Bristol-based exhibition, events and experience designer firm Ignition has taken on four new senior staff members as it continues its bounce back from the impact of Covid-19 on the industry.
While the pandemic triggered a temporary-but-total shutdown of live events and exhibitions, Ignition responded at speed and developed new creative IT skills and expertise so it could offer clients virtual and hybrid events. 
It also relied on its own ethos of careful financial planning, including robust, long-term contracts with existing clients, to see it through.
Now the firm, part of B Corp-accredited Bristol creative group Istoria, has a growing order book as it looks to achieve triple 2021’s revenues by next year and expects to be back to pre-pandemic business levels by 2025.
As a result, it has recruited a new client partnership director, account director, head of operations and office manager.
Ignition CEO Sam Rowe said: “We’re delighted to be welcoming four new senior team members to the business to help respond to new opportunities and are also now working with a fellow B Corp recruitment specialist to ensure we reach the very best local creative talent for our future needs.” 
The new arrivals are Katy Evans, who joins as client partnership director, office manager Saskia Horne, head of operations Sam Morris and account director Hannah Preston.
Katy, pictured top, will head the drive for new business opportunities across the aerospace and defence, renewable energy and finance sectors among others while and making sure Ignition is properly creative in its pitch responses to get clients excited and help it stand out from its competitors.
She brings 15 years’ business experience in the South West to the role, having previously developed new business pipeline opportunities and boosted turnover for exhibition and communications agency clients, as well as luxury homewares manufacturers. 
Saskia, pictured above, has an extensive CV in office and client management as well as in HR and event co-ordination across the creative, property, education and recruitment sectors in the Bristol area. As office manager she will be responsible for office and facilities management, executive PA duties for Sam Rowe, plus HR, finance and project support.
Sam, pictured right, has returned to Ignition, where he worked for nine years until 2016, in a role that includes overseeing the company’s design development and warehouse teams in order ‘to get designs off the page and into production’.
This means working closely with internal and external stakeholders to ensure all exhibition design stands not only look good but are also re-usable – ensuring the company’s sustainable ethos is always to the forefront. 
Hannah, pictured right, is returning to the exhibition industry having previously worked for more than 20 years across events and exhibitions, as well as in data management and sponsorship.
Her dual role at Ignition will cover both exhibition project management and client services, allowing her to hone her client management skills and broaden her exhibition project experience.
Ignition was founded in 2007 to provide creatively led design and project management services to the global exhibitions, events and experiences industries.
Today its Bristol head office and US base in Indianapolis, work across sectors ranging from pharmaceutical, healthcare and beauty to aerospace, construction, engineering and manufacturing, as well as technology, education and fast-moving consumer goods businesses.
It holds a number of globally recognised ISO standards and in 2020 its pioneering advances within its industry were recognised when it received The Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Sustainable Development – the only events company ever to achieve this.
Istoria, along with its constituent companies Ignition, and retail and branding design agency Phoenix Wharf, last year achieved the rigorous global standard of B Corp certification, which recognises firms that balance profit, people and planet.
