Alison Willis appointed as CEO of Easyfairs UK & Global

Matt Benyon to dedicate full focus to his group role alongside Anne Lafère as Easyfairs Group CEOs.

London, 11 June 2024: Easyfairs has today announced the appointment of Alison Willis as CEO of its UK & Global region. Previous regional CEO Matt Benyon will now focus solely on his Easyfairs Group role, which he assumed in September 2022 alongside his regional responsibilities.

Willis, who joined Easyfairs in 2017 as Divisional Director, was promoted to Divisional Managing Director in 2022 when Benyon took on his group role. She has since led a diverse portfolio of events spanning construction, logistics, manufacturing, engineering, and aesthetics. In her new role, she will oversee the entire UK & Global business, covering events and media across Spain, Portugal, Algeria, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Belgium and the UK.

With a 25-year career in exhibition sales, Willis previously worked at Centaur and UBM and served as Portfolio Director at Ascential before joining Easyfairs. She is also active in the wider exhibition industry, serving as group chair of the AEO Development Board and a member of both the AEO Council and Women in Exhibitions.

Matt Benyon, Group CEO for Easyfairs, commented: “It gives me great delight and pride to hand the baton of the UK & Global region after 15 years to Ali. She is the perfect choice to continue the next phase of the region’s growth and innovation, with her extensive experience and knowledge of the exhibition sector, collaborative leadership and proven track record of running successful and ‘visit the future’ events.

This appointment allows me to focus exclusively on my Group CEO responsibilities, which include driving our overall growth and accelerating our M&A strategy,” he continued.

Willis expressed her excitement, saying: “I am truly honoured and thrilled to step into Matt’s shoes as CEO for Easyfairs UK & Global. The past seven years at Easyfairs have been fantastic, and I am proud to have contributed to the company’s incredible growth story.

“In this next phase of my career, I am grateful for the trust and support from Matt, Anne and the entire Easyfairs management team. Together we have achieved great things and I am confident that – with the continued support of our talented team – we can drive even more growth and innovation. Change is always exciting as it brings fresh perspective, new ideas and opportunity for growth. I look forward to embarking on this exciting journey.”

For further information, please contact:

Alison Church
CMO, Easyfairs UK & Global
[email protected]