The JB Edit, Edition 1

Editor's Note

Welcome to the very first edition of The JB Edit.

Building this newsletter has been such a joy. From sitting down with Ashaa Khunti, Managing Director of WBR, to collating everything I've absorbed from industry conversations into a think piece on AI that I'm genuinely proud of, this first edition feels like a real reflection of what Jackson Barnes stands for beyond recruitment.

Working alongside Helen to bring this to life has been a pleasure, and I hope that care comes through in every page.

There is already plenty in the works for our second edition, but for now I hope you love this one.

Grace Content & Community Manager, Jackson Barnes Recruitment

In the Spotlight

One of the things I am most excited about in building The JB Edit is the opportunity to shine a light on the remarkable people working across B2B events. The spotlight series is exactly that, a dedicated space to celebrate the individuals shaping this industry, in their own words and on their own terms.

Our first spotlight is with Ashaa Khunti, Managing Director of WBR Europe. Speaking with Ashaa was such a genuine pleasure, and I hope that comes through in every word.

Outside of work, Ashaa is a proud mum to her son Dylan, who just turned two. It is a side of her life she is equally proud to celebrate.

Ashaa Khunti, Managing Director of WBR Europe, believes successful businesses are built by strong teams. Throughout her career, her focus has been less on individual recognition and more on creating environments where motivated, ambitious people can do their best work together.

That approach has shaped her 17-year career, including more than 14 years at WBR. Despite her success, Ashaa is quick to credit the people around her, colleagues, mentors, and teams, as a major part of her journey. Having worked with Ashaa for over a decade, Jackson Barnes wanted to highlight not just her achievements but the way she approaches leadership, hiring, and team development.

Ashaa joined WBR in 2012 as a Conference Producer working on launch events. She was drawn to the pace of the business, the level of ownership, and the opportunity to build something from the ground up. Those same themes, growth, accountability, and collaboration, still define the way she works today.

One of the defining moments in Ashaa's career came when she stepped into a Divisional Director role with responsibility for turning around a loss-making portfolio. Rather than approaching it alone, she focused on building momentum as a team.

That portfolio has since become one of WBR's strongest-performing divisions, with several of its leading events launched during that period. For Ashaa, the experience reinforced the importance of giving people trust, support, and ownership.

At a time when many producers move companies to progress their careers, Ashaa's long tenure at WBR stands out. She attributes that largely to the company's investment in its people.

Her interest in psychology has also influenced her leadership style. Understanding what motivates people and what may hold them back has become central to how she develops teams and supports performance.

As Managing Director, Ashaa sees her role as balancing commercial performance with responsibility for culture and people. Setting direction, making decisions, and creating clarity are all key parts of the role, but so is listening.

She is also candid about the challenges that come with leadership, particularly maintaining consistency across multiple teams and making decisions without a clear playbook.

Throughout that process, she says mentors and trusted colleagues have remained an important source of perspective and support.

WBR's reputation for building and retaining strong teams is something Ashaa believes comes down to trust and opportunity. People are encouraged to take ownership early, experiment with new ideas, and learn through experience.

That entrepreneurial approach is something she actively encourages across the business. For Ashaa, growth often comes from stepping outside of comfort zones, being honest about what is not working, and adapting quickly.

Looking at the wider B2B events industry, Ashaa believes one of the biggest challenges is quality. Too many businesses rely on quick-turnaround products and outdated formats while customer expectations continue to evolve. Senior leaders are increasingly selective with their time and expect events to deliver genuine value, meaningful connections, and clear outcomes.

For WBR, that means focusing on creating market-leading events that people actively prioritise attending. It is an approach that reflects Ashaa's broader philosophy: stay ambitious, keep improving, and invest in good people.

"The best businesses are the ones that don't wait to be forced to change," she says. "They lead it."

Fourteen years into her journey at WBR, Ashaa Khunti continues to do exactly that.

The People Behind the Page

Helen Yarrow - Director of Jackson Barnes Recruitment

I have spent nearly 30 years in recruitment, the last 15 of them immersed in the world of B2B events. I have seen a lot, placed a lot, and built something I am genuinely proud of.

Jackson Barnes Recruitment is my business, and it reflects me completely. Straight-talking, relationship-led, and built on the belief that great recruitment is about far more than filling a vacancy. I work with conference, exhibition, tradeshow and summit businesses across the UK and internationally, placing candidates from graduate to MD level. I love this community, I know this industry inside out, and the people in it know me.

Outside of work, life is just as full. I live in Framlingham, Suffolk, with my husband Jason, three grown-up children, and my parents, who recently moved into an annex we built for them. Three generations under one roof, it is very busy, but it works beautifully.

Renovating houses has been a constant thread throughout our married life. Being married to a man in the trades means extensions, new kitchens, and passion projects have always been part of the picture. We have been in our current cottage for six years, the groundworks are finally underway, and the garden will be next. I am very much looking forward to just enjoying this one for a while.

Mornings start early with a run, a cycle, or a gym session and coffee. Evenings and weekends mean long coastal walks at Aldeburgh, National Trust discoveries, and as much travel as I can fit in. France has been a constant for 30 years, the Dordogne, the mountains, the wine, the cheese. Weekends on beaches in Greece, city breaks in Spain, and I never need a reason to visit Australia. We are an outdoorsy, active family and I would not have it any other way.



