Further proof that the tide is turning towards experiential and live activity was evident last week as RPM announced the appointment of marketing industry stalwart Graham Kemp as its chairman.

This is the first time the experiential agency has had a chairman since it was founded in 1993. Kemp has an enviable track record with over 30 years’ experience in the marketing communications industry.

In 1986 Kemp co-founded The Marketing Store and grew the company into the largest independent promotional marketing agency in Europe, before selling the business and merging it with MB Sales from Chicago. He is currently serving as chairman of the MCCA (Marketing Communication Consultants Association), as well as further roles within a music sales and marketing rights company and a content provision publisher.

Kemp’s role will focus on working with the board and existing leadership team in delivering against the ambitious strategy for the RPM Group. He will also be working with senior personnel within their respective group companies to help build their individual businesses in line with the overall group strategy.

Of Kemp’s appointment, RPM managing partner and founder, Hugh Robertson, said: “This is a really exciting stage in RPM’s development. We have looked at our strategy for the next three years and identified how best to ensure experiential stays at the forefront of marketing. We feel that with his experience in marketing as a whole, and particularly with The Marketing Store, combined with his business gravitas, ethics and values, Graham is an excellent addition to the management team enabling us to take the agency through its next stage of growth.

“Externally, Graham will be key to us carrying forward the debate on experiential. Internally, he will help us with our plans for growth, not just in terms of size but also in terms of offering. He’s well respected in the industry and takes RPM onto a different plane in terms of where we’re positioned. Also his skill set will play a vital role in helping us grow our global capabilities.”

Kemp added: "I am hugely excited about the opportunity at RPM. Brands creating real connections with consumers have proved to be highly effective and this approach will continue to be vital in the future. RPM is the number one experiential agency in the UK and has ambitious and inspiring plans for this sector. I also feel very comfortable with the values of the board. They are passionate about their people, their clients and their work and that is really important to me. My role is simply to contribute towards the successful realisation of our goals."