Sian Downes is a multi-award winning corporate event planner and founder of Strawberry Lemonade Events, a social enterprise event management firm based in Scotland and working across the UK. With a track record that includes delivering high-impact events for clients like TED, Liverpool Homeless Football Club, DISF Fest, Scottish Borders Chamber of Commerce, Invest2Scale, Travalyst (Prince Harry), and the Edinburgh Yoga Festival, Sian specialises in connecting brands with their audiences and helping organisations hit strategic goals through unforgettable experiences.

Lucy’s hospitality career spans 35 years with the major hotel brands in Operational Meetings and Sales & Marketing regional roles across the UK. Having started as a Chef, Lucy quickly progressed into Meetings & Events, gaining experience in the big banquet hotels in London. Moving into Sales and regional team management with the growth of Hospitality Management Companies. Lucy was appointed as Managing Director of ExecSpace in April 2025, an Edinburgh based venue finding company and has since expanded services to benefit the meeting & event requirements of their customer

Founder of The Virtual Norm and Chief Operating Officer at The PS Events Group

Chris Norman has a passion for live event technology, with over 20 years of experience across all areas of the events industry. Known for his innovative approach, Chris looks to create immersive, engaging event experiences that captivate audiences. From large-scale corporate events to personalised activations, his work has transformed ideas into impactful, memorable experiences.

Tracy Ryan is a marketing professional with over 30 years’ experience in strategic marketing planning, marketing communications and campaign management across regional, pan-EMEA and international roles. She is currently Head of EMEA Marketing at Simpleview, a software, creative and data insights company that partners with destinations and their agencies to engage stakeholders, attract visitors and win bids for conventions and events. Prior to joining Simpleview, Tracy was Chief Marketing Officer at Natterbox, an exciting telephony scale-up, where she increased sales pipeline by 123% and ran account based marketing programs to create brand advocates across their international accounts.

Laura Schwartz is an internationally renowned speaker, author, and television commentator who rose from White House volunteer at age 19 to become Director of Events, orchestrating state dinners, global summits - including NATO’s 50th Anniversary - and America’s Millennium Celebration. Guiding protocol and production for presidents, first ladies and world leaders, she honed the strategic vision, adaptability and flawless execution that underpin every high-stakes gathering. Her experience at the White House laid the foundation for her bestselling book, Eat, Drink and Succeed, which has since inspired audiences across corporate, nonprofit, and international sectors.

Stuart Turner is an events industry professional with thirty years’ experience of working in the fields of sport, culture and events. Stuart worked as the Head of EventScotland and was responsible for leading on the creation of the National Events Strategy ‘Scotland the Perfect Stage’. He also led the EventScotland team in developing a portfolio of events over a period of ten years, working across both sport and culture. Stuart later worked as Head of Major Events in Auckland where he wrote the ‘Major Events Strategy for Auckland’ and lead on the establishment of a new Cultural Festivals strategy. Most recently, Stuart has worked as Interim Director of Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games and Chief Operating Officer for the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships.

With over 20 years in the business events sector, Lesley has led impactful roles, from Head of Sales at Edinburgh International Conference Centre to MD of BestCities Global Alliance. Now an independent consultant, she champions the power of business events to drive positive change globally. Passionate about Scotland's profile as a top conference destination, Lesley also serves as a Director and Trustee of the Royal Yacht Britannia, enriching her community and industry. Lesley is the current chair of Women In Tourism, an organisation created to motivate, inspire, support and encourage women across the tourism and hospitality sector in Scotland.