Jo Austin is part of the Compass UK & I leadership team, and the Sales Director for its C&E brands, Lime Venue Portfolio, The Venues Collection and Levy UK& I. She is also a board director for the MIA.
Under her leadership, the brands have become multi-award winning, high performing, and highly respected businesses within the marketplace. Added to their commercial success, the brands have also become known for their high levels of innovation, training, and their ability to challenge as well as cheerleader for the industry.
Jo is a passionate advocate for the sustainability agenda in the meeting, conference and events sector. Most recently this has been demonstrated by the Lime Venue Portfolio’s Beyond Food initiative that has caused mass change within the industry through a closer understanding and interrogation of the impacts on events, food and the environment.
Jo has enjoyed over 20 years in the events industry working at board level within a number of hotel groups prior to joining the Compass Group to head up Lime Venue Portfolio, the UK’s largest collection of unique and unusual venues. Jo also is the subject matter expert in the organisation around the hotel and travel policy as a regular business traveller herself. More recently she was part of the launch leadership team behind The Venues Collection, a residential conference and training brand within the industry.
Jo is a regular speaker within the industry, but also a big supporter of initiatives that share best practice, disrupt bad habits and push the marketplace forward.