2024 Year in Review
As Millbrook Medical Conferences approaches the end of another busy year, the business is looking back on some of its highlights.
In a landmark year that saw both a general election and the Summer Olympic Games, Millbrook Medical Conferences successfully organised 56 meetings, bringing together over 30,000 attendees from across the globe. These meetings spanned a variety of specialisms and included in-person, hybrid, and webinar formats.
From bustling metropolises to historic towns, the Millbrook team has clocked up miles, hosting events in iconic locations such as Glasgow, London, Oxford, Birmingham, and Caerleon. In December, we wrapped up the year with four outstanding conferences: BISMICS, BRAIN Conference, the Advanced Cardiac Imaging Course, and the BCIS Structural Day.
As 2025 approaches, we are reflecting on the highlights of the past year.
Millbrook continued its role as the Secretariat for the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society (BCIS), a community of 2,112 active members. In 2024, we organised 18 BCIS conferences, delivering over 70 hours of educational content. These included forums tailored for allied health professionals (AHPs), consultants, and trainees, alongside the flagship Advanced Cardiovascular Intervention (ACI) conference.
This year’s ACI broke records, educating over 1,400 delegates and offering each participant a highly interactive experience through a dedicated app and Education Zone.
Millbrook also deepened its collaboration with Valve for Life UK and the West Midlands Physicians Association (WMPA).
For Valve for Life UK, we managed their website, social media, and a range of internal and external activities. Valve for Life UK aims to increase access to transcatheter heart therapies through various initiatives, including the Your Heart Matters truck tour and webinars. The truck stopped at major cities such as Lancaster and Glasgow. Here’s a breakdown of how many stethoscope checks were performed as part of the truck tour:
For WMPA, we facilitated numerous meetings and worked to expand its membership, fostering greater connections among physicians in the region.
In 2024, we expanded our team, welcoming three talented individuals:
Maisie Splevings joined as an Administration Assistant, working diligently behind the scenes to support conference organisers with tasks such as processing delegate registrations, managing feedback surveys, issuing certificates, and uploading on-demand content to the Millbrook Hub. A proud cat mum, office fashionista, and known for her ever-changing hairstyles, Maisie ensures our delegates have a seamless experience.
Sophie Broomfield, our self-appointed social secretary, became an Executive Conference Manager. With a background in Events Management from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Sophie has honed her skills through roles at The Little Nell in Colorado, Winstanley House, and Coventry University.
Natalie Cornwell-Stevens, another addition to our Executive Conference Manager team, brings over 10 years of experience in pharmaceutical and medical meetings. Known for her love of stationery and her design prowess on Canva, Natalie has managed prestigious events and even mingled with celebrities!
This year, we revived the much-loved Great Millbrook Bake Off, delighting the team with sweet and savoury creations. Highlights included a cheese and onion bread plait, Portuguese custard tarts, and even a giant Mr Kipling French Fancy! Keep up with our culinary adventures on X @MillbrookMed.
In an important announcement, Fiona McDonald shared her decision to step down as Managing Director after more than 30 years of dedicated service. Fiona has been instrumental in shaping Millbrook’s growth, navigating industry shifts, and driving service innovation.
Moving forward, Fiona will continue to lead the administration of BCIS, ensuring continuity and expert guidance for the charity. As of Tuesday 1 October, Dominic Legate took on the role of Managing Director, bringing fresh ideas and a forward-thinking approach to Millbrook’s future.
On 10 December, the Millbrook team participated in a festive initiative to support families in need this Christmas. 11 team members volunteered at the Feed the Hungry UK depot at The Halo Centre in Coventry, where we helped assemble food parcels for local food banks, bringing holiday cheer to those less fortunate.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who supported and attended our conferences this year. Your participation and encouragement have been vital to our success.
From all of us at Millbrook Medical Conferences, we wish you a joyful and safe Christmas. Our offices will close on Friday 20 December 2024 at 3 PM and will reopen on Friday 3 January 2025 at 09:00 AM. We look forward to welcoming you in the New Year!
Millbrook Medical Conferences is proud to share its recent involvement with Feed the Hungry UK, not only to highlight the vital work this charity does in supporting families facing food poverty but also to raise awareness of how others can get involved and make a difference. Encouraged by Feed the Hungry to share our experience, we hope to inspire further support for their mission and the communities they serve.
On 10 December, Millbrook Medical Conferences donated hundreds of essential items and joined the effort to sort and pack food parcels for families in need across Coventry this Christmas.
