Meet the team

Meet the dedicated team behind EDGE Venues. Our passionate experts combine industry knowledge and innovative thinking to deliver exceptional solutions for your event planning needs.

Kirsty Goodwin

Head of Sales

Kirsty joined EDGE in June 2024 as Head of Sales. Her responsibilities include driving sales, new business, and awareness of EDGE Venues to agencies, corporates, and venues. Being part of a forward-thinking company whose values and strategies aligned with her own ethics drew Kirsty to be part of the team.

Her 17 years of industry experience started at TUI Travel PLC and ranges from venue sales and event management at Derby Museums, to working at BCD Meetings & Events in sourcing and global supplier relations. Proficient in Strategic Meetings Management, Kirsty understands the importance of venue procurement whilst still ensuring buyers have autonomy and freedom of creativity. She loves to travel, is an avid football fan, and absolutely cat obsessed!

Jacqui Kavanagh

Jacqui Kavanagh

Founder and CEO

Jacqui is committed to driving up standards and delivering innovative solutions in the hospitality and events industry. With a proactive, entrepreneurial and enthusiastic approach, she is passionate about raising the bar in our industry. As the CEO of EDGE Venues, Jacqui is leading the charge in providing a cutting-edge global venue sourcing solution that supports agents, corporates, and associations. Previously, before selling it, she served as Managing Director of Trinity Event Solutions, one of the fastest-growing venue finding and event agencies in the UK, where she focused on elevating industry standards and delivering exceptional event experiences.

While not a tech geek, Jacqui is a strong advocate for event technology, driving solutions through software development. Jacqui is especially excited to introduce EDGE Venues, a revolutionary platform for global venue sourcing.

Felicity Deignan

Retention and EDGE Specialist

Felicity started with EDGE in August 2023 as Retention & EDGE Specialist, having come from a property lettings background. She looks after a variety of venues, co-hosts the mini expos, where EDGE + members venues get to present to our fulfilment agency, and also maintains the platform and profile data, so she is your point of contact for any queries about the platform and profiles.

In her spare time she loves singing and dancing with her local musical theatre group, watching films, playing the piano, and spending time out and about with her family.

Scott Ford

Commercial Director

Scott joined the team in summer 2023. Having worked in the hospitality, business travel management and tech sectors for over 25 years it seemed like the perfect opportunity to combine my passions in a forward thinking and industry leading organisation. Previously working with the likes of American Express Global Business Travel, Hogg Robinson Group and various hotel groups such as Marriott Hotels, DeVere, Best Western and Village Hotels. All in commercial roles managing domestic and global sales teams, global and domestic hotel programmes and corporate and agency engagement. He is responsible for running the commercial operation of the business and leads on commercial strategy and client engagement.

His passions ‘out of industry’ include foreign travel, country walks and when time and finances allow visiting as many Michelin starred restaurants as possible !!!

Ian Pollard

Head of IT

Before joining EDGE Ian held numerous IT related positions starting back-in-the-day with managing an internet service provider which included listening to and interpreting the rhythmic tones of dialup modems.

Ian’s role is varied, he facilitates and maintains the EDGE IT systems as well as supporting with creative AV in digital marketing and EDGE’s Knowledge Hub video production.

…he facilitates the facilitators, helps old ladies cross busy streets and fights crime in the bustling metropolis of Stamford. *Not all these things are true, but a legend has to start somewhere. A phrase Ian trys to live by, and as Mad Max used to say, “machines get you 80% perfect, use skill and attention to detail to find the rest”.

Rebecca Hindley

Venue Data Specialist

Rebecca joined Edge in June 2024 as Edge – Data Support. Coming from a customer service and admin background, she previously worked for an online review platform for Garages maintaining and updating data on member and standard records.

At Edge for the most part, she maintains profile data of venues to make sure that everything visible to viewers is as complete and accurate as possible.

In her spare time, she likes to go on Ghost Hunts and likes to go on family adventures. She is a massive Disney fan and loves to watch the movies over and over again

Cat Skinner

Retentions & EDGE Manager

Since joining EDGE Venues in June 2018 as Data Manager, Cat has seen so many positive changes and developments with the platform. Previously she worked for 20 years in the travel industry, which allowed her to experience so many wonderful places all around the world.

Cat looks after the EDGE Data and Retention Team, helping to deliver, not only great data, but supporting venues to make the most from their EDGE profiles. Cat thoroughly enjoys developing great relationship with the EDGE Team and all the users on the platform.

When not thinking about EDGE, Cat loves spending time with her family, reading, watching a good old horror and falling down the rabbit holes on social media.

Emma Lee

Business Data Analyst

Emma is the Data Analyst for EDGE, responsible for designing and maintaining the reports and analytics that support our EDGE Venues Community and our internal team.

She joined EDGE in 2022 as part of Cat’s Data & Retentions Team, so uses her experience in supporting venues to ensure that the information we include in our analytics is relevant and understandable.

Outside of work she enjoys good walks, good food and good company!

Emily Butler

Marketing Director

Emily is Marketing Director at EDGE Venues and is tasked with growth of the brand, reputation, and engagement. She is a marketing and communications specialist with over 25 years’ experience in commercial, voluntary, and public sector organisations focusing on great systems and engagement. She specialises in growing organisations to be the best they can be. She loves analytics to drive marketing but insists on that human touch.

When not EDGEING, Emily loves to hang out with her family and friends over a drink, a bite to eat and exploring new shiny things through travel, chat or reading. Her favourite saying is “Never let the facts get in the way of a good story.”

Erin Hobby

Sales executive

Erin joined EDGE in July 2024 fresh from taking her A-Level examinations. She Joined EDGE with the hopes of beginning her career in the industry with a desire to join the sales sector. She originally joined the EDGE as part of the Data & Retention Team getting involved with projects as well as retaining those important connections with our licensed venues. After a few months she transferred over to the sales team joining Kirsty with a focus on EDGE Venues+ subscriptions for venues. Erin actively searches and reaches out to venues she believes have great potential on EDGE, presenting them with all the exclusive features of an EDGE Venues+ subscription and assisting them as they make the change to becoming a licensed venue. In her spare time Erin enjoys hitting the gym in the early mornings, shopping till she drops and going to nice restaurants and bars with friends and family.