On the A-List: Nick and Emily Lead the Way in 2025
The UK events industry thrives on talent that can adapt, inspire, and deliver under pressure. Each year, C&IT magazine recognises the best young agency professionals, and this year, Bray Leino Events is proud to see Nick Goolding and Emily Tolley named to the C&IT Agency A-List 2025.
Events only work when you have people you can rely on - the ones who get it done, stay calm under pressure, and lift everyone around them.
That’s exactly what Nick and Emily bring.
Emily Tolley has had a year that stretched her further than ever before. Promoted to Senior Event Manager, she led the UK Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, running 60 live events across six months for over 5,000 visitors a day, all while managing DBT’s presence at Arab Health in Dubai.
She’s calm, solution-focused, and utterly dependable.
“She had this amazing determination to not be defeated by unfamiliar challenges,” says Implementation Director Christiana Bardoff-Smith. “It was exceptional how she went from learning the PMO job to leading on it – an incredibly quick transition.”
Emily’s leadership isn’t just about delivery – she mentors her team, upskills those around her, and lives the agency’s values in every decision. Event Director Nicholas Crossland adds: “Emily stretched and challenged herself at every step and remained positive and committed to the end result.”
After such a remarkable year, Emily is currently off duty, taking a well-earned break and travelling before the next big challenge.
“Emily stretched and challenged herself at every step and remained positive and committed to the end result”
Group Event Director Nicholas Crossland
Nick Goolding has grown into a natural leader this year. Starting as Production Manager, he stepped into expanded responsibilities with calm confidence and became Production Director by summer.
His work on events from the Worldpay series to UK Space Conference and CYBERUK shows both creative flair and operational precision. He blends creative vision with practical delivery, always keeping clients, colleagues, and audiences front of mind.
“Nick leads with self-awareness and a strong moral compass. He handles uncertainty, rallies the team, and pushes creative boundaries with real charisma.”
Head of Events Vicki Hooper
Nick and Emily embody the next generation of event leaders: innovative, resilient, and inspiring. They’re not just rising stars – they’re shaping the future of UK events.
