Under the Spotlight with Mike Sherrard, Exhibition Director & Board Member, Mash Media


Posted on Thu 28th Feb 2019 at 3:55pm

What was your first job in the industry?

I started in a very small company, Independent Exhibitions, (I was the third in!), working on two shows: Manutech (Manufacturing Technology), and the Computers in Manufacturing Show. At that time we were a minnow taking on the might of EMAP (as they were then) and Reed Exhibitions. Formidable competitors, but we had the power of publishing behind us which helped to create highly successful events (and more spin offs in the years to come!)

What has been your biggest challenge?

The reason I love the exhibition industry so much is the variety of challenges that are thrown. Annually recreating the sales & marketing message for the product, no matter how successful the show has been, is probably the biggest challenge we all face.

Who’s inspired you?

The very nature of the exhibition industry means it is packed with creative and inspiring individuals and I’ve been lucky enough to work or meet with many who have helped and inspired. But if I have to name names it would be Andrew Dedman, Andy Center and Richard Copley-Smith. Andrew’s knowledge of the exhibition industry is encyclopaedic: Andy is by some distance the best at spotting and developing a business and Richard is simply a guru in the industry. Any business blessed with these three is a successful one and I was lucky enough to have been in that company!

How has the industry changed?

There has been enormous change over the 30 odd years I’ve worked in the exhibition industry such as the role and relative importance of differing departments as well as the interaction with suppliers. But at the end of the day the basic premise of the exhibition industry remains the same. It is our job to get sellers connected to buyers. In short we act as enzymes, and that will never change.

What’s your criteria when selecting a supplier for your events?

In short, I look for what does the supplier add to the exhibitor and/or visitor experience within our events. There also needs to be a bond of trust as selected contractors are interacting with our customers, and shoddy production can completely destroy the experience.  There also needs to be an understanding of our business and hence flexibility. As an example, when launching New Scientist Live I needed a contractor who could work with the many and varied demands from a science community unused to the demands of an exhibition. It needed patience and time - fortunately we found Showlite and in particular, Anthony who delivered precisely what we needed. 

Biography

Mike’s career spans over 30 years in the industry working at some of the biggest companies and on market leading brands. Following 17 years at Penton Media, Mike has launched and sold events at his own company Firecast Media, managed consumer shows at Clarion, and held MD roles at Centaur, Nineteen and Archant. More recently, Mike launched the award winning New Scientist Live. Mike is currently Exhibition Director & Board Member at Mash Media.

 

 

