Sir Chris Bryant became Minister of State at the Departmentfor Business and Trade in September 2025, after serving in science, innovation,culture and media roles.

He has been MP for Rhondda and Ogmore since 2001. Educated at Oxford and in Buenos Aires, he previously worked as a priest, councilor, and BBC Head of European Affairs.

In Parliament, he has held senior committee roles, shadow cabinet posts, and ministerial positions, and is also an author on political history.

Rachel has led Food and Beverage leasing at URW UK since2006, bringing experience from leisure, restaurants, and five-star hotels. She introduced a new approach to F&B within shopping destinations and deliveredbleasing strategies for major projects including London, Stratford,

and Westfield World Trade Center in the US.

As customer experience became central, her role expanded to include leisure leasing, covering competitive socialising, family entertainment, and immersive experiences.

David has been part of the Puy du Fou adventure since the age of seven, when he began as a volunteer with the Cinéscénie show.

After graduating from INSEEC Business School in Bordeaux, David joined Puy du Fou’s sales team as a Key Account Sales Manager. Two years later, he established the Marketing and Communication Department before being appointed Deputy General Manager of Puy du Fou France in 2012.

In 2018, he became Deputy General Manager of Puy du FouEspaña, leading the opening of the first Puy du Fou park outside France. Since 2022, David has been appointed Chief International Development Officer of Puy du Fou, overseeing the creation of new Puy du Fou artistic concepts around the world.

Since 2020, James has worked in Investor Relations for TheLondon Tunnels while also distributing equity funds for Castlestone Management across Europe and Latin America.

A graduate of the University of Edinburgh, he has built a career across finance and marketing, holding roles at Merrill Lynch, Procter & Gamble and Deutsche Bank.

Outside work, he enjoys photography and tennis and is a committed long-distance runner, previously completing two marathons annually before becoming a father to his son, Finn.

Withover 30 years of experience in the attractions and ticketing industry, Andy Povey has witnessed visitor behaviour evolve through every major digital shift, from paper tickets to mobile apps, and now AI-driven personalisation.

After senior roles at Merlin Entertainments, Gateway Ticketing, and Convious, Andy has co-founded Merac, a cutting-edge digital solutions provider that is reshaping how attractions connect with their guests online.
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Graham MacVoy is Founding Managing Director of Wake The Tiger, the world’s first Amazement Park® and the UK’s largest immersive art attraction, created in a transformed Bristol warehouse.

He previously helped grow Boomtown Fair into a globally recognised festival. At Wake The Tiger, he delivered major expansion, B Corp certification and industry awards.

He is now leading an 80,000 sq ft immersive experience at Westfield London, redefining retail through culture, creativity and community engagement.

Gregory Taylor is founder and director of Studio EX, aLondon-based multimedia entertainment studio creating human-centred, non-political work with global artists, brands and organisations.

His practice blends art, data and live experience to translate complex social themes such as unity, loneliness and collective responsibility into participatory platforms.

Through Studio EX and freelance projects, he has collaborated with partners including XL, Live Nation and Bandai Namco. His first major solo artwork, The Six Degrees,is scheduled to launch in mid-2026.

Martin Howe is a creative technologist with over 40 years’experience delivering innovative technologies across global industries. For a decade, he has led Teq4, building it into a world-renowned creative design and systems integration company behind immersive attractions.

He is also CEO and co-founder of Dapper Labs Ltd, creator of Chaperone, a smart platform personalising visitor experiences.

A co-founder of Brighton AI, Martin champions responsible AI and transformational, purpose-driven innovation.

Natalia Bakhlina is a partner at Leisure DevelopmentPartners, a specialist consultancy serving the global visitor attraction and leisure industry. She has over 20 years of experience in real estate and leisure economics, focusing on stand-alone attractions, entertainment destinations and complex mixed-use developments.

Natalia has worked across MENA, North America, Asia and Africa, delivering economic feasibility, due diligence, operational reviews, impact studies and leisure strategies for a wide range of urban and resort-based leisure assets.

Tony Sefton is CEO and Founder of Vision and a globallyrecognised leader in visitor attraction science. With over 30 years’ experience, he has delivered more than 150 strategic leisure projects for organisations including Disney, the National Trust, Six Flags and Dubai Parks.

He has created international psychographic databases, licensed experience-modelling tools worldwide and led over 15 business recoveries.

A respected speaker, Tony is known for turning complex data and behavioural insight into practical strategies that link visitor experience with commercial success.

Emma is a customer-focused commercial leader with a strongrecord of delivering business transformation through collaborative, cross-functional teams.

She joined Merlin Entertainments in June 2024 to lead the Residency programme, creating new growth through pop-up attractions in partnership with Fever, and has since expanded into the wider Transformation
portfolio.

Previously, Emma worked at Deloitte, the BBC, and in fashion at Burberry and Mulberry. Outside work, she enjoys baking, yoga, volunteering with RNIB, and adventures with her dog, Archie.

Natalia is a senior consultant with 20 years of experiencein strategic planning, project management, and business development in the creative sector.

At AEA, she focuses on cultural policy, business planning, programme development, and impact analysis. She has led major research for the Arts Councils of Ireland and England, the British Council, and Nesta.

Her international work includes cultural strategies, feasibility studies, and regional cultural plans across Europe, North America, Asia, the Gulf, and New Zealand.

Alexander has spent over 20 years in the immersiveexperience industry.

He began as an advertising creative before becoming Creative Director at Live Nation, the world’s largest live entertainment agency, delivering brand experiences across live music and festivals.

He later served as Managing Director of MET Studio, a leading experiential design agency, for five years.

He then joined Engage Works to help expand its capabilities, regions, and sectors, and now supports the senior team and board in a strategic advisory role.

