Author: Martha Collings

We recently sat down with Nicole Cooper, CEO of Animal Health Division, Raccoon Media Group to find out more about her ethos and the transition from being a solo entrepreneur to part of a more structured corporate setting with Raccoon Media Group.

Tell us about you, what is your background?

I was born in Cape Town and have lived in the UK for around 35 years. My career in events spans 30+ years. Within that time, I founded Touchpoint Live Media. We were renowned for launching and running lifestyle events. I have launched and scaled some of the most recognised live event brands in the UK including Grand Designs Live, The National Pet Show, DogFest and the Vet Festival.

What drew you to Raccoon Media Group?

It didn’t happen overnight, there was a lot of groundwork laid over time. Several factors aligned and it really became an organic transition. This is a close-knit industry and I knew Mike Seaman (Group CEO) and Doug Emslie (Chairman) for many years before I joined Raccoon. I initially met Mike many moons ago through ‘Surrey Curry Night’, which was an informal get-together for event organisers. Through many discussions between myself, Doug and Mike, we had a shared understanding of the animal health market and vision for the future. The animal sector is thriving, and although Raccoon Media Group already had The National Equine Show in their portfolio, we could see the significant potential in the B2B space particularly and wanted to capitalise. I officially joined Raccoon Media Group in November 2024 to build and grow the animal health division.

What is your role now, and how has the initial phase with the company been?

I was brought in to grow the division by acquiring and launching events and it has honestly been an amazing experience. My initial, strategic manoeuvres were to bring PATS (Pet & Aquatics Trade Show) and BETA International (British Equestrian Trade Show) into the animal health division. Those events are now co-located at the NEC Birmingham in September, making it convenient for industry professionals with sector convergence to visit both Expos.

Going from one event to three events within nine months has meant a lot of work integrating teams and identifying opportunities, but this period has also been a real success story for the division. We have increased revenues by over 30% in the last nine months. The pet industry is very buoyant and is still experiencing year-on-year growth.

How have you found the transition from running your own business to being part of Raccoon Media Group? Do they give space for corporate entrepreneurship?

What I have loved about Raccoon is that it is a young, dynamic and supportive environment. They recognise, encourage and foster the entrepreneurial spirit, which is important to me. The culture and philosophy are very much move fast and don’t be nervous of tripping up along the way, which gives you real confidence to go and deliver. I joined the company at a time when it was gearing up for growth. That has been rapid in the last year and thrilling to be part of. After many years spent in the ‘trenches’ of events, I earned my stripes, but my interest concentrated more on what growth looked like. This role presents exciting opportunities you don’t get when running a smaller company. You can’t make acquisitions easily, which limits your growth.

What can you tell us about the future of the animal health division?

This is an exciting market and the opportunities are abundant. I am a natural entrepreneur who can spot ideas and assess them commercially. I’m here to drive growth, actively evaluating how we can develop the existing portfolio and where the natural brand extensions are. There is also enormous scope beyond the UK. We have our eyes set on internationalising our events and may even be announcing new launches later this year – watch this space!

Shirry Liram has been in the events industry for more than 20 years, with experience directing trade and consumer exhibitions, plus summits and festivals in the UK and overseas ranging from dance, travel and design to tech, medtech and AI.

We recently caught up with Shirry to find out about the current mission: to launch a new international running event in 2025. The International Running Expo (IRX) is a new B2B running event, the first of its kind in Europe, launching in Amsterdam this November.

How did you get involved with Raccoon Media Group and what attracted you to the role?

Having had a long standing career within events, I’ve known of Raccoon Media Group for some time. When an ex-colleague who currently works with Raccoon approached me with an ‘opportunity I couldn’t refuse’, I was instantly intrigued. The stars aligned and the rest is history…

Launching an event in the running industry is what made this role particularly attractive. That is what drives me. I thrive on the energy and adrenaline of launches and the satisfaction of bringing something that is needed to a new community. The running industry has seen incredible recent growth and the market potential is clear. Raccoon has a strong background and industry pedigree, and I knew they would have researched the launch thoroughly before pressing ‘go’ on the project.

What has been the highlight of the role so far? And the biggest challenge?

