Most marketers will have been touched in some way by Haymarket
Exhibitions or sister company BBC Haymarket Exhibitions, which run some of
the leading live B2C events, including Clotheshow Live, BBC Good Food/Homes/Gardeners World, as well as a host of trade events. However, few will have heard of Grahame Jones, but his was the unenviable task of ensuring your safe and pleasant passage through these countless media.

Every so often EVENTS:review likes to pay a tribute to the unsung back office of the live events industry, and so it is with Jones, group operations director at Haymarket Exhibitions, who has finally bowed out after 38 years exceptional service.

Grahame Jones smiles for the camera

Simon Daukes, group managing director at Haymarket, announced his departure yesterday, while Jones typically slipped out of the country to avoid all the fuss and is currently parked on a beach in Antigua.

Jones is a passionate believer in the live events medium, a passion that only comes second to his beloved Chelsea FC. A very private man with a wicked dry wit, he only ever raised his head at the annual Association of Event Organisers' industry awards where he never resisted the opportunity to position Haymarket ahead of the competition to the respective cheers and boos of the audience.

Lets hope the AEO does the decent thing when it comes to the industry
service award this year!

Well done Grahame.