Mike Barnes

Mike started life after University working for British Gas in the marketing department. Having learnt a lot about corporate life he jumped ship to work for Emap the consumer publishers. Publishing suited him and he progressed through the marketing departments to be a publisher and a marketing director across the leisure lifestyle and interest magazines. He then had a brief stint as a consultant in the customer publishing world before joining the Direct Marketing Association as their Marketing Director.

Nine years later he joined British Eventing to overhaul their marketing, identity and brand activity. Which is an interesting move as he does not ride and has an inbuilt suspicion of anything that can bite. Mike is a well known judge on the marketing awards circuit, a columnist in the trade magazines in his own right and a Fellow of both the IDM and CIM. He is a past Trustee of the IOF and he currently runs his own consultancy, Brand Extension Ltd.

Recent projects include Equicirque, the Excel Adrenaline Event and working with publishers on digitising magazines, campaign development and effective use of social media.

Mike lives in Rutland with his family and Binley the spaniel.