Simon served in the RAF for six years in the 1980’s before entering the world of exhibitions in 1988. He then spent the next 10 years as a junior partner in a small entrepreneurial events business, launching and then selling exhibitions to larger competitors. In 1999, he became MD of the joint venture between Haymarket Publishing and the BBC, responsible for the portfolio of TV-related content events in the UK. In 2001 he joined Clarion Events as MD, a small UK exhibition organising company that was a subsidiary of the private equity backed Earls Court and Olympia Group. Clarion became a standalone business in 2004. Since 2004 Simon has overseen and driven the growth of Clarion Events to become a leading international events company with interests in Exhibitions, Conferences, Publishing and Digital. Simon’s interests vary from wine to politics – a heady mix, tempered by the joy of his five children!