In late 2024 I made a decision that had been a long time coming. The kids were grown, the timing was right, and I had the energy and the plan to take Jackson Barnes to the next level. I am now building a team, growing the business, and loving every minute of it.

Grace Simpson - Content & Community Manager at Jackson Barnes Recruitment

I've always been drawn to people's stories, which makes content and community work a natural fit, so joining Jackson Barnes at the beginning of March felt like an exciting opportunity to do just that.

My role centres on building Jackson Barnes into a genuine industry voice, whether that's through interviewing the people shaping B2B events, writing articles that go beyond the surface, or creating a community where conversations like this one can happen. Journalism has been a passion of mine for a long time, and I have published my own articles in the past, so being able to bring that sensibility to a business I believe in feels like the right place to be.

Outside of work I enjoy reading, binge-watching various TV shows, and spending time with my dog Tilly. Growing up, my favourite series of books was The Hunger Games, which continues to be so as Suzanne Collins has been adding to the series. I'm currently watching Rivals after seeing all of the hype surrounding season two, and after growing up with David Tennant as Doctor Who, it has been an adjustment seeing him play such a ruthless character! I'm also a music lover and listen to a lot of different genres, from Fleetwood Mac, to Raye, to Frank Ocean.

One of my main goals in life is to travel and meet people across the world. My favourite trip so far has been New York, with my highlights being the High Line and the bagels! I'd like to explore more of South America, having previously been to Argentina, which I loved. I'm a big animal lover, with a fondness for horses, so going horse riding in a place like Wyoming or Montana would also be a dream.



That love of meeting people and hearing their stories is a big part of why I'm really excited to see this newsletter develop, as I've loved being able to speak with impressive industry figures like Ashaa. The conversations have been the best part and I'm looking forward to many more.

Jackson Barnes On: AI in B2B Events

AI has quickly gained solid footing in the industry, with tools being implemented across B2B events companies at a pace that would have felt ambitious just a few years ago. It is hard to deny the positive impact it has had, and across our ongoing conversations with senior professionals, the optimism is tangible.



A president of a leading B2B events business captured it well when speaking to us about AI's data-collecting capabilities:

There is a real sense of excitement flowing through the industry, and there should be. As the same senior figure put it, "I'm intrigued to see who utilises AI's data-collecting capabilities in a good fashion." The potential AI has to reshape how event companies operate is considerable, and for many professionals it has already delivered, streamlining processes, freeing up time, and reigniting the space for human connection that sits at the heart of the industry.



The reach of AI across the space has been wide-reaching, and we are truly excited to see the innovative ways in which it is being implemented. Not only have we had enriching discussions with senior leaders about the doors that AI could open, but the most productive have been the frank ones, where industry professionals have felt comfortable enough to voice the uncertainties that don't always make it into the public discourse.

In a conversation with a conference producer, they shared with us how they have found it difficult to draw the line between using AI to boost their productivity and handing it too much responsibility: "When you know what AI is capable of, and it is right there at your fingertips, it becomes very easy to lean on it more than you probably should."

This is a concern that resonates widely, especially as, with the rapid rate at which AI is growing, it can be hard to gain an understanding of how to implement it correctly. However, an important sentiment to hold is this: put nothing of value in, and you will get nothing of value out. AI is great at undertaking tasks and supporting workload, but it can only do this efficiently if it is being fed strong data in the first place. So, although AI may be handling key responsibilities, it would not be able to succeed at doing so without the knowledge and input of the people behind it.

The feelings of unease attached to AI use seem to be cropping up most amongst conference producers, particularly because their skills are grounded in research and writing, and AI is quickly learning how to perform these skills expertly.

There's no doubt that AI can surface information that would have otherwise taken hours to dig through, but a notion shared with us by a senior professional was that AI will never be able to replicate industry expertise, particularly as the only information available to it is online. There is only so much you can learn from desktop research, and where AI adds real value is in freeing up the time to go beyond it, stepping away from the screen and gathering the kind of insights that only come from real people.

The way research is defined is also important, because it's not solely about finding information, but being able to analyse it. AI simply does not possess the expertise to analyse information while considering the intricacies of the B2B events space, and as said by this senior professional, "People who will win with AI are the ones who can understand why it came to a decision. You don't want to give away your critical thinking to the tool; you want it to augment your critical thinking for its decision."

What is clear is that AI is not a finished conversation, and the industry is still finding its footing. The professionals who will navigate it best are not necessarily those who have adopted it most quickly, but those who are engaging with it most honestly.

If you're interested in sharing your experience of AI in the industry, please email us: grace@jbrecruitment.co.uk

Jackson Barnes On: AI in B2B Events

We would love to hear from you. Whether you have thoughts on something we have covered, want to talk about what is happening across the industry, are interested in being featured in a future spotlight, are exploring new opportunities, or need support with hiring, our door is always open.

Grace, Content & Community Manager: grace@jbrecruitment.co.uk

Helen, Director: helen@jbrecruitment.co.uk

To find out more about who we are, what we do, and the roles we are currently working on, visit us at jbrecruitment.co.uk