Great Investment of Time! Efficient Way to get to know who and what in the industry.Kate Chen, Design Manager – Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts
About Atticus Events
Atticus Events own and operate two world class Business Meetings Forums for the Hospitality Interior Design sector - HI Design EMEA and HI Design ASIA. HI Design EMEA was staged for the first time in Stockholm in 2006, and serves many of the key people involved in the design and build of quality hotels throughout the EMEA region.
HI Design ASIA made it's debut in Penang in 2009, and serves the same function in the Asia Pacific region. Both events provide an annual opportunity for hotel owner/operators, interior designers/architects, procurement specialists and Hospitality F,F&E manufacturers to explore best design solutions for these projects – be they new builds or major refurbishments.
Atticus Events was founded in 2007 by Jonathan Needs and James Burke, following the acquisition by Questex Media Group of their previous company, Pelican Events, which they formed in 2000. Jonathan, James and their small, loyal team at Pelican Events gained a highly respected reputation in Hotel Operations forums through their ownership and operation of two HOTEC events.
Having founded and run HOTEC Asia from 2001-2008, and HOTEC Middle East from 2004-2008, Jonathan and James sold Pelican with these two events to Questex - the owner/operator of the two remaining HOTEC events – Europe and North America.
Now, with the same small team, Jonathan and James have built up a similar reputation in the Hospitality Design and Build sector in the two regions that they serve. Delegates who attend their HI-DESIGN forums consistently rate their experiences as being 'Excellent investments of time' or 'Highly Effective'.
Atticus's objective is to deliver events that are truly worthwhile for all participants, as well as being fun. Above all, they strive to exceed the expectations of all their clients.
About the HI-Design concept
Each HI Design event follows the same tried and tested format that Atticus / Pelican have employed and fine tuned over the last 11 years. A meticulously planned schedule, run with precision timing, ensures the perfect balance of activity during the packed two and a half days of the event. Pre-planned Meetings, Highly informative Seminars, Supplier Showcase, Buyer Networking Session and numerous other Networking Opportunities make up the critical mix of these unique events.
Held in a top hotel in a new location each year, HI Design forums allow delegates to conduct their business in perfect surroundings outside of their normal working environment – creating a highly conducive environment for all to achieve their objectives, and in a way that is simply not possible with traditional exhibitions or conferences.
Meet the Team
Having worked together as a team for many years, our individual roles are clearly defined, and this experience is used for the benefit of our delegates. We take pride in providing all delegates with a seamless service, from initial contact up to the event itself. This helps to ensure that not only is time maximised, but also the experience is fun.
JONATHAN NEEDS – Director
Jonathan spent nearly twenty years in hotel and catering operations both in the UK and Europe, including working in hotels in Switzerland, running mainline station catering businesses, and as an Area Operations Manager for the restaurant division of a national brewery company and a major contract caterer. He is still a member of the Institute of Hospitality.
Following that, he spent eight years in trade exhibitions with Blenheim / Miller Freeman, culminating in running a large, biennial, international food and drink exhibition at the NEC, Birmingham.
After deciding to leave the corporate world in 2000, he and James Burke formed Pelican Events, and subsequently Atticus Events. HOTEC Asia, the first of their forums, was launched in March 2001. Jonathan lives and works in Thame, near Oxford, and with Sofi, spends much of his time working with HI Design buyer delegates.
JAMES BURKE – Director
Prior to setting up business with Jonathan in 2000, James worked for a number of years in top restaurants in London.
He then joined McLean Publishing as Sales and Marketing Manager, and was jointly responsible for the launch of the very first Business Meetings Forum in Asia –Aspec 98. Shortly afterwards, McLean was sold to a large U.S. publishing company, whereupon James moved to Speakers International, a leading Corporate Development company based in London, where he worked for two years as an Account Director.
Having always had the desire to run his own business, James linked up with Jonathan to form Pelican Events, now Atticus Events. James is based in Lewes, Sussex and spends much of his time working with HI Design supplier delegates.
