With Liz Ormesher from Raccoon Media Group. Liz is the event director of BETA International. Raccoon acquired BETA International in November 2024 and will run the 2025 show at the NEC on 28/29 September. Liz is also event director of The National Equine Show, the consumer event at the NEC in March.
What does your job involve?
An event director’s role essentially encompasses every aspect of developing and producing the show. I work all year round to build an event that surpasses the last and one that has taken on board all the feedback from the previous year. I am also the only commercial person on my shows currently, so I also oversee all the stand and sponsorship sales.
How did you come to be in the role?
I started my career in a pharmaceutical sales role more than 20 years ago. I worked in pharma for the best part of 20 years in various marketing, account management and project management roles.
After working freelance for a few years around the births of my children, my good friend Mike Seaman, CEO of Raccoon Media Group, said I’d be good in an event role and he’d have a job if I ever wanted one. I said: “Not unless you do an equine show.”
Two weeks later, he asked me to put together a business plan - and The National Equine show started its journey to launch.
Why is there still a place for face-to-face exhibitions when so much business is done via digital communication?
There is no doubt that many markets have benefited hugely from progress in digital communication; but there is also an incomparable value to face-to-face interaction.
For consumer and business shows, it’s about the opportunity to interact with a person, to ask questions with real eye contact, to touch and feel a product or experience a service.
The rise of live events out of the Covid era proved that there is still a desire and need for face-to-face. The buzz from visitors, exhibitors and organisers at all of our events is palpable.
How will a return to the NEC – which hosted BETA International from 1995 to 2020 - allow the show to flourish?
The NEC is such an accessible venue. For UK and international visitors, it takes access as a challenge out of the scenario. One of the aims of moving back there is to open that access and encourage a wider visitor and exhibitor pool, both domestically and internationally to attend.
We have the majority of our UK shows at the NEC, so we have a good relationship with the team which will benefit the BETA International brand. In addition, our acquisition of PATS (Pets & Aquatics Trade Show) brings the two shows alongside each other to open a wider delegate offering to both shows.
"We are very excited for the future and growth of BETA International."
Is BETA International to remain a strictly trade-only event?
BETA International is still very much a trade event. There are some broader terms in there when you
think of riding schools, or venues with events which may have their own retail offering onsite and so are
relevant also.
How are stand sales going for September’s show?
We had a fantastic rebook onsite at the 2024 meeting and with the sales since we have just 15% of the floorplan still available. It’s been a hugely positive response, and we are very excited for the future and growth of BETA International.
It’s been mooted that the show has become a largely UK event in recent years. Are you planning to put the ‘international’ back into BETA International?
Through acquiring BETA International we are looking to the development of the brand.
The UK is a fantastic market to host an equestrian trade show in and encouraging more international brands and visitors to be a part of the show is certainly part of our plan.
What’s your favourite part of your job?
The people. The reason I wanted to do an equine show is because I am at my core a horsey girl.
This is my world and to get to work with people, businesses and brands every single day who share the same passion for the industry, the sport, the people and most importantly the horses is an utter joy.
Obviously, all jobs come with their stress and intense volume of work, but the difference in this role is that I actually care.
How do you like to relax at the end of a busy week’s work?
I have two children under eight, so in amongst the parenting of rugby games, horse riding, dance classes, drum lessons and general life I’m not sure I know what relax is!
But being with my family and friends and just laughing (and the occasional G&T) is the best medicine to relax. Though I do still find my calm being around horses. I lost my horse this year, so my daughter’s little pony gets lots of kisses from me, much to his disdain. You cannot beat the smell of a pony’s nose to feel happy.
