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Judges

AEO Awards

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Richard Toomer

Richard Toomer

Executive Director, Tourism Alliance

Richard Toomer is the Executive Director of The Tourism Alliance, the umbrella trade association for the whole tourism sector. The Alliance has 65 member associations which are all trade bodies, membership organisations or Destination Management Organisations. The Alliance’s main roles are to provide a unified voice for the tourism industry to government and parliament, to provide insight and coordination on policy matters to member organisations, and provide a forum for debate and discussion on important policy topics through its events programme.

Richard has been with the Tourism Alliance since 2022. He has previously had roles in communications, public affairs, policy, campaigning, and external relations with the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) and the British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA). He previously worked as a parliamentary assistant for a Member of Parliament for five years.

Richard has a bachelor’s degree in politics from Durham University and a master’s degree in management from the Durham Business School. He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (MCIPR).

Richard represents the tourism sector on a number of national boards and committees, including the Tourism Industry Council.

Testimonials

  • A huge thank you for the awards on Friday! It's one of the best awards I've been to in a while! The choice of entertainment was excellent, Dara O Briain was hilarious and it was just generally a brilliantly organised, fun day. Thank you to the whole team for your hard work. You're all fabulous.
    Julia Danmeri
    CEO & Founder, TranslateAble
  • The recognition from AEO means a great deal to us. It reinforces our commitment to providing a premier venue experience that not only meets but exceeds the expectations of our clients and guests. Being acknowledged among our peers in the industry motivates us to continue pushing boundaries.
    Miles Eady
    Head of Events, Roundhouse
  • The day was truly remarkable, and we are sincerely delighted to have received such esteemed recognition for our efforts with the New Futures Network. Winning the Best DEI Initiative Award at such a renowned event, amidst inspiring competition, is an honour beyond words.
    Charlotte Stone
    CEVA Showfreight
  • The AEO Awards is great at bringing the community and the industry all together
    Carolyn Mason
    Director, Experience Staff
  • It is so much fun to have a day out with the industry and to just talk to everyone that loves it and is so passionate about it
    Nico Stanford
    Senior Sales Manager, Olympia London
  • I wanted to congratulate you both, and the wider AEO team, on such a fantastic awards ceremony last week. I have not attended the AEO Awards for several years, and perhaps I forgot just how much of a special day it is… it was incredibly well organised, and it was such a wonderful occasion.
    Ashley Roberts
    Managing Director, CONNECT
  • What a fantastic AEO Awards last Friday; such a buzz and a brilliant afternoon all round. Thank you all for putting on such a fabulous event. What Else Events will be back next year with an even stronger case. For now, being a Finalist is a major achievement in such a competitive category.
    Tim Else
    Founder & Managing Director, What Else Events
  • It was lovely to see you and the team and we had a fantastic night thank you! Everything looked incredible and it was a great event to be part of. Thank you
    Becky Oldham
    Marketing Manager, NEC Group

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