Raising The Bar: Alexia Maycock on Building a Business That Doesn’t Stand Still
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If you ask anyone what the secret sauce at CloserStill is, Alexia Maycock’s name will likely come up quickly. As Chief Marketing Officer, her influence goes beyond just excellent audiences – it shows up everywhere, in how the company thinks, how it works, and the standards it holds itself to. Combining 30 years of industry expertise with a genuine commitment to her team, Alexia has helped build an environment where people are pushed to be better, supported along the way, and trusted to deliver their best.
In this interview, Alexia discusses how CloserStill has evolved alongside the events landscape - growing through acquisition, opening the door to early careers, and what truly sits at the heart of it all: how we keep our energy high, and our standards even higher.
Olivia: In today’s high-tech landscape, marketing is evolving quickly – what changes have you seen at CloserStill?
Alexia: The biggest change is how targeted our marketers can be. Today we can focus on incredibly niche groups - even down to 20 people with a very targeted message. It’s transformed how we find and communicate to the right people, for both our audiences and exhibitors. But the tech behind this can only get you so far. We still need people who can think for themselves and come up with creative ideas, because that’s where the best marketing comes from. If you rely on the tools too much, everything will start to look the same.
Olivia: As CloserStill expands and evolves, particularly through acquisitions, how do you keep the business aligned without slowing down?
Alexia: It's not easy.
What helps is that CloserStill is known for being very marketing-led, and that’s usually why businesses want to join us. Straight away,
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| Alexia Maycock and colleagues at Tech Week Singapore 2025 |
they can tap into a level of support and resource they didn’t have before. So, we focus on bringing the teams together, and that early collaboration naturally brings alignment.
We also learn a lot from the businesses we bring in. They’re experts in their industries, so it’s never a one-way dialogue, and that’s important.
Culturally, we don’t rush it. Every business we bring in has its own identity, and that matters. What we do bring is clarity - people understand their numbers, what they’re working towards, and how they contribute. That’s what keeps everyone moving in the same direction.
Olivia: What role does leadership visibility play?
Alexia: It’s hugely important. If you’re visible, people feel it. They’ll share wins, ask questions, and feel part of something. If you’re not, it creates distance very quickly. In a lot of places, management can feel quite removed, even physically. That’s why when we were looking for a new Hammersmith office, I was really clear that we should all be on one floor, with no separation or hierarchy.
Because for me – that's how I keep learning and pushing myself. I stay close to the team and surround myself with people who will challenge me.
Olivia: What does strong culture actually look like day to day at CloserStill?
Alexia: Culture isn’t benefits or perks. It’s the behaviours people default to day to day - how we show up to work, how we interact, and the standards we hold each other to.
At CloserStill, that comes down to energy. When the office is full, you can feel the level of care people have for what they’re doing. There’s a real sense of ownership and pride in the work, and it shows in what we deliver.
That’s what I feed off, no question about it.
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| Alexia Maycock and Kasia Newman, Group Marketing Manager, Partnership Network Events |
Olivia: Last summer we introduced the initiative we call ‘Sales Fridays’ – what are they, and how do they help increase energy within our sales teams?
Alexia: ‘Sales Fridays’ run in our London and Coventry offices, and it’s all about driving momentum at the end of the week. We kick things off with a team meet-up and breakfast, then all salespeople sit together in one area of the office for the day. There’s a such a brilliant atmosphere - boards tracking sales, handbells ringing every time a deal comes in, and competitions running throughout the day. It’s good fun, but it really works - you see people pushing that bit harder, and we achieve some pretty unbelievable results on a Friday!
Olivia: CloserStill invests heavily in early careers – what makes our approach to young talent different?
Alexia: Developing young talent has been ingrained in our culture since the very beginning of CloserStill. Our telemarketing department has long been a launchpad for early careers, with many team members progressing into senior roles across the business.
We now also run two formal entry-level programmes: Graduate Bootcamp is a ten-week rotation across marketing, content and operations, giving the participants exposure to multiple areas before interviewing for roles - something that’s rare for a graduate scheme. Our six-month Sales Academy is unique in that its open to anyone seeking a career in sales, combining training, hands-on experience and ongoing mentorship.
This year we’re also working with social mobility charity Making The Leap, helping young people build confidence and gain early exposure to the workplace. Starting out isn’t easy, and opportunities aren’t always accessible - this is one way we can help change that.
Olivia: How do you think these programmes feed into CloserStill’s long-term success?
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| Rob Chapman, Senior Portfolio Director, Alexia Maycock and Charlotte Ellicott, Marketing & Content Director, at EN Awards 2015 |
Alexia: By bringing people in early and giving them broad, hands-on experience from day one, we’re building - and retaining - an ambitious, driven talent pool that understands how CloserStill operates from the ground up. A large percentage of our current London workforce started in one of these programmes - with many now in leadership positions.
Olivia: You’ve been with CloserStill from the very start. What’s been a moment in your journey where you’ve stood back and thought, “this is a different level now”?
Alexia: I probably have a moment like that every time I stand up in front of the business, whether it’s at an internal awards ceremony or a company meeting. Seeing hundreds of people staring back at you is quite surreal… and that’s only about a third of CloserStill!
But the biggest one was probably getting the keys to the new Hammersmith office with 300+ desks. I’m usually the first one in that office in the mornings, and as I walk through the floor, the sensor lights start coming on one by one. And every morning I have the same thought - what have we built?!
Olivia: The events industry has changed significantly in recent years - what do you think audiences expect from us now, that maybe they didn’t before?
Alexia: Quality over quantity has always mattered, but there is a much stronger expectation today around how people connect onsite - audiences want more targeted, high-value interactions.
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| Alexia Maycock and colleagues with Sir Brian Cox at London Vet Show 2025 |
In response, we’ve invested heavily in our technology and data to build higher quality audiences, which has in turn improved exhibitor rebook rates. We’ve also recently launched our Networking department, introducing things like roundtables and 1:1s across both our paid and free trade shows. We’ve been trialling this over the last 12 months, with a bigger push planned for the second half of 2026 - it’s all about giving exhibitors more direct, valuable access to the right people, rather than leaving those interactions to chance on a busy show floor.
Olivia: If you could encourage the industry to do one thing better, what would it be?
Alexia: Challenge things more. CloserStill has always been a bit of a disruptor - we don’t follow a set way of working just because it’s the standard. We back creativity, individuality, and questioning how things are done - something more of the industry could embrace.
Olivia: For someone joining CloserStill today, what mindset or behaviours will set them up for long-term success?
Alexia: Work hard. Be seen. Give it your all.