The International Corporate Events Network has announced the appointment of Gareth Kelly as a Non-Executive Director, further strengthening the leadership of the rapidly expanding global community for senior in-house corporate event leaders.
The appointment follows the organisation’s recent evolution into the International Corporate Events Network and the addition of Ben Goedegebuure to its board, both signals of the group’s growing ambition as it expands its international footprint and influence.
Kelly joins the board with extensive experience in global corporate marketing and events strategy, most recently at Salesforce, one of the world’s largest technology companies and a major global champion of business events as drivers of growth, community and customer engagement.
During more than a decade at Salesforce, Gareth helped build and scale the company’s executive marketing and events engine across EMEA, shaping engagement strategies around flagship global platforms including Dreamforce, Mobile World Congress and NRF. His work helped transform regional participation in Dreamforce into a coordinated programme representing a significant share of the global audience, while major event activations delivered hundreds of executive meetings and millions in marketing pipeline.
At the International Corporate Events Network, Kelly will work closely with the leadership team to help shape the organisation’s corporate messaging and strategic narrative, ensuring the community’s voice, and the value of corporate events, resonates clearly with both industry and business audiences.
Anita Howard, Founder and CEO of the International Corporate Events Network, said: “We’ve always believed that corporate event leaders sit at the centre of something incredibly powerful; they influence brands, shape customer experience, and increasingly drive business strategy. Gareth understands that world intimately. Having worked at Salesforce, he’s seen first-hand how events can power culture, community and commercial growth inside one of the world’s most influential organisations.
As we continue to expand the International Corporate Events Network globally, Gareth’s perspective on messaging, positioning and storytelling will be hugely valuable.”
Gareth Kelly added: “What Anita and the team have built with the International Corporate Events Network is genuinely impressive. It has become one of the most respected communities for senior corporate event leaders, with an increasingly global footprint. The ambition behind the organisation, the quality of the conversations taking place within the community, and the way it represents the strategic value of corporate events is exceptional. I’m excited to support the next stage of its growth.”
The appointment continues a period of development for the organisation as it builds an independent, intelligence-led platform designed to connect senior corporate event leaders with the insights, relationships and expertise needed to deliver greater strategic impact.
Together with fellow Non-Executive Director Ben Goedegebuure, Gareth’s appointment signals the organisation’s intention to combine deep strategic insight with strong industry leadership as it scales its programmes and global community.