It may sound cliché, but the highlight has been my team. You can’t underestimate the importance of a good team, especially when it comes to a launch. I’m thankful that everyone brings different strengths to the table and we aren’t afraid to challenge each other, but we also all get on like a house on fire.

The biggest challenge is launching an event from scratch. It can be a rollercoaster. To an extent, you are selling a ‘dream’ because you don’t have the event history to rely on. When you are on this side of things, you’re aware that we have all the contacts in the running industry and a very experienced team who know how to deliver events, but that is something you need to keep communicating. Even though we don’t have that history to rely on, the numbers of registrations and exhibitors for IRX has been phenomenal. As Event Director, it is really rewarding to be confident it is going to be something special that will make a mark on the industry.

Were you already a keen runner or has being involved with IRX drawn you to the dark side?

I would describe myself as a social and culinary runner. I’m happy to get involved in social runs and I can be extra tempted if there are pastries on offer afterwards! Seriously though, it is quite addictive when you are surrounded by people who love running and talk about running, you get swept along. Just getting involved is brilliant, it is a way of getting to know people and networking that is totally different. For instance, some of the team got involved in the TCS Amsterdam Marathon, and that was a lot of fun.

We are now just a few months away from IRX, which top 3 things are you looking forward to?

Firstly, the world class content being put together by the Raccoon content team led by Kate Jamieson. We will have industry leaders and running giants discussing new developments in running and top trends via fireside chats and live podcasts. They are going to be unmissable.

I’m also super excited to have over 200 exhibitors in the room. For a launch event that is incredible! I know that a lot of them have surprises planned for activations and I can’t wait to see those. It is the biggest pleasure for me, seeing the engagement between retailers, exhibitors and influencers – the meaningful conversations in action.

The third, if I have to pick a top three, would be all the experiences and activations , the ‘icing’ on top of and surrounding the event. I know the Cool Down Party is going to be quite a spectacle, and there are morning drills, ice baths and more activities that will foster a fun, energising and collaborative environment for attendees.

What is the mix of brands attending IRX?

What is the mix of brands attending IRX? We have a fantastic mix of brands that are known and established Vs newcomers and disruptors to the industry. This is fascinating to watch and by attending IRX, visitors will get a chance to connect with the next ‘big thing’ that they haven’t heard of.

The geographical spread of brands is amazing and global. We have businesses from just about every country in Europe, as well as from the USA, Canada, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Australia, China, Malaysia, Japan, South Africa and more. See the exhibitor list here.

You’ve been in the industry for many years, how do you think B2B events are evolving?

I think the most important aspect is connection. People go to events to connect. Learning and networking are the critical elements. To establish itself as a staple on the industry calendar, a B2B event must do two things well. That is give visitors the opportunity to learn and grow and facilitate opportunities to meet and network with other people. Those opportunities will naturally depend on the space being operated in, but the running industry is super creative, and opportunities can be in the form of runs, hikes, parties and more.

Is there an event activation that has stood out to you?

I didn’t experience it first-hand, but from everything I’ve heard since and the impact it had, I would say that our sister event TrailCon got their activations on point earlier this year. If you are looking for that virality and moments that people talk about long after, then TrailCon by all accounts set the bar. As I understand it, there was a run up a mountain at 6am followed by a live DJ in a cable car and breakfast after. You’ve got to have serious respect for the person who thinks ‘yes, let’s put a DJ in a cable car early in the morning’.

I’m also really anticipating our own activations at IRX in Amsterdam. The scavenger hunt run that will involve sightseeing and an ice bath in November sound particularly interesting to me..!

What are the key trends in the industry you expect to be discussed at the Expo?

The main trend topics will include:

– The Future of Running Events: Innovation, Technology, and Experience
– Sustainability in Running: How Events and Brands Can Lead
– Gen Z & the Next Wave of Runners: Building the Future Audience
– Retail Reinvented: The Running Gear Marketplace Post-COVID
– Running Tech Trends: Wearables, Recovery, and Personalization
– Inside the Brand: Building a Global Running Community
– Monetising Running Events in the Digital Era
– Performance Meets Tech: The Science Behind Smarter Training

What is your go-to karaoke song?

Ha! I love a duet! I would do Summer Nights from Grease.

Following that answer, we need to ask… who would be your dream person to duet with?

John (Travolta), and if he reads this, I’m free from Thursday 6th November .