Montgomery Group has announced the appointment of Nick Powell (pictured) as portfolio director for its Food, Drink & Hospitality Week (FDHW) division. He joins as the Group continues to celebrate its 130-year events industry anniversary.
Reporting to Shane Hannam, Montgomery Events managing director, Powell will lead FDHW’s award-winning portfolio, which includes some of the UK’s most influential trade shows and events in the sector, including IFE, HRC and Speciality & Fine Food Fair.
Commenting on his appointment, Nick Powell said: “It’s an incredibly exciting time to be joining Montgomery Group. The company’s commitment to excellence and its people-centric culture were major factors in my decision – Montgomery is truly positioned as the employer of choice for the industry. From my first weeks, it’s clear the Food, Drink & Hospitality portfolio is a leader in showcasing innovation, driving meaningful conversations, and offers so much potential for future growth. The success we’ve seen to date across the portfolio of shows demonstrates the incredible appetite for these events and their critical role in the industry.”
Powell has a track record in scaling, launching, and strategically positioning events for long-term success, and has worked most recently for Northstar Travel Group, CloserStill Media, dmg events and Easyfairs.
Shane Hannam added: “We are thrilled to welcome Nick to the team. His depth of knowledge, passion for events, and strategic vision make him a perfect fit as we continue to drive innovation and scale within the Food, Drink & Hospitality space.”
Montgomery’s jointly owned (with GL events) Johannesburg Expo Centre (JEC), recently took centre stage as the principal venue for the first G20 Leaders’ Summit ever to be held on African soil. Over two days of high‑level talks at the end of November 2025, plenary sessions, bilateral meetings and media operations, the Nasrec venue became the focal point for global attention on Africa’s role in the world economy.
The summit followed a significant period of investment and evolution for Montgomery’s African operations. In the last quarter of 2025, long‑standing organiser Specialised Exhibitions was rebranded as Montgomery Africa, uniting the company’s South, East and West African businesses under one identity to streamline operations. This consolidation has been backed by venue upgrades and refurbishments at key locations, including JEC.
Damion Angus, CEO Group and chairman of Montgomery Group, said: “Johannesburg Expo Centre has anchored our African portfolio for many years, hosting everything from Electra Mining to Propak and the Local Southern African Manufacturing Expo. To see it host the first G20 Leaders’ Summit in Africa is a proud moment for our teams and partners. It underlines the strength of Montgomery Africa, the success of the rebrand, and the confidence that governments and global institutions have in the venue’s security, resilience and capacity.”
Operational for more than 30 years, JEC is South Africa’s largest purpose‑built exhibition, conference and events venue.
Source: www.exhibitionworld.co.uk
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