SOFI KHAN – Event Manager
Sofi joined Pelican from Sterling Group in early 2004, and has now worked on over twenty events for the company. Sofi sources and recruits buyer delegates, as well as a myriad of other tasks . Although she works principally with the buyer delegates, her infectious personality means that she is well known to many of the supplier delegates too.
She re-located to Cape Town in December 2010, and continues her role as before.
JUSTIN WALL - Operations Manager
Justin has headed the operations of over 80 business-to-business forums over the past 12 years, looking after all event operational and logistical requirements for forums across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the Americas, and ensured the individual requirements of some 2,000 delegates per year.
He works for Atticus Events and Bond Events. He is the main point of contact for registered delegates until the successful completion of each event.
DEBBIE WILSON - Operations
Debbie Wilson has over a decade of experience in international event management, having produced many successful events across the USA, UK, Europe, Middle East, Asia Pacific and Latin America. Debbie has worked for large international corporations to manage conferences, opening ceremonies and gala awards dinners. Currently, Debbie works for Atticus Events and Bond Events. For Atticus, Debbie organises all speaker requirements as well as looking after delegates onsite, and is almost always the first HI Design face that delegates see when they arrive!
RICHARD PEREIRA - Photographer
Richard learned his craft alongside world renowned Terry O'Neill who he worked with for many years. They shot Prime Ministers, Presidents, a couple of Queens and captured many Stars. He set up on his own in 1995. These days Richard helps companies in the Corporate, Hospitality and Events worlds who need unique, high-end images to reflect their businesses. He describes working with Atticus Events as "an absolute joy - as the whole team exudes an enthusiasm for excellence and of course fun!" www.richard-pereira.com
AND BEHIND THE SCENES....
OLIVER NEEDS - IT Consultant
Oliver designed the unique system that faultlessly creates the meetings schedules for all of our delegates. He directs our IT strategy and still runs the scheduling programme for every event. Oliver also runs Bond Events, who own and operate a number of similar forums in the Architectural and Interior Design sector in North America, South America and the Middle East. - namely Arc US and Arc Interiors, Arc South America and Arc Middle East. www.bondevents.com
MIKE McCAFFREY - Marketing / PR / Copywriting Consultant
Mike was with us for four years until late 2009, working with James to help spread the word to new suppliers for both HI Design and the two Hotecs. Having left to set up his own SEO/Copywriting company Word Bomb - www.word-bomb.com - he now shares the benefits of what he's learned by taking care of all online marketing and PR for HI Design. And he's quite good!
VICKI BALL - Web Designer
Vicki has been responsible for the design and maintenance of all Pelican/Atticus websites since the very first one in 2003, and has over 12 years industry experience in graphic and web design, working at several design agencies both in the UK and South Africa. Vicki set up her own company Rubber Design - www.rubberdesign.co.uk - eight years ago, and has a very loyal client base.
Versatile and flexible, she can do it all! Eye catching search engine optimised websites, database driven web-applications, flash games and animations, as well as design and artwork of all printed collateral. Vicki lives on a farm in West Sussex with two horses, one dog, two cats and three chickens!
LUKE JEFFORD - Graphic Designer
Luke has designed all of the Hotec and HI Design event directories since 2003, as well as banners, signage, exhibition graphics, adverts and other miscellaneous material, including the annual Atticus Events Christmas card! Luke Jefford & Associates are based in Brighton and have been producing print design for over a decade, working with clients of all sizes from a wide range of industries.
Luke says "I believe in good, clean, simple design. I collaborate with photographers, illustrators, copywriters and web designers to create corporate communications, such as advertising, branding, brochures, packaging, POS, books, magazines, direct mail and websites. We're able to produce very special results at affordable prices"
EVA WINTERBOURNE - Credit Controller
Eva is the newest member of the team - joining in 2011. She creates and sends all supplier invoices, and then uses her charming personality to make sure that we get paid! Eva runs her own 'PA agency' called Your Island PA. www.yourislandpa.com