Our Services

“The onsite team is always happy to co-operate with the inevitable last minute changes.”
Natasha Messer, Events Operations Manager, Prospects Events
“Showlite deliver exceptionally high levels of personal service. I know that I can rely on them to deliver throughout all aspects of the pre-planning, build and onsite work”
Mark Mayo, Director, Motorcycle Expo
“I have no hesitation in recommending Showlite as a professional and reliable supplier of contractor services. They are totally trustworthy and in touch with the latest regulations and requirements”
Mirabelle Chatterjee, Head of Operations, Nineteen Events
“We had the pleasure of having Showlite as part of our event team. The staff took the time, care and attention required to make sure that our exhibitors and us as organisers felt valued and looked after”
Diane Sheppard, Event Operations Manager, Quartz Business Media
“Over 1,200 exhibitors, almost 4 miles of aisle carpet plus enough shell scheme to cover two football pitches and it was the easiest get in we have ever had. Quite exceptional”
Andrew Reed, Managing Director, William Reed Business Media
“Showlite worked diligently with great speed to complete the build in the allocated time. We look forward to working with them at our next show”
Karen Harris, Operations Manager, Idex Media
“Showlite have worked hand in hand with us, investing in design, stock and materials developing an innovative product for our customers”
Bill Hammond, Managing Director, 3rd Street Group
“It has been a pleasure to work with Showlite who provided a seamless delivery both presite and onsite.”
Paul Clarke, Organiser, Installer Live
“My sincerest thanks go out to all Showlite staff who played an invaluable part in what seemed the impossible task. It goes without saying that I would not hesitate in recommending their services to others.”
Phil Valentine, Managing Director, ETES, Southern Manufacturing & Electronics
“I can honestly say one of the smoothest builds I have ever experienced on an event in over 17 years”
Nicola Greenaway, Managing Director, Nineteen Events
“We have a longstanding relationship with Showlite. They demonstrate a real professionalism and dedication and I look forward to working with the team again!”
Hannah Webb, Head of Operations, Hemming Group
“A massive thank you for helping us make this year’s Hearth & Home Exhibition a success. ”
Claire Cox, Hearth & Home, Fireplace Marketing Company
“Thanks to everyone at Showlite for a job very well done at The Mayfair Antiques & Fine Art Fair! The event went beyond expectation and there were hardly any glitches at all.”
Ingrid Nilson, Director, The Antiques Dealers Fair Limited
“I really appreciated the positive attitude of your team and the willingness to support unexpected problem situations onsite. It has been a great pleasure working with you both!”
Joy-Fleur Brettschneider, Marketing & Operations Director, Solar Media Limited
“Thank you so much for all your support on PATS this year. Showlite were absolutely brilliant. ”
Jo Scotting, Head of Operations, Impact Exhibitions
“We always know we’re in a safe pair of hands with Showlite. They deliver professional results with attention to detail and focus on service.”
Jo Foreman, Operations Manager, Brintex
“I would recommend Showlite completely from the level of personal service, quality of work and positive work attitude to keep on going until the job is done.”
Emma Barratt, Managing Director, Broadway Events
“Thank you for all your help and support for the NFE show. We had a lot of last minute changes, and Showlite were very accommodating and professional.”
Angela Long, Sales and Marketing Executive, Wesley Media
“Many thanks to Showlite. Everything went really smoothly and the show looked absolutely fantastic.”
Mandie Lavin, CEO, NAFD
“Phex has never looked as good and the build-up and breakdown went really smoothly. Thanks to everyone. I look forward to be working with you again in the future.”
Julie Pollet, Operations Manager, Brintex
“Showlite are the ultimate in prior planning and preparation. We never have any problem and if we do have an issue we resolve it there and then. We love working with Showlite.”
Andrew Reed, MD, William Reed Events & Exhibitions
“Big thank you to Showlite … once again it was a pleasure working with you all again and look forward to 2018!”
Sam Hunt, NMBS Events Manager
“Many thanks for the brilliant job you did on this year’s UKIVA which was a great success. The team pulled out all the stops to make sure everything was ready in time and ran smoothly throughout the day.”
Christine Valdes, Event Organiser, UKIVA, PPMA Group
“We would like to thank you and the team for an excellent build and all your help in the move to Mall Galleries after 25 years. ”
Gay Hutson, Founder and organiser, 20/21 British Art Fair
“The event looked great and the help and advice from Showlite throughout was invaluable. ”
Toby Merigan, Founder, European Sport Fishing Show
“Thank you for being a magnificent partner to Highways UK. Love the Showlite can do attitude and the smiles and personality that come with it.”
Andrew Dowding, Managing Director, Essential Infrastructure Events
“We have had excellent feedback from exhibitors and visitors and this is testament to the excellent partnership we have with Showlite.”
Justine Devereux, Operations & Project Manager, Xmark Media Ltd
“It was great to have Jenni onsite as it really makes a difference having her help to co-ordinate all aspects of the project.”
Joel Swarc, Associate Director, Promotor Events Ltd
“I would like to highlight the outstanding performance of Ross Isolda during the build up of the recent Foodex show at the NEC. I would like to thank him - and the boys on the tools also, for making the whole process as smooth as it was considering the challenge. ”
Phil Birch, Team leader, NEC mains services, NEC

This site uses cookies as described in our Cookie Policy. To view cookies served on this website please review our Cookie Policy. Please continue to use the Showlite website if you agree to our use of cookies.