- Show Overview
- Opening Times
- Timetable
- Tickets
- Directions
- The Team
- The Venue
- Associate Charities
- Media
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The team
The creation of the Outdoor Lifestyle Show has brought together a world class team of event professionals in order to organise and manage the first ever event of this type in the South of England. All our team members have extensive experience in both local, regional, national and international event organising and are all are outdoor enthusiasts in their own right.
Our offices are based in the rural location of Horton, which is situated in Cranborne Chase, Dorset a nature conservation and area of outstanding natural beauty.
We all share a common passion for the great outdoors and are totally committed are to creating the kind of event we would like to attend ourselves. We are also committed to running an event that provides you with the best exhibitor experience and opportunities.
Our business ethos is simple, do business fairly and equitably and most of all have fun doing it!
Who we are
Gary Robinson
Managing Director
Although raised and now residing in Dorset Gary has lived and worked in the US, Germany, Belgium and South Africa. He has over 25 years experience in exhibition creation and management (both trade and consumer) and the hospitality industry. He has been a director of a number of international event, publishing and hospitality organisations including Global Village Leisure Retail Group PLc, The Vertical Business Group Ltd, GCC Exhibitions (SA), VP Verlag GMBH, The Ultimate Experience Company. He also consults to many other exhibition and event organisers and venue owners.
He is a committed conservationist and qualified African Bush Guide, environmental children’s author and documentary film maker (Discovery Channel). His love and enthusiasm of the outdoors is obvious when you meet him. His passions include, hiking, golf, camping, circuit racing and rallying, 4x4ing, badminton, gardening, cooking, photography, rugby, microlighting and anything else he can get stuck into outdoors.
Richard Montgomery
Director of Operations
Richard was born in Northern Ireland, but has travelled extensively before settling down in Essex. This explains his 'odd' accent.
Richard enjoys all aspects of the outdoors, camping, hiking, skiing, walking, water sports including sailing, canoeing, windsurfing and swimming. What leisure time he gets now, he spends with his wife Avrina, daughter Ellie, son Jonathon and Bo the dog.
Richard is the Director of Operations and is responsible for planning and organising the infrastructure of the show, as well as being the campsite Manager.
His background is planning and implementation and it is this strength that he brings to Outdoor Lifestyle Show. He has been involved in the planning and organisation of many activities in his career, and has recently been involved in the planning and implementation of aspects of the 'V'concert at Chelmsford.
Sarah Harris
Sales Manager (General Trading)
Sarah lives with her family in Surrey and has been involved in the events industry for over 10 years. She has worked in a sales capacity within commercial environments for over 15 years and has successfully launched many trade shows and events.
Her interests include, Formula 1 racing (Maclaren), gardening, country walking, growing her own vegetables (her runners beans are world famous in Ripley!). She enjoys mountain biking (but states that she would be embarrassed to call it mountain biking as there are no hills, let alone mountains in Ripley!). Swimming and dance.
Jayne Sterk
Sales Manager (A Village "Green")
Lives with her family in West Sussex and has been involved in managing her own Gardening Events for over 13 years. Her own shows (run twice per year) each attracting over 16,000 visitors. Jane along with her daughter Emily areresponsible for sales in the Outdoor Lifestyle Show feature area "A Village Green".
Her interests include swimming, riding, hiking and skiing and Tennis.
Emily Sterk
Sales Manager (A Village "Green")
Emily has been working in the events industry with her mother Jane for over 3 years now and has quickly become a seasoned professional particularly in the area of sales and marketing. She, along with her mother (Jane) are responsible for sales in the Outdoor Lifestyle Show feature area "A Village Green".
Her interests include cross country running, swimming, riding and netball and anything outdoor and active.
Dean Drayson
Sales Manager
Dean is responsible for all sales within our general trading areas and has over 5 years sales experience within the leisure industry.
Jo Price
Financial Manager
Jo lives in Dorset with her family and has been a financial controller and manager within commercial environments for over 15 years. Jo is responsible for the company's financial systems, bookkeeping, invoicing and financial administration.
Her interest lie in walking, does not do camping, pub quiz nights, travelling, badminton. What do you expect from an Financial Manager!
Teresa Ashton
Administration Manager
Teresa is the steadying force in our lives back at our offices and is the primary office based organiser . Teresa has three children all, "Outdoorers!" and has 15 years experience in administration management both within and outside the events industry.
Teresa's passion's are, long distance running, swimming, hiking, camping, mountain biking, gardening, growing own vegetables and fruit.
Vanessa Ashley
Trading Fair Emporium Manager
Vanessa has many years of experience in the events and exhibitions industry. She also holds her own events throughout the regional and has joined forces with us to deliver a shopping experience that few women will be able to resist.
Nicole Fenner
Liz Leans PR
first experienced the great outdoors at just three days old, watching her dad play in a local cricket match. Since this early age her enthusiasm for outdoor activities has grown. From white water rafting in Wales to skiing in the French Alps, Nicole has also recently participated in Cancer Research’s, Race for Life. Nicole has lived on the south coast for the majority of her life. She even spent her university years in Brighton, because she couldn’t stand to be too far away from the beach! Whilst Nicole enjoys the great outdoors, her main ambition in life is to turn shoe shopping into an Olympic sport, convinced she would easily scoop gold!
Richard Gosler
Director of New Media
Richard is the inspiration behind the Outdoor Lifestyles web presence and the way in which we do business electronically with our exhibitors and visitors. His experience in creating simple but effective online solutions for our business makes him a central figure in the success of our virtual branding and marketing.
He lives with his family in Dorset and his interests include, archery, golf, clay pigeon shooting, panoramic photography, camping and breeding labradoodles
Graham Barnes
Web and Graphic Designer
Graham is currently in his final year of studying Interactive Media Production at Bournemouth University, the only Centre of Excellence for Media Practice in the UK. He has skills within many media forms including web design, animation, 2D and 3D games, graphic design and interactive narratives.
Graham lives with his family in Dorset and his interests include; personal fitness, running, swimming and following many sports.
Credits
Our thanks must go to the following people and businesses for sharing our vision for this show by entrusting us with their children, family members and various products in order to shoot the photographs that are represented in all our literature and website.
Our Models
- Anna, Winnie, Megan, Corrie, Samuel, Mike & Chris, Thia & Brian, Tom, Teresa, , Richard, Avrina and Ellie, and Max the dog.
Props supplied with thanks by:
- Dorset Quads, (Quad Bikes) Sherborne, Dorset, DT9 3PS 01935 814 500
- Crescent Suzuki, (Motorcycles) Verwood, Dorset BH31 6AX, 01202 820170
- Offshore Performance, (jet Skis) Poole, Dorset BH4 8EW 01202 722 632
- FC Watersport Academy, (Kayaks, Sailing boats,etc) Poole, Dorset, BH13 7QB
01202 01202 708283 - The Caravan Company, (Caravans) Wimborne, Dorset, BH21 3HA 01202 888601
- Smart of Poole, (Cool little cars) Poole, Dorset, BH15 2BD 01202 641 842
- Skirmish Dorset, (Paint Balling) North Almer, Dorset, 0800 612 0419
- Cotswold Outdoor, (Outdoor wear and equipment) Bournemouth, Dorset, BH9 3LJ 01202 529 123
- Heavy Horse Centre, (A very big horse) Verwood, Dorset BH21 5RJ, 01202 824 040
- Stewards Nursery, (Garden furniture) Holt, Dorset, BH21 7DF 01202 882462
- Extreme Visuals
- British Heart Foundation
- Cancer Research
- Market Relations
- Pixelhaus Studios
Selected Photos provided with thanks by:
