About us

The NHST Events team

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  Jon Chaplin

  Managing Director

  +44 207 029 4161

  After a largely misspent youth at Marlborough College, Jon studied business at University and then joined Business Meetings Ltd in London, owners and organisers of a portfolio of conferences and exhibitions including Gastech, MariChem, RoRo and Cruise +Ferry. Later, as Project Manager, he helped launch two new events, SuperFerry and Ship Repair & Conversion.
  
  Moving on and after a period as Director of Events at the Business Design Centre in London, he joined TradeWinds in 1995 as Sales Manager, to open and develop a commerical presence for the paper in London , taking over as Commercial Director in 1996. Having successfully launched TradeWinds first conference, Shipping China in 2004, he went on to establish NHST Events AS in May 2006 and joined the TradeWinds' Board of Directors in the same year.
  
  Jon completed the 2011 London Marathon, running for the Mission to Seafarers and takes his trainers on business trips, although they mostly just stay in the case.

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  Banu Kannu

  Project Director, APAC

  +86 186 2136 0996

  Banu Kannu joined NHST Events in April 2011, and is tasked with building the company's portfolio in the Asia-Pacific region. A journalist by training (Murdoch University, Australia), Banu has been in the conference business for over 7 years working across a variety of sectors that includes property, infrastructure, energy and maritime. Career highlights include the property conference Cityscape Asia & China, which Banu developed and successfully ran for 2 years. Banu was born in Singapore, raised in Perth and currently resides in Shanghai. In addition to English, she is fluent in Tamil, Mandarin and is considering learning Norwegian.

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  Gregory Whitehead

  Sales Director

  +44 207 029 4165
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  Nicola Tippetts

  Conference Manager

  +44 207 029 4162

  Having gained a bi-lingual secretarial diploma at the City of London Polytechnic in London, Nicola started her career in 1984 as a conference administrator at Gastech Ltd , organisers of conferences and exhibitions, whose events included Gastech, RoRo, Cruise +Ferry, SuperFerry and Ship Repair & Conversion. In 1994 Nicola became a Director of GasTrade Ltd, owners and organizers of the GasTrade conferences which were held in Hong Kong in 1994 and 1995. In 1999 she joined TradeLink Solutions Ltd as PA to the Managing Director and was actively involved in investigating renewal energy projects including many site visits to renewal projects in Wales and Scotland. In 2002 Nicola joined TradeWinds as a Credit Control Manager, and went onto become the company's Customer Service Manager, dealing directly with subscribers and advertisers. In 2007 Nicola joined TradeWinds' sister company NHST Events as Conference Manager, taking responsibility for the operational side of the conferences, including liaising with the venues, speakers and delegates. Nicola enjoys a love of the countryside, as well as the excitement of exploring new cities around the world.

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  Soosyan Eng

  Marketing Manager

  +44 207 029 4163

  Soo joined NHST Events as Marketing Coordinator in September 2007 after she moved to London. In 2009, she was promoted to Marketing Manager responsible for all marketing activities for the company. Prior to joining NHST Events, she was the Marketing Communications Manager for Wilhelmsen Ships Service Malaysia (formerly known as Barwil Unitor Ships Service Malaysia). Soo had obtained a Diploma in Shipping through WW Academy, an internal expertise development programme by the Wilh. Wilhelmsen group of companies. Soo holds a bachelor degree in Media Communications from Sheffield Hallam University, United Kingdom. She is also an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (ACIM). Soo loves food, travelling and reading.

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  Eli Tchou

  Graphic Designer

  +44 207 029 4164

  Eli Tchou joined NHST Events in August 2009 as Graphic Designer. She designs all events' visual materials as well as the company's own branding materials.
  
  Eli has a bachelor degree in graphic design from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Before joining NHST Events, she worked for four years in Beijing. She was in-house designer for the American Chamber of Commerce and created event materials for the company’s magazine and website as well as for major productions such as the annual charity ball and Independence Day party. She later worked on events for the country’s top wine importer, ASC, including a dinner hosted by leading critic Robert Parker on the Great Wall of China.
  
  In London since 2008, Eli takes full advantage of the international music scene to attend concerts as often as she can.