Simon has around 15 years’ experience in the creativetechnology space, specialising in immersive experiential activations. His skillset spans AI development workflows and large-scale production engineering
projects, with a strong background in technical production.

He has delivered complex real-world interactive experiences using technologies such as skeletal recognition, microcontrollers, and single-board computer–triggered systems.

Simon is passionate about blending virtual experiences with tangible, tactile interactions, creating engaging and innovative environments that connect digital technology with the physical world.

Shri joined the Science Museum Group in November 2019 asDirector of Corporate Services, becoming Chief Operating Officer in 2021 and Deputy Chief Executive in 2025.

The Group is the world’s largest alliance of
science museums, overseeing six major UK sites. As Deputy CEO, Shri leads on resources, governance, government engagement and enabling functions including finance, digital, people, commercial operations and communications.

Formerly a senior civil servant, he held senior finance roles, most recently at the Home
Office, and served on Historic England’s Audit and Risk Assurance Committee.

Dominique is a curator and historian with more than twenty years’ experience across museums and heritage organisations in the UK, Hong Kong and Ireland.

Her research and practice focus on public history, interpretation, participation, and the application of digital technologies to heritage contexts. She has a particular interest in how emerging technologies, including AI and immersive technologies, can support ethical storytelling, contested histories and community co-curation.

She is a Clore ​​Fellow and contributes widely to academic, professional and policy debates on heritage, authenticity, and public trust in the UK and abroad.

Kelly Boosey draws on over 25 years’ experience across hospitality, tourism, leisure and innovation to shape experience-led projects that blend creativity, technology and commercial performance ​.

A strategic commercial leader, she has launched and grown innovation hubs, led large-scale guest experience operations and built high-value client partnerships that drive measurable results ​.

Kelly also contributes to local economic ambitions through her roles on the CBI East of England | Council and on the Suffolk Business Board, championing innovation and business engagement.

Sana has led Fever’s Europe expansion since 2020 as Regional GM for UK & Nordics, head of Secret Media Network.

An experiential-entertainment specialist, she oversees partners and touring shows including Van Gogh – The Immersive Experience, Harry Potter: Forbidden Forest Experience, and Candlelight. In 300+ cities, Fever partners with Disney, Netflix, WB, and sports clubs.

Sana holds degrees from Macalester College and London Business School, previously worked at Wayfair Europe, BCG, Daraz.pk, recognized leader today.

Luke Miles is Co-Founder of Experiential Edge and an

award-winning CMO at the forefront of the competitive socialising sector. He has led multi-site brand growth across

the UK and internationally, launching flagship experiential venues in major retail and city destinations.

Luke consistently secures high-profile partnerships with leading global brands and delivers impactful creator-led campaigns.

He partners with founders and investors to scale

brands through commercially focused marketing and customer-led strategy.

Josh Ford is a visionary entrepreneur who has consistently conceived and founded industry-defining concepts across immersive entertainment and competitive socalising.

He leads with bold, original ideas and assembles talented teams to bring his visions to life. Projects include:

Swingers – Josh was the creative mind behind the original

pop-up crazy golf concept

Time Run - award-winning immersive escape room

Sherlock: The Official Live Game -

BBC-licensed immersive experience

Rough Hill - student events brand

Winterwell Festival - independent music and arts festival

Founder and Director of Experience Lifestyle PR Agency Mance Communications, and currently listed on the Blooloop 50.

Meritaten has developed the PR strategies for many of the UK’s more prominent lifestyle and immersive experiences as well as working with and alongside international studios and IP-led brands including Disney, Universal, BBC and Mattel.

Kimberleigh Lloyd is Revenue Director at Clays, where she leads sales, marketing, pricing, and experience across the business.

Passionate about building high-performing teams and exceptional customer journeys, she focuses on pricing excellence and designing revenue engines that drive sustainable growth through data, creativity, commercial discipline, and strong leadership.

Roger Highfield is the Science Director of the Science Museum Group, Visiting Professor of Public Engagement at the University of Oxford and UCL, and member of the UKRI-Medical Research Council and UKRI Building a Green Future Advisory Board.

Previously, Roger was Editor of New Scientist (2008 - 2011) and the Science Editor of The Daily Telegraph (1988 - 2008).

He has written about artificial intelligence, most recently: AI needs physics more than physics needs AI.

Matt has 25 years of entertainment industry under his belt and is proud to celebrate 10 years with Little Lion this year.

His career spans from acting in classic British soaps such as The Bill, Emmerdale and The Royal, to working with prestigious institutions such as the RSC and The Royal Opera House.

He also spent several bewildering years as a Pirate in the Caribbean…

An expert in immersive theatre and “Super Scale” interactive experiences. Matt has developed extensive expertise in the industry, across narrative development, theatre direction, writing, devising, producing, storyboarding,

and creative ideation.

He has a rich practical knowledge in gamification and puzzle design, with a particular obsessive focus on narrative and theatricality.

Matt holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from the prestigious Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts.

Jason studied Lighting Design at Rose Bruford College. Jason’s design work started in theatre, moving from fringe to West End to international productions and latterly events and experiences. He joined White Light (d&b solutions) as a Design Assistant, before progressing through the company and is now a consultant.

Over the past few years, his expertise and focus on AV Solutions has further expanded into the Immersive and Experience world, where he has worked on ground-breaking projects such as the National Gallery’s new digital exhibition Leonardo: Experience a Masterpiece,and the transformation of BAFTA’s London home 195 Piccadilly.

Most recently Jason has been championing the new language of digital production and XR, supporting creative organisations and venues as they journey into this new medium, connecting spaces and venues together to drive new opportunities for storytelling and audience engagement.