Katarina Railko is a seasoned hospitality expert who has spent years refining her craft within the travel, tourism, and entertainment sectors. With an eye for detail and an affinity for large-scale expos, she brings a unique perspective to the evolving world of specialized event planning. In this conversation, we explore the strategic expansion of XSEM, a Leeds-headquartered agency that has spent two decades delivering high-impact brand experiences. We discuss the significance of their new dedicated venue-finding service, the tactical appointment of industry veteran Kristy Hogan, and how the agency’s positive internal culture is driving growth across diverse sectors like pharma, retail, and construction.
With over twenty years of experience in the industry, how does the appointment of a specialist like Kristy Hogan change the dynamic for a brand engagement agency formalizing its venue-finding services?
The arrival of an industry specialist like Kristy Hogan is a transformative milestone for an agency that has already spent 20 years building its reputation. Hogan brings an incredible depth of knowledge from her tenures at Hotel Desk, Team Spirit, and Black Book, which allows XSEM to transition from general support to a precision-based venue-finding powerhouse. You can sense a renewed collective energy when a leader with such “stand out” professionalism joins the team to help grow creative engagement solutions. By leveraging her contacts and relationships, which are truly second to none, the agency can now offer well-considered venue solutions that provide a solid platform for their clients’ long-term success. It is about more than just booking space; it is about injecting a specialized expertise that ensures every event-led enquiry is handled with the highest level of industry insight.
XSEM originally started as a sports event marketing agency but has evolved into a partner for massive brands in FMCG and retail; what does this shift reveal about the current demand for multifaceted brand engagement?
The evolution of XSEM into a creative partner for giants like Arla, PPG, and Co-op Wholesale demonstrates that the demand for absolute clarity in brand direction has never been higher. Moving beyond its sports marketing roots has allowed the organization to execute large-scale projects in the construction and retail sectors while maintaining the agility of a boutique firm. This growth is a direct result of increased demand from current clients who require a partner capable of aligning day-to-day performance with overarching brand standards. It shows that in today’s market, success lies in the ability to adapt creative storytelling to a variety of corporate environments while maintaining a natural determination to deliver results. The agency’s consistent growth over the last two decades is a testament to how effectively they have scaled their operations to meet these diverse and complex needs.
The agency recently announced a new pharma division and a reshaped C-suite with Caroline Medcalf joining the board; how do these structural changes prepare them for future expansion?
Reshaping the C-suite to include Caroline Medcalf as Chief Operations Officer alongside co-founders Dan Bardgett and Michael Gwilliam provides the organizational backbone needed for high-stakes sectors like pharmaceuticals. This structural clarity ensures that as the agency explores new opportunities, they have a clear understanding of where future revenue lies and how their delivery sits against their own rigorous standards. The addition of a dedicated pharma division is a strategic response to market needs, requiring a level of specific event-led expertise that only a well-organized leadership team can sustain. By formalizing these roles, XSEM is not just reacting to growth but proactively building a framework that supports both their own team and their long-term client partners. This level of internal alignment is essential for any agency looking to maintain its creative energy while scaling its global capabilities.
How does a “positive culture” and a “natural determination to make people happy” translate into tangible results when sourcing and managing specific event-led enquiries?
A positive internal culture acts as the heartbeat of the agency, directly influencing the quality of relationships with partners, suppliers, and the internal team. When Kristy Hogan mentions being ready to contribute to this “amazing culture,” she is highlighting the emotional intelligence that makes an agency a preferred partner in the hospitality world. This determination to make people happy leads to more creative and thoughtful venue solutions because the team is genuinely invested in the success of every enquiry they manage. Professionalism and positivity are not mutually exclusive; rather, they work together to create an environment where suppliers go the extra mile and clients feel a sense of absolute trust. Ultimately, this culture is what allows the agency to maintain its stand-out reputation while consistently delivering polished, high-performance brand experiences.
What is your forecast for the future of specialized venue sourcing in the engagement industry?
I anticipate that specialized venue sourcing will become the primary differentiator for brand engagement agencies over the next few years. As clients in sectors like FMCG and pharma demand more unique and well-considered environments, the role of the venue specialist will move from the background to the very center of the creative process. We will see a shift where the “best of the best” experts are brought in at the earliest stages of planning to ensure that the physical space perfectly complements the brand’s engagement goals. The growth of dedicated services, such as those launched by XSEM, suggests that the market is moving away from generic solutions in favor of high-touch, relationship-driven sourcing. In the coming years, the ability to marry deep industry contacts with a positive, people-first culture will be the hallmark of the most successful agencies in the event landscape.