A team of 11 employees from Millbrook Medical Conferences volunteered at the Halo Centre, a distribution hub operated by Feed the Hungry UK. The centre plays a vital role in delivering food parcels—each containing three days’ worth of nutritionally balanced, non-perishable food—to a network of food banks in the city.
The day began with an engaging 40-minute presentation from Ian Siddall, Global Relationship Manager, of Feed the Hungry UK. He provided insight into the organisation’s mission to tackle hunger, not only in the UK but globally, and shared how they aim to help people transition from survival to stability, sustainability, and eventually, significance.
As well as donating hundreds of pantry essentials, the Millbrook team worked together to sort donations and pack hundreds of food parcels. Each parcel was carefully prepared to meet the needs of households ranging from individuals to families of four.
Volunteer: Offer your time to pack food, sort donations, or provide professional skills.
Donate Financially: Regular monthly donations enable long-term support.
Host a Community Food Pack Event: Organise a NOUR:SH food pack event with your business or community.
Donate Goods: Contributions of food, clothes, and blankets help families in need in the UK and abroad.
Every action counts in making a real difference. Visit Feed the Hungry UK to learn more about how you can get involved.
Millbrook Medical Conferences, a leading provider of event management services to the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors, today announces that Fiona McDonald will step down as Managing Director, a role she has passionately held for over thirty years. In a carefully planned transition, Dominic Legate will assume the position of Managing Director effective Tuesday 1st October.
Fiona McDonald has been the cornerstone of Millbrook Medical Conferences since its inception, guiding the company through significant growth, evolving healthcare landscapes, technological advancements, and service expansion. This transition has been thoughtfully curated and gradually executed behind the scenes over the past year. Moving forward, Fiona will continue her work with Millbrook, focusing on leading the administration of the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society (BCIS), ensuring dedicated service and continuity to the charity.
Millbrook began on Fiona’s dining room table while she was on maternity leave with her son, Dominic. Recognising a clear need for the creation and management of medical conferences within the NHS, she combined her organisational strengths and people skills to establish Millbrook Medical Conferences. Since then, the company has grown steadily, now comprising a team of fifteen managing over 50 conferences annually and supporting numerous charities and initiatives. Under Fiona’s leadership, Millbrook has become a trusted partner to healthcare organisations, renowned for delivering high-quality, bespoke medical conferences both in the UK and internationally.
Reflecting on her time with the company, Fiona said, “I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved as a team at Millbrook. It has been a privilege to serve as Managing Director for so many years and to have worked with such talented individuals. I am confident that under Dominic’s leadership, Millbrook will continue to flourish, maintaining the values of excellence and service that have always defined us.”
Dominic, who has been with Millbrook for 10 years in various strategic roles, brings a fresh perspective and a deep understanding of the company’s core mission. Throughout his time at Millbrook, Dominic has worked closely with Fiona, learning the business from the ground up and building strong relationships with clients— the company’s most important asset. His vision is to build on Millbrook’s existing strengths, while also exploring new opportunities for innovation in medical conferencing and event management.
Commenting on his new role, Dominic said, “It is an honour to take on the role of Managing Director at Millbrook. I’ve had the privilege of learning from one of the best, and I’m excited to carry forward the remarkable legacy that has been built. My focus will be on ensuring that Millbrook continues to be a leader in our field, while also adapting to the evolving needs of the healthcare sector.”
This leadership transition marks the beginning of the next chapter in Millbrook Medical Conferences’ growth story, with the company poised to continue delivering world-class service to clients across the medical and pharmaceutical industries.
We’re halfway through the year, and what a whirlwind six months it’s been for us! We’ve been firing on all cylinders, organising a remarkable 25 conferences for healthcare professionals nationwide. We’ve welcomed several new clients and expanded our team with three fantastic new hires.
But it’s not all been hard work – we’ve found time to give back as well, fundraising for the brilliant causes of Red Nose Day and Wear a Hat Day. With the year now at its midpoint, we’re feeling energised, inspired, and ready to take on the second half with the same enthusiasm and creativity that’s defined our journey so far.
Let’s take a moment to celebrate our milestones and look ahead to the future with optimism and determination.
The British Cardiovascular Intervention Society’s Advanced Cardiovascular Intervention (ACI) kicked off the year by bringing together healthcare professionals from across the globe. Working with the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society (BCIS) is always a challenge we relish – we aim to continually raise the bar for each event, and ACI was no exception. We achieved record-breaking attendance, educating over 1,500 professionals, with more than 1,000 attending in person. ACI was broadcast to over 50 countries online, supported by 37 sponsors, and featured a faculty of 137.
