Reed Exhibitions U.K. Establishes CEO Role
By Margo McCall -- Tradeshow Week, 6/14/2004
Reed Exhibitions Chairman Mike Rusbridge named a seasoned public relations and marketing professional to oversee the company's United Kingdom division.
Over the past two decades, Alastair Gornall has established and built up two agencies: Scope Communications and Consolidated Communications, which was named PR Week's 2001 consultancy of the year. Since selling Consolidated in 2001, Gornall has run a consultancy that assists public relations companies with strategy and growth plans.
In his newly created position, Gornall will be responsible for more than 50 exhibitions and around 300 staff members. One of his main tasks will be to unify the division's three separate departments: Reed Travel, Spearhead Exhibitions and Fresh RM.
The U.K. division of Reed in September 2003 acquired Spearhead, producer of 11 events in the aerospace and defense, oil and gas, and marine science and ocean technology sectors. Spearhead contributed four key brands: Defence Systems and Equipment Intl., Helitech, Offshore Europe and Oceanology Intl. The acquisition enabled Reed U.K. to expand on its aerospace portfolio, which includes Asian Aerospace and Latin American Aero & Defence.
The oil and gas and marine sectors were new to the division, however. Offshore Europe, based in Aberdeen, Scotland, is a decade-old show operated in partnership with the Dallas-based Society of Petroleum Engineers. Oceanology Intl. is held each year in London, drawing more than 500 exhibitors and 7,000 attendees.
Fresh RM is a 5-year-old joint venture between Reed Exhibitions and Montgomery Exhibitions whose food and beverage tradeshows draw a total of 100,000 buyers each year. The events include Specialty and Fine Food Fair, The Intl. Food & Drink Exhibition and Hotelympia, all held in London; and Hospitality, held in Birmingham.
Gornall is scheduled to take the post Sept. 1. World-wide, Reed Exhibitions produces 430 consumer and trade exhibitions in 32 countries each year, making it the largest show producer.
Rusbridge also recently tapped a public relations executive to head Reed Exhibitions' North American division. Chet Burchett, the division's new president since February, was formerly president and CEO of the U.S. division of global public relations agency Burson-Marsteller.
A spokeswoman said Rusbridge's role will not change as a result of Gornall's appointment.
