creative Director of March Muses and Culture Marketing Events Manager at Red Bull, a Diversity and Inclusion Champion and a presenter on the award-nominated Black Mums Upfront podcast.

Natalie’s work spans culture, creativity and entrepreneurship. At Red Bull, she leads event marketing across dance and music, working with major global artists and delivering high-profile events like Red Bull Dance Your Style. She’s also the co-founder of March Muses, the UK’s leading brand for diverse Christmas decorations. Since launching in 2019, the brand has grown from a kitchen start-up to a household name, with products now stocked in Selfridges, Liberty and Tesco. A 2022 appearance on Dragons’ Den helped take the business to new heights.

Natalie is also a passionate speaker, trained actor and cultural commentator, with appearances on the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and at major events including Stylist Live and Black Investor 360. She champions inclusion, storytelling and purpose-driven work, with a focus on women in business, Black maternal health and motherhood.

Our sound and mix engineer is Matteo Magariello and our producer is Peter Kerwood.

Elevate is a pioneering free mentoring programme that has been designed with a specific goal in mind – to inspire, inform and empower people within the event industry.

Elevate operates, thanks to the generosity of our partners and supporters. Our partners are: Cvent, Jack Morton Worldwide, Live Union, Powwow Events, Protein STUDIOS (venue partner), PSP, The Production Department, We Are Collider  and CastleBell Ltd, SPECIAL SAUCE TRAINING LTD (training partner), Times Ten Coaching, Nic Neal (people and culture partners). Our Supporters include; Trivandi, TRO, Xquisite Productions. Together, we’re changing lives, careers and the events industry for the better.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest on this episode is Louisa O’Connor, Managing Director of Seen Presents, one of the UK’s fastest-growing brand experience agencies.

Louisa’s impressive career spans nearly two decades in experiential marketing, working with major global brands like Netflix, TikTok, Amazon, and Live Nation. Starting as a project assistant, she quickly progressed into senior roles, ultimately founding the new Seen Presents, a dynamic, female-led agency recognised for transforming intangible brand stories into immersive, emotionally engaging experiences. Under Louisa’s leadership, Seen Presents has grown rapidly, securing prestigious awards including The Drum’s Leader of the Year 2023 and Campaign Experience Agency of the Year 2025.

Louisa champions inclusive leadership, innovation, and creativity, continually pushing the boundaries of what brand experiences can achieve. We're thrilled she's joined us today. Welcome to the podcast, Louisa.

Our sound and mix engineer is Matteo Magariello and our producer is Peter Kerwood.

Elevate is a pioneering free mentoring programme that has been designed with a specific goal in mind – to inspire, inform and empower people within the event industry.

Elevate operates, thanks to the generosity of our partners and supporters. Our partners are: Cvent, Jack Morton Worldwide, Live Union, Powwow Events, Protein STUDIOS (venue partner), PSP, The Production Department, We Are Collider  and CastleBell Ltd, SPECIAL SAUCE TRAINING LTD (training partner), Times Ten Coaching, Nic Neal (people and culture partners). Our Supporters include; Trivandi, TRO, Xquisite Productions. Together, we’re changing lives, careers and the events industry for the better.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest on this episode is Nina Ferguson the co-founder and CEO of INCA Productions.

INCA Productions is a global events agency with head offices in London and New York. They serve as a strategic partner and creative studio, delivering extraordinary experiences for ambitious brands. With a prestigious client roster that includes Apple, Google, Moët & Chandon, Chanel, Netflix, EA Sports, and Breitling, INCA Productions is now part of the Independents Group, which boasts the best network of on-the-ground partners and operates worldwide, collaborating with some of the largest multinationals in the world.

Nina says if you're looking for an answer just trust your instincts because you already have the answers within you.

Our sound and mix engineer is Matteo Magariello and our producer is Peter Kerwood.

Elevate is a pioneering free mentoring programme that has been designed with a specific goal in mind – to inspire, inform and empower people within the event industry.

Elevate operates, thanks to the generosity of our partners and supporters. Our partners are: Cvent, Jack Morton Worldwide, Live Union, Powwow Events, Protein STUDIOS (venue partner), PSP, The Production Department, We Are Collider  and CastleBell Ltd, SPECIAL SAUCE TRAINING LTD (training partner), Times Ten Coaching, Nic Neal (people and culture partners). Our Supporters include; Trivandi, TRO, Xquisite Productions. Together, we’re changing lives, careers and the events industry for the better.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest on this episode is Charlotte Saynor, Head of Global Events and Experiences at Google DeepMind, Google’s pioneering artificial intelligence research laboratory.

Charlotte's career has included senior positions at some of the world’s biggest media and technology companies. Starting at Disney, and then Apple, heading up their European events team, before joining FremantleMedia, where she set up the global events team responsible for high-profile events for some of the world’s biggest TV shows. She went on to start her own consultancy, working with well-known brands like NBC Universal, Rolls Royce Motor Cars, and Caterpillar.

Charlotte refers to her career journey as squiggly; we call it stratospheric! Her success is a testament to her passion for events and her ability to adapt and thrive in a rapidly evolving industry. We’re delighted she’s joined us today. Welcome to the podcast, Charlotte.

