Speakers

With over 20 years of experience in the exhibitions and events industry, Sarah Whittaker-Smith is an accomplished event director known for delivering large-scale exhibitions and prestigious awards programmes. She has led diverse event portfolios across sectors, combining strategic insight with operational excellence to drive growth and engagement.

Before joining AEP Standards, Sarah served as Portfolio Director at Agriconnect, where she oversaw a suite of market-leading events, developing innovative formats and delivering measurable commercial success.

In her current role as Chief Commercial Officer at AEP Standards, Sarah plays a pivotal role in advancing industry integrity through event audits that help organisers benchmark quality, enhance credibility, and prepare for successful sale or investment. Her deep understanding of both the commercial and operational sides of events positions her uniquely to advise on when an event is truly “ready to sell.”

Sarah is passionate about raising standards across the exhibitions industry, championing transparency, data-driven decision-making, and long-term value creation for organisers and stakeholders alike.