Ashley Banjo, Choreographer and Founder of dance troupe Diversity and Cally Beaton, media entrepreneur, writer and performer, will deliver keynote addresses on 5 & 6 October 

LONDON: 7 September 2022 – Cvent, a market-leading meetings, events, and hospitality technology provider, today announced that Ashley Banjo MBE, choreographer and founder of dance troupe Diversity and Cally Beaton, media entrepreneur, podcaster, writer, performer and former Senior VP at Viacom will be featured keynote speakers at the company’s annual event technology conference, Cvent CONNECT Europe. The hybrid event, hosted at the InterContinental London - The O2, will take place from 4 - 6 October and will offer both in-person and virtual experiences. Cvent will also host an in-person experience in Germany on 5 October at the Frankfurt Marriott Hotel, offering local attendees the opportunity to view live sessions streamed from the London event and engage with peers in the area. Cvent CEO and Founder, Reggie Aggarwal, will also take the main event stage as the opening keynote.

“We’re excited to feature both Ashley Banjo and Cally Beaton at this year’s Cvent CONNECT Europe conference and to have them share their unique experiences with our attendees,” said Patrick Smith, Cvent SVP and Chief Marketing Officer. “Ashley understands the power of delivering impactful experiences that not only bring people together, but inspire meaningful conversation; while Cally’s broad-reaching career in media gives her a unique perspective on what it takes to be a successful business leader and mentor. Ashley and Cally anchor a robust three-day agenda that is sure to inspire and educate our attendees on the power of meetings and events.”

About Ashley Banjo

Ashley Banjo MBE rose to prominence when Diversity, the dynamic street dance troupe he founded, won Britain's Got Talent in 2009. Since that pivotal moment, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) award-winning group have achieved what no other dance group has, having sold well over half a million tickets across their 10 sell-out UK tours. Aside from the group Ashley is well known for his television roles; he has presented, judged and produced many award-winning programmes including Britain’s Got Talent, Dancing On Ice and the Emmy and BAFTA award-winning The Real Full Monty.

Ashley will discuss leadership strategies including how to establish supportive and empowering environments and create pathways for group success. The presentation will incorporate unique insights from Ashley’s career including the challenges he has overcome as well as the tactics that have helped fuel both his, and Diversity’s, longevity, offering attendees insights on how to stay ahead of the curve in a dynamic, evolving landscape.

About Cally Beaton

Cally Beaton, a media entrepreneur, podcaster, writer and performer, has held senior management positions at some of the biggest media companies in the world including MTV, UKTV and Viacom. Throughout her broad-reaching, successful career in media, she has broken barriers including being the youngest and only female member of the ITV board. For 10 years, she was the Senior Vice President at US studio giant Viacom CBS – where she was responsible for brands such as MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon and Paramount Pictures.

It was while working with Comedy Central and on shows such as South Park and SpongeBob SquarePants that Cally began to develop and explore her passion for performing as a stand-up comedian – with personal guidance and motivation from the great Joan Rivers. Cally has since become one of the UK’s most-booked professional comedians. She is a frequent guest and commentator on BBC 5 Live, BBC Radio London and Times Radio.

In her keynote address, Cally will leverage her unique brand of wit and storytelling to provide useful tips on how to successfully navigate personal and organisational change.

The Cvent CONNECT Europe conference agenda is designed to help marketers, event organisers, hoteliers, and other industry professionals master the evolving events landscape and includes more than 45 thought leadership workshops, panel sessions and roundtable discussions covering the latest industry trends and best practices as well as networking events.

For more information or to register, please visit the Cvent CONNECT Europe website.

For behind-the-scenes content and real-time updates, follow @CventCONNECT on Twitter / @cvent_inc and #CventCONNECTEurope on Instagram.