Our sound and mix engineer is Matteo Magariello and our producer is Peter Kerwood.

Elevate is a pioneering free mentoring programme that has been designed with a specific goal in mind – to inspire, inform and empower people within the event industry.

Elevate operates, thanks to the generosity of our partners and supporters. Our partners are: Cvent, Jack Morton Worldwide, Live Union, Powwow Events, Protein STUDIOS (venue partner), PSP, The Production Department, We Are Collider  and CastleBell Ltd, SPECIAL SAUCE TRAINING LTD (training partner), Times Ten Coaching, Nic Neal (people and culture partners). Our Supporters include; Trivandi, TRO, Xquisite Productions. Together, we’re changing lives, careers and the events industry for the better.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest on this episode of the Just One Thing podcast from Elevate is Dan Howson, the creative producer and biz dev at Imagineerium, the multi-award-winning design agency that creates immersive experiences for architecture, installations and events. Dan is also the founder of Immersive Industry Experiences, an initiative focused on working with employers to increase industry awareness to drive recruitment numbers through creativity, imagination and innovation.

With a 27-year career that spans collaborations with celebrities, artists, promoters, brands, agencies, local governments, prisons, universities, colleges, schools, and charities around the globe, Dan’s CV is an A-Z of some of the world's most famous names, brands, and events.

Dan’s personal and professional journey has inspired him to bridge the gap between education and employment, working with employers to better promote their sectors as dynamic places to work to candidates demographics from ALL backgrounds including vulnerable, disadvantaged young people and ex-prisoners. He has held full-time roles at some of the industry’s biggest agencies, founded several companies, and worked as a freelancer.

Dan believes it’s not what we have in our lives, but who we have in our life that truly matters. He reminds us that we don’t need to make sense to everyone; the right people will appreciate your kind of crazy. Welcome to the podcast, Dan!

Our sound and mix engineer is Matteo Magariello and our producer is Peter Kerwood.

About Elevate: Elevate is a pioneering free mentoring programme that has been designed with a specific goal in mind – to inspire, inform and empower people within the event industry.

Elevate operates thanks to the generosity of our partners and supporters; We Are Collider, PSP, Jack Morton, Smyle, Powwow, Special Sauce, TIMES x10, Nic Neal, The Hoxton, tvg hospitality, ABPCO, CastleBell, event:decision, TRO and Live Union. Together, we're changing lives, careers and the events industry for the better.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest on this episode is Steve Sayer, Vice President and General Manager of The O2, the world's most popular music and entertainment venue. 

Steve has worked in the sports and entertainment industry for over 20 years with a career path that includes various roles at Manchester City Football Club, AEG Europe, and The O2, where he currently heads up the senior leadership team ensuring The O2 remains both world-class and fit for the future in a dynamically evolving consumer landscape.

Steve says he’s spent the best times of his life working in both football and music – talk about being blessed! He says life is for living and there is so much to live for. Be as present as you can be, soak it all up and take it all in. 

Welcome to the podcast Steve Sayer.

Our sound and mix engineer is Matteo Magariello and our producer is Peter Kerwood.

About Elevate

Elevate is a pioneering free mentoring programme that has been designed with a specific goal in mind – to inspire, inform and empower people within the event industry.

Elevate operates thanks to the generosity of our partners and supporters; We Are Collider, PSP, Jack Morton, Smyle, Powwow, Special Sauce, TIMES x10, Nic Neal, The Hoxton, tvg hospitality, ABPCO, CastleBell, event:decision, TRO and Live Union. Together, we're changing lives, careers and the events industry for the better.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ally Owen is an inclusion activist, digital leader and founder of the award winning Social Enterprise Brixton Finishing School, an accelerator that finds, trains and places ‘under-represented’ talent into roles within the Media, Creative and Digital Industries. 

With 30 years experience in the media and advertising industries; Ally amassed her early experience working with the likes of the Guardian, MailOnline, Yahoo and Unruly. 

Brixton Finishing School's award winning family of courses she founded include the flagship ‘Summer School’ in London, ‘ADcademy’, the virtual program, which gives over 2500 students a year across the UK a fairer chance to succeed, ‘ADventure’, the schools programme, which aims to introduce 100k diverse 14-18 year olds to the industry, and ‘Visible Start’ for women over 45.

Ally is on a mission to disrupt the elite media and advertising industry so it includes all voices and gives them the opportunity to thrive. She says talent is distributed equally but opportunities are not. 

Ally is a force of nature and force for change and we loved talking to her. 

Our sound and mix engineer is Matteo Magariello and our producer is Peter Kerwood.

About Elevate

Elevate is a pioneering free mentoring programme that has been designed with a specific goal in mind – to inspire, inform and empower people within the event industry.

Elevate operates thanks to the generosity of our partners and supporters; We Are Collider, PSP, Jack Morton, Smyle, Powwow, Special Sauce, TIMES x10, Nic Neal, The Hoxton, tvg hospitality, ABPCO, CastleBell, event:decision, TRO and Live Union. Together, we're changing lives, careers and the events industry for the better.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.