Christopher Palmer-Jeffery is the Chief Executive of the European Group, a winner of the prestigious Hospitality Company of the Year award. Building on the success of Palmer-Jeffery Hospitality and Palmer-Jeffery Catering, Christopher went on to create and run two more successful businesses - European Events and European Hospitality, which specialise in all aspects of event management, promotion and corporate hospitality.  European Events and European Hospitality are now part of the European Group and are the culmination of over 25 years experience gained in the challenging, demanding but rewarding world of live event management.

Christopher is also the creator, producer and director of the Spring Proms, a hugely successful musical event held at the Royal Albert Hall.  In 2009, the Spring Proms celebrates its 14th Anniversary and is now an important feature in the calendar of many corporate clients. Christopher has also been successful in gaining registered charity status for Youth Backstage.   This charity will enable young people from all backgrounds to become involved the world of music, entertainment and events.

Christopher’s interests are many (time allowing!) but include music and theatre, sport and, of course, entertaining. He is married to Kirsten and has two sons.

Since 2003, Colin has supplemented European Group’s senior management team in a non-executive director capacity. Colin is a sales and marketing professional with over 20 years’ experience across a broad range of industries. He has held a number of senior management positions within both private and quoted companies and has recently successfully groomed and managed two of these for trade sale.

For the past 8 years, Colin has offered his strategic skills as an independent consultant, initially within the WPP Group plc and latterly as Managing Director of The Venture Practice and VXPartners Ltd. His primary focus of expertise is business development with particular attention to routes-to-market, services marketing and channel strategies.

His client companies have covered a wide cross section of industries from young leading-edge technology organisations to large established corporations. In addition to being MD of VXPartners, Colin holds non-executive positions for two other companies, is a director of a charity in the performing arts sector and has been a guest lecturer for the Chartered Institute of Marketing.

Martin Davies, Finance Director, has been working at European since 1997 and is a Board level director and shareholder. Martin qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1992, and for a period of five years prior to joining The European Group worked as audit manager for a Nottingham based firm of Chartered Accountants.

Martin graduated from Sheffield University with a degree in Biochemistry and Physiology in 1988. Outside of the European Group, Martin has a strong passion for photography and has had several photos published in National magazines.

Paul Southern, Director, aged 47. Paul has been involved in logistics, services and sales throughout his career. Paul started his working life in Transport logistics before moving into sales with the largest transport company in the world at that time - TNT - where he became National Sales Manager for one of the core divisions.

Between 1991 and 2000 Paul was a Director shareholder and a founder partner in the Ultimate Event Company before joining the European Group in 2000.
Paul brings to the European Group a wealth of experience from outside the industry as well as within it. Paul is a Board level director and shareholder of European Events and is involved on a daily basis in all aspects of the selling, delivery and overall service experience to clients, partners and suppliers.

Paul has two sons, Dexter and Zak and lives in Buckinghamshire. Although Paul is from Wigan he chose to play the Union variety of Rugby, rather than League and went on to play first team rugby for Wasps and then Richmond at Wing, Centre and Full back.

Jane Wade, Commercial Director, joined the European Group in 2002 as Marketing Manager, and has a strong background in sales and marketing having spent five years in an Account Manager and Business Development role, in addition to two years as Marketing Manager for a leading sports clothing brand. Jane joined the Board at the European Group in 2003 and is a shareholder, now overseeing the Group Marketing activity.

Jane's practical experience is accompanied by a strong academic record with a BSc(Hons) in Business, Diploma in Marketing and an MA in Marketing within the Leisure sector.

Passionate about sailing, Jane is married with two daughters, Imogen and Harriet.

Stephen Coverdale, Chief Operating Officer, joined European Events in March 2005, having spent most of his career to date in professional sport. A qualified solicitor, Stephen started his working life by combining practicing with a legal firm and playing cricket for Yorkshire. He subsequently joined the BBC, as a broadcaster and Head of Department, before being appointed as Chief Executive of Northamptonshire County Cricket Club in 1985. In that role he led the executive management team of one of the 18 First Class County Clubs, developing the commercial aspects of the business, while being responsible for all financial and administration arrangements, and the infrastructure of a sporting arena. Stephen was heavily involved in national cricketing issues, being part of the group that formed the England and Wales Cricket Board, and subsequently he became a Director of the ECB. He also managed two representative overseas tours.

After 19 years with Northamptonshire, during which he became the longest serving Chief Executive in English cricket, he left to pursue a business and commercial career, initially in an Interim role as a Marketing Consultant for a local company, before joining European Events, attracted both by the variety of his role and the ambition and potential of the company.  He is a Board level director.

A graduate of Cambridge University, where he attained two Law degrees, including a Post Graduate degree, and gained four ‘Blues’, Stephen is married to a schoolteacher and has 3 children.

Simon began his professional career in 1981 as a technician at the Bristol Hippodrome Theatre. He went on to become Head of Department at the Theatre Royal Bath and, in 1987, embarked on a touring career.

From 1987 to 1994 Simon worked as Master Carpenter for many touring and West End productions whilst also running his own scenery and furniture workshop. In 1994 Simon was asked to production manage a tour of “Great Expectations” for Apollo Leisure UK and subsequently he continued production management for many other productions. In 1998 Simon joined COORDINATION as Senior Production Manager for whom he worked on many worldwide productions including “Smokey Joe’s Café” in Istanbul, “Sesame Street Live” in Germany, “Soul Train” in the West End . He took these shows and many others on tour.

In 2002 Simon returned to freelance production management, providing services to numerous productions including “The Rocky Horror Show”, “My One and Only”, “White Folks”, “Sesame Street Live” in Bahrain, “Nixon’s Nixon”, “Vincent in Brixton”, “The Rat Pack Live from Las Vegas” and “The New Statesman”. Simon also works for the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art assisting in the training of future technicians. He also provides Production Management for themed corporate event companies and works as Production Director for European Events Ltd. throughout the year.

Trisha began her career in UK film as a production buyer for BREAKING GLASS (1981). She continued to work in the props and art departments on major films and television mini-series before going on to become set decorator for THE LEADING MAN (1996), starring Jon Bon Jovi.

Other notable credits as set decorator include HILARY AND JACKIE (1997), THE WINSLOW BOY (1999), IRIS (2001), ANITA AND ME (2002), FINDING NEVERLAND (2004), WHERE THE TRUTH LIES (2005), and more recently, episodes of the 2007 BBC TV mini-series "CRANFORD" starring Judi Dench.

Trisha was nominated for an ‘Oscar’ for Achievement in Art Direction in 2004 for FINDING NEVERLAND, starring Johnny
Depp and Kate Winslet. Trisha also received a BAFTA nomination in 2005 for Best Art Direction & Set Decoration for
FINDING NEVERLAND.

In 2008, Trisha has been nominated for an Emmy in Outstanding Art Direction for CRANFORD (2007) TV mini-series.

Trisha was nominated for an ‘Oscar’ for Achievement in Art Direction in 2004 for FINDING NEVERLAND, starring Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet.

Trisha is currently working as Venue and Event Theming Consultant to European Events Ltd, and has helped bring together our venue and event themes for the year ahead, including next summer’s season at the Tower of London, the first summer run permitted to be held there.