We partnered with the British Heart Rhythm Society to successfully launch its Scientific Sessions in Manchester from Tuesday 27 – Thursday 29 February. The event included additional training days such as the Arrhythmia Nurses Day and Hands-on Simulator Training Day both on Monday 26 February, as well as an EP Traces Day on Thursday 29 February, which all received excellent feedback from attendees who appreciated the organised structure and relevant content.
Feedback from delegates included:
March was a month of fundraising for Comic Relief and Brain Tumour Research. On Red Nose Day, Friday 15 March, we did something funny for money by dressing up in red and the team didn’t disappoint turning up in pyjamas, as a chilli pepper and Mario!
On Thursday 28 March, we sported our favourite hats and donated to Brain Tumour Research for Wear a Hat Day. Wear a Hat Day is Brain Tumour Research’s annual event raising money to bring hope to brain tumour patients and their families.
In addition to fundraising activities, some of the team headed down to Newport, Wales, for the SCTS Annual Meeting which attracted over 1,100 delegates. A new client for us, we were brought in to assist the SCTS with attendee registration through the creation of a fully branded website, abstract management, and the creation of a multi-track programme and app. We were also pleased to provide support on the day with badge kiosks and directing delegates.
When asked to provide feedback on the registration process, delegates said:
The team travelled across the nation this month, hosting one online meeting and four in-person meetings in Cardiff, Derby, Oxford and London. Oxford Live, held on Monday 8 – Tuesday 9 April at St Anne’s College, marked its 20th anniversary and bid farewell to Matt Daly as he embarked on new ventures. Following Oxford Live, we organised an evening symposium for the Barts Interventional Group, a BCIS education forum on Bifurcation PCI and Coronary Complications During PCI: A Case-based Learning Opportunity.
In May, we welcomed three new team members: Maisie Splevings, Sophie Broomfield and Natalie Cornwell-Stevens. Their fresh energy and perspectives are already making an impact.
During Star Wars month, Dominic Legate and Lizzie Head were invited to the Vascular Perspectives’ Impactful Presentations and Impactful Speaking Courses in Birmingham. The Impactful Presentations Course had been carefully designed for healthcare professionals but consisted of invaluable information for people giving presentations in any industry. It focused on moving away from ‘Death by PowerPoint’ by making presentations more succinct whilst delivering the intended message in an engaging way.
Our Managing Director, Fiona McDonald was invited to give a short presentation at the 20th-anniversary meeting of Chronic Total Occlusions: An Introduction to CTO PCI where she reflected on its legacy, which involved the late Professor Tony Gershlick.
June was packed with back-to-back conferences, starting with the BHRS EP Traces Day and culminating with the London Arrhythmia Summit. Over five days, we organised five conferences, welcomed 305 delegates and 54 faculty speakers, heard 68 talks and covered 1,884 miles.
Additionally, Tilly, Sarah, Natalie and Sophie represented us at The Meetings Show in ExCeL London from Wednesday 19 – Thursday 20 June, participating in presentations on marketing trends and AI and networking opportunities.
Thank you for being part of our journey. Here’s to more milestones, learning and incredible experiences together!
Millbrook Medical Conferences is delighted to welcome three new team members and announce internal promotions for hard-working staff.
In May 2024, Shalome Quailey was promoted from Assistant Conference Organiser to Conference Organiser. Since joining in April 2023, Shalome has provided support and managed many meetings from start to finish successfully, including Yorkshire Cardiac Rhythm Management, Newcastle TAVI, Return of the Scaffold – Is Bioabsorbable Back? and more.
Shalome is currently working on a mix of meetings in interventional cardiology and adult congenital heart disease and echocardiography, including TransPennine PCI, Bifurcation Left Main Therapy, Bristol ACHD Echo and the BCIS Coronary Intervention Trainees Course.
Millbrook welcomed three new team members in May 2024, who have already hit the ground running! Maisie Splevings has joined the team as an Administration Assistant, bringing over a decade of experience in administration and customer service. Maisie works incredibly hard behind the scenes, supporting each professional conference organiser with general administrative duties. Her tasks include accepting and processing delegate registrations, creating feedback surveys, issuing certificates of attendance, adding on-demand content to the Millbrook Hub and ensuring all delegates receive the necessary information to attend Millbrook’s meetings.
