Organisers
The Sticky Wicket Steering Group is a collective of event and exhibition industry people who are passionate about events and sport and want to raise money for a fantastic charity.
We are not a business but we are commercially driven!
Neither are we exclusive. Anyone who is in the event or exhibition industry is welcome to get involved, support, contribute, help, sponsor and be a networking spectator.
However, if you want to throw on the whites and rub shoulders with the great and good, set foot on the Sticky Wicket and experience an excellent day of cricket, you will have to sponsor a team or be invited by a sponsor to play.
Mervyn spent over 20 years in IT before falling into the Events Industry in 2000 during a mid life crisis! The last 10 years or so have been spent with permanent roles at Centaur Communications, The AEO, Aztec Event Services and most recently as a Consultant to several companies and in the event industry and sport related projects. Mervyn is a great believer in bringing the Events Industry together wherever possible and is passionate about cricket, and is also proud to say he was the catalyst for the creation of Sticky Wicket.
On the cricket front, Mervyn has played cricket since he could walk and is Treasurer of The Lord’s Taverners Middlesex Committee.
Favourite Cricketing Moment: “Hitting Neil Foster (former England & Essex fast bowler) straight back over his head over the sightscreen for 2 consecutive sixes and living to tell the tale!”
 Jeremy Rees - Sales Director, ExCel London
Prior to joining ExCel, Jeremy was the Sales Director for Earls Court & Olympia Group, and prior to that held various roles at Clarion Events, expocentric.com and IPC Magazines. Jeremy enjoys most sports and plays cricket for the Saints Cricket Club and is active on the Lord’s Taverners Middlesex Committee.
Favourite Cricketing Moment: “My birthday 1997 playing against Tobago U19s, final over, I was bowling, 3 wickets left – 6 runs for Tobago to win. Taking the last 3 wickets in 5 balls for 4 runs...the party was immense!”
Anna has spent nearly 20 years working in the Events & Exhibition Industry, eight years of which was spent as Head of Operations for Penton Media working on events including Leisure Industry Week, Internet World, Computers in Manufacturing and many more.
Three years ago after a period of working as a freelance, Anna teamed up with Vikki Evans to setup IQ Events Ltd, that offers a Organisers operational help for a huge variety of events including Civil Service Live and The London Triathlon Expo to name two.
With regards cricket, Anna has very little playing experience but loves to watch anything from 20Twenty to Test matches, and is active on the Lord’s Taverners Middlesex Committee.
Favourite Cricketing Moment: “I booked a holiday in the West Indies in 2007 to coincide with the World Cup matches in St Kitts, and was present to watch Herschelle Gibbs score his famous 6 sixes!”
Adam joined Thorns after 12 years in direct sales before taking charge of Camden Furniture the Exhibition division of Thorns Group and has spent the last 8 years building a client portfolio which includes UBM Information, Brand Events, Brintex, Clarion and many more.
A sports lover and father of 8-year-old twin boys, Adam is a passionate football fan. An Arsenal supporter, he also runs a under 8’s football team at Buckhurst Hill FC. Although he doesn’t play cricket, Adam is a big fan of the game and frequently attends 20-20 matches.
Favourite Cricketing Moment: “I see myself as more of a spectator of Cricket, that or the fact I prefer to be somewhere near the Pimms tent on a sunny day”
 Kara joined Earls
Court and Olympia to run their conference centre at Olympia. A mere 15
years later she has blended her operational skills with acute commercial acumen
to assume the role as the Business Development Manager for these historic venues.
Some would say cut
her in half and it would read EC & O (other would say cut her in half and
watch her fall over!!). Kara simply loves what she does and is
passionate about every show she has, from the massive Ideal Home Show to
Counter Terror Expo, Civil Service Live to Call Centre Expo never a dull day.
South African by
birth she has sport in her blood and is a fervent fan of Rugby, Cricket and
Football, (shouting herself hoarse at many a ground!) and has a secret passion
for darts. Her love of all things Yorkshire (even Sir Geoffrey), places
Headingley as her spiritual sporting haven.
She believes her
favourite cricketing moment will come this year when EC & O win the Sticky
Wicket Trophy.........
Rob's
first 'proper' job was in events and 10 years later he’s still going strong.
His career to date has taken him to Faversham House Group, Fresh RM and Clarion
through a variety of marketing roles and latterly Event Director Roles.
Rob optimises the spirit of Sticky Wicket by bring precious little cricketing
ability to the party but plenty of enthusiasm.
Favourite
cricketing moment: Going on tour to Estonia to take on their national team
(despite returning home without scoring a single run in 3 appearances!)
Laura has worked on all 3 sides of the event triangle - venue, organiser and contractor. Currently with Early Action Group, Laura is looking forward to the future as part of newco - the merger between Early Action and The Opex Group.
The daughter of a fanatical cricketer (with Laura in photo), the sound of leather on willow never fails to bring back happy memories. In her own right, Laura likes most sports, mostly from the sofa.
Favourite Cricketing Moment: “When my Dad's team, The Barleycorns won the Carter Cup for the first time in 1980. The Carter Cup being the most prestigious club competition in Norfolk at the time, possibly still is but I'm not up on these things anymore!! Even though I wasn't that old, I can remember the feeling of tension building as they got through each stage of the competition culminating in very rowdy celebrations in the aftermath of the win!”
 Paul MacDonald – Portfolio Director, Marketing & Creative, Centaur Exhibitions
After completing his Marketing degree Paul joined DMG to work on the ever so sexy nursing & care home portfolio and the dry cleaning events, following this Paul has worked on the security portfolio at UBM, the food portfolio at Fresh RM and is now remembering all Kotler taught him at University within the marketing & creative portfolio at Centaur.
Favourite Cricketing Moment: “Letting Rob Collins hit me for six last year. You should have seen his face…..it was like giving a young child a puppy for Christmas!”
 Toby Wand - Group Director, Fresh Montgomery
Toby has worked in the exhibitions world for over 20 years - firstly for Emap Communications during most of the 90s, launching and directing exhibitions in a wide variety of markets from education and technology through to period homes and interiors!
Toby was first involved in the hospitality market in 2003 in a JV launching ‘Taste of London’. He joined Fresh Montgomery in March 05 and is Group Exhibition Director of the business running a variety of food, drink and hospitality trade shows.
Favourite cricketing moment: “Definitely being out on tour with the English cricket team in Australia in 1987 and bringing home the Ashes – am pleased to say after 24 years we have finally managed to repeat the feat!
Prior to joining The NEC, Chris was Group Event
Director at Reed Exhibitions, an organising career spanning nearly 20 years
including sales and management roles at ITE Group, Advanstar
Communications, 2 stints at Reed Exhibitions and also ran his own event
consultancy business, Cornerstone.
Favourite Cricketing Moment, 1997 cricket dinner at
Simpsons, Sir Dennis Thatcher presented me with the inaugural TFC (Thanks for
Coming Shield) Shield, only presented to players that throughout the season had
consistently failed to perform with both bat and ball!
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