Sophie Broomfield was the second of three to join the Millbrook team. Sophie was brought in as an Executive Conference Manager, taking on several of Millbrook’s in-person, hybrid and online meetings. Fresh from studying Events Management at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Sophie landed an internship at The Little Nell in Colorado, then moved on to work as an events manager at Winstanley House, C&W Chamber of Commerce and Coventry University. Sophie is currently organising Practical IVUS and OCT, the Lower Limb Endovascular Symposium and Leeds Calcium, bringing energy, enthusiasm and fun to everything she does. When Sophie isn’t managing conferences, she enjoys cycling, playing golf and netball and visiting her family in Wales!
Millbrook’s most recent recruit, Natalie Cornwell-Stevens, has joined the team as an Executive Conference Manager. With over 10 years of experience organising impactful and important pharmaceutical and medical meetings and mingling with celebrities at prestigious award ceremonies and conferences, you know you’re in safe hands with Natalie! She spent five years in Spain before going onto study Events Management at the University of Derby. A Canva whizz and dog mum, Natalie is passionate about marketing and is working on the organisation of the new and exciting PPCI Course, Shockwave Fellows, the BCIS Cardiac Physiology Catheter Lab Course and Complex High-risk Indicated Patients.
Look out for Maisie, Sophie and Natalie at Millbrook’s upcoming conferences!
Today, we’re shining a spotlight on Rebecca Hopper, our creative conference executive.
Rebecca studied Event Management at Leeds Metropolitan University. During her time at university, she took a placement year with a local charity organising multiple events where, rewardingly, the funding went directly to the charity.
Upon graduating from university, Rebecca went straight into healthcare event work, organising conferences overseas in Abu Dhabi, Colombia, India, Brazil, and many different European countries.
Having trotted the globe, Rebecca decided she’d prefer to stay in the UK and found Millbrook Medical Conferences. She’s now been part of the Millbrook team for six years and we love having her bubbly self on board!
Keep reading to get an insight into planning an event at Millbrook Medical Conferences…
“I’m currently organising a new Beyond Aortic Stenosis meeting and the Fundamentals in Structural Intervention Course.”
“Today I’m trying to put a plan together for when I go on maternity leave for baby number three. I’m making sure I can plan my meetings to ensure a smooth handover to my colleagues.
“I’ll be looking over event contracts for future meetings and getting these signed off, working over post-event budgets to ensure these are all completed before maternity leave commences in November.”
“I enjoy coming into the office, there is a nice vibe, and everyone gets along. I also enjoy being on site, experiencing new venues, and meeting new clients and attendees.”
Thank you for taking the time to chat with us, Rebecca! Visit https://millbrook-medical-conferences.co.uk/upcoming-conferences/ to browse all our upcoming conferences, including some of the ones mentioned earlier, and see if anything takes your fancy!
Millbrook offers several event management services from venue sourcing and society administration to organising face-to-face, hybrid, e-Conferences, and webinars. If you have a conference idea that you’d like to turn into a reality, a query about one of our conferences, or are interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at a meeting, please email enquiries@millbrookconferences.co.uk, or call 01455 552559 to see how we can help!
Today, we’re introducing you to Matt Daly, our webinar whizz. Matt is in his 30th year of events management after starting from as an apprentice for Coventry City Council way back in 1993, congratulations! His first conference was centred around the 90s craze line dancing, which he volunteered to lead on yet strongly affirms line dancing is not his thing.
Following the success of the first conference, Matt was given five more meetings within that first year focused on sport, such as swimming, football and golf; the latter being right up his street!
Like Tilly, Matt is very well-travelled having run events in Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Spain, France, USA and Australia. He has organised meetings at some amazing places like Sydney Opera House, The MCG, The Burj Khalida and Universal Studios Orlando.
He then created and ran his own events company in Sydney, Australia, from 2011-2015 and we’re pleased to hear that it’s still going strong today!
Matt joined Millbrook in June 2019 initially on a one-year contract as he was working as a freelance events manager on his return from Australia. That then became a permanent contract in February 2020, with Matt being hired as an Executive Conference Manager.
Keep reading to get an insight into planning an event at Millbrook Medical Conferences…
“I’m currently planning for the IAU meeting in October, the Shockwave AICT meeting in November and the 2023 BRAIN Conference in December. These are the largest conferences I’m involved with alongside some smaller meetings like CORE PAD for Abbott and some Shockwave calcium meetings.”
“Over the next few days, I’m visiting venues to assess their suitability for meetings. I’m also measuring up at two venues for the exhibition for IAU and BRAIN alongside our H&S manager.
“I’m editing some videos from some previous meetings; a skill that I acquired during lockdown when all our meetings were online.
“Myself and my colleague Shalome will be on site for the WMPA meeting on Friday 7 July 2023 to ensure it runs smoothly.
“In addition, I’m attending a business network event in Nottingham for our new sister company Millbrook Conferences and Events to promote the new business.”
“The thing I enjoy the most is working with the fantastic Millbrook team. I believe we all work well together which creates a really positive atmosphere where we feel motivated, supported and valued. We also have some great suppliers like Talking Slides, Creative62 and The Jade Studio who are good to work with.
“Building good relationships with venues like the Royal College of Physicians make life easier when planning for conferences. I also enjoy working with some amazing clients like Shockwave and Abbott who trust us to deliver first-class meetings for them.”
Thank you for taking the time to chat with us, Matt! Visit https://millbrook-medical-conferences.co.uk/upcoming-conferences/ to browse all our upcoming conferences, including some of the ones mentioned earlier, and see if anything takes your fancy!
Millbrook offers several event management services from venue sourcing and society administration to organising face-to-face, hybrid, e-Conferences and webinars. If you have a conference idea that you’d like to turn into a reality, a query about one of our conferences, or are interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at a meeting, please email enquiries@millbrookconferences.co.uk, or call 01455 552559 to see how we can help!
ABPCO membership provides reassurance to prospective clients seeking the services of a professional conference organiser that their event is in safe hands. ABPCO members have been verified by both ABPCO and their peers and are recognised for their skills and experience within conference organisation.
Members of the Millbrook Medical Conferences team have been re-acknowledged by ABPCO in 2020 for their services to conference management. Fiona McDonald is recognised as a full ABPCO member honouring her 27 years within the industry during which she has organised hundreds of conferences and events across the UK and overseas. Full membership also recognises Fiona’s position as managing director of Millbrook Medical Conferences.
Lizzie Head, Emma Robinson, Rebecca Hopper and Harriet Sullivan are recognised as associate members of ABPCO. This level requires a minimum of two years’ experience of all services required in the preparation and running of conferences, seminars and/or other meetings. Applications for associate membership must be supported by references from at least two clients or venues. In addition, detailed reviews of the applicant’s last two conferences are submitted before consideration by the ABPCO executive committee before accreditation is approved.
Recognition from ABPCO is testament to the hard work and professionalism shown by the executive conference managers at Millbrook Medical Conferences. If you would like to find out more about our conference services or are looking to obtain a tailored, no obligation quote please contact us through the form on our website here.
If you would like to find out more about ABPCO, click here.
Following a busy couple of years, three new roles have been created to streamline the business and prepare for further expansion over the next twelve months.
Tilly Broadbent joined as administrative assistant to support conference coordinators and executive conference managers. Tilly graduated from Leeds Beckett University with a first-class degree in event management in 2017. Since then, she has spent two years travelling across Australia and recently returned home to continue her career in event management.
Sarah Moore joined as business development and marketing manager, focussing on digital marketing and seeking opportunities to further expand the business. Sarah attained a first-class degree with honours in Business and Management at De Montfort University and previously worked within marketing for a specialist healthcare event management business. Sarah has additional experience in marketing across a range of sectors from construction to finance.
Matt Daly will join the team in February. In 2019 Matt spent six months at Millbrook and we are delighted that he is re-joining the team. Matt, previously the owner of a conference management company whilst living in Australia, also has extensive experience as a freelance event manager.
As well as the recently created roles, Dominic Legate has recently moved into a new role as operations and finance director. Dominic will oversee the day to day company processes and will be actively involved in the business development programme whilst continuing with his role as finance manager.
Fiona McDonald, Managing Director, commented:
“I’m absolutely delighted to welcome our new team members. Millbrook has continued to grow over recent years and we’re very proud of the work we have produced as a team.
“As a result, I have taken some time to review the structure of the business to ensure we continue to provide an exceptional standard of easily accessible, sustainable medical education and have the capacity to accommodate future growth over the next twelve months and beyond.”
In addition to our new team members, we have welcomed one executive conference manager back from maternity leave. Rebecca Hopper returned to work in September following the birth of her baby girl in October 2018. Two of our team members, Lizzie Head and Emma Robinson, are both currently on maternity leave and are due back to work in 2020.