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THE AIM OF THE ASSOCIATION OF SHOW AND AGRICULTURAL ORGANISATIONS IS TO....

Promote agriculture, horticulture and the countryside through shows and other events.
Encourage and share best practice between agricultural societies and related organisations.
Encourage and support education across the full spectrum of agriculture, horticulture and the countryside through shows, conferences, projects and initiatives.

The ASAO is run by show people for shows and gives the best value-for-money information service available to any event organiser.

Nigel Evans, Cheshire County Show

MEET THE ASAO TEAM

The ASAO Team is made up of dedicated staff, volunteers and Council members who work together to support and represent our members. Our Council comprises show representatives from across the UK, bringing experience from both one-day and multi-day events. They represent the views of our members and are always happy to be contacted regarding any matters relating to the ASAO.

Corrie Ince

Chairman

Mared Rand Jones

Vice Chairman

Jenna Payne

Chief Executive Officer

Pam Clements

Membership Administrator

Kevin Instance

Health & Safety Advisor

Paul Hooper OBE

Ambassador

Alice Arnold

ASAO Council Member

Alison Baylis

ASAO Council Member

James Cox

ASAO Council Member

Rhonda Geary

ASAO Council Member

Richard Heath

ASAO Council Member

Christine Knipe

ASAO Council Member

Lisa Moore

ASAO Council Member

Mark Stoddart

ASAO Council Member

David Tennant

ASAO Council Member

David Tite

ASAO Council Member

Corrie Ince

Chairman

Corrie has been working in events since 2006, starting off with the Edenbridge & Oxted Show, where she was involved in all aspects of show organising.

In 2012 she moved to working in more commercial events for a Brighton based manufacturing company, organising their events in the UK and Internationally.

In 2016 she moved back into the “show business” and become Sales & operations Manager at the South of England Agricultural Society, responsible for booking and managing of trade stands and content for their 4 annual shows. Living only a few miles away from the showground all her life, she had grown up around the show, and having attended pretty much every year since childhood, in some guise or other, whether it be as a visitor or competitor, she has had a life long affinity and passion for the show.

In July 2020 she become Show Director at the South of England, with overall co-ordination and management of the 4 shows. Corrie was thrown very much in at the deep end and tasked with running two shows at the end of 2020, following all the government guidelines and required safety measures and procedures. Together with her amazing team of staff and stewards this resulted in 2 very successful and safe events.

Outside of work Corrie other passion in life is horse riding, having ridden and competed in many different disciplines from an early age.

Mared Rand Jones

Vice Chairman

Mared is a dairy farmers daughter and lives in Ceredigion in West Wales. Mared has been working as Head of Operations with Royal Welsh Agriculture Society for 3 years. Her main role includes leading the livestock, shearing and tradestand departments for the Royal Welsh Show and lead on the Winter Fair. Mared also lead on the Welsh ASAO and has organised the annual Welsh Conference at the Royal Welsh showground for shows in Wales. Mared was part of a small team of staff that organised a National ASAO Conference in 2019 which was a great honour and she thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

In Mared is previous roles she worked for nearly 11 years as a Development Officer for Ceredigion Young Farmers Clubs and then as a County Executive Officer for Farmers Union of Wales for nearly 3 years.

She is very passionate about Agriculture Shows and have attended many shows for personal interest and within her professional roles.

Mared has been a member of Lampeter Agriculture Show for over 20 years and have been a Horse Steward since the age of 10. She also helped to begin a Youth Forum within the Show to encourage younger people to be involved within the Show and the Youth Forum were responsible of organising the Show Dance and organise the 7 a side rugby competition.

Jenna Payne

Chief Executive Officer

Jenna has been actively involved in the show industry from a young age, organising her first horse show aged 16 as Junior Chairman of the Native Pony Association of Cornwall. Since turning professional in 2016, she managed the Stithians Show for six years before supporting Show Secretaries across the UK through her role with Showing Scene. Jenna joined the ASAO team in Summer 2025, where she is committed to helping shape the future of the Association and the wider show community.

Alongside her industry work, she practises as a McTimoney Veterinary Chiropractor and serves as a first responder with Cornwall Ambulance Service. Jenna and her family share a passion for native ponies, walking and gardening and are regularly seen at agricultural shows across the country!

Pam Clements

Membership Administrator

Pam Clements joined the ASAO team in June 2024 as Membership Administrator. Pam started working in the Show industry at the Bath & West and then Great Yorkshire. 8 years as commercial manager at Wincanton Racecourse was followed by 11 years as regional manager for the RABI, where she reconnected with her old friends in the agricultural show world having a trade stand at numerous shows.
Pam helps her husband Tom on their farm on the Devon/Somerset border. Where she has her two horses Paddy & Dougal, and terrier Guinness.

Kevin Instance

Health & Safety Advisor

Kevin is a freelance event safety consultant with clients including London Marathon Events and Bath Rugby. He works extensively with music events and several agricultural shows.

Kevin is a Chartered Member of IOSH and on the Occupational Safety and Health Consultants Register. He is the Chair of the Rugby Union Safety Association and Safety Advisor to the Association of Show and Agricultural Organisations.

Paul Hooper OBE

Ambassador

Paul Hooper OBE is a well-known figure in the shows industry. He began his career in 1977 and is experienced in most aspects of agricultural and country show organisation at national level. In 2015, he was awarded an OBE in Her Majesty The Queen’s Birthday Honours. Paul enjoys listening to military music in his spare time.

Alice Arnold

ASAO Council Member

Growing up in rural Derbyshire, Alice developed a love of farming and the countryside from an early age, spending time helping on local farms where she learned to drive a tractor, milk cows and stack bales. That passion has stayed with her throughout her career and continues to shape her work today.
Alice studied Rural Enterprise and Land Management at Harper Adams University, including a placement year with Savills, she gained valuable experience across a range of farming enterprises, from lambing and harvest contracting to agronomy. She also represented the college at agricultural shows across the country, building a strong understanding of the industry and rural events.
Alice is now Show Manager for the Royal Three Counties Show and CountryTastic at the Three Counties Agricultural Society. She has helped introduce new features, improve layouts and strengthen communication across the show, contributing to their continued success and long-term sustainability. Alice is passionate about supporting British farming and food producers and helping people engage with food, farming and the countryside in a meaningful way. She has a particular interest in encouraging informed food choices, including understanding how food is produced and its impact on both health and wellbeing and the landscape around us.
Alice lives near Ledbury in Herefordshire with her husband Ben, three children and their spaniel, Otter. Outside work, her happy place is walking on the Malvern Hills or cooking for family and friends.

Alison Baylis

ASAO Council Member

Alison has been the Show Secretary of Bucks County Agricultural Association since 2000 and appointed onto the ASAO Council in 2019. Alison is the ASAO’s Regional Champion for England and also led the Mentoring Team at the ASAO Centenary Conference in 2023.

James Cox

ASAO Council Member

James was introduced to Agricultural Shows at 10 years old, volunteering at the Dorset County Show following longstanding family involvement. He progressed to a Summer Assistant role throughout his upper school years and college.

Following college, James spent a gap year with the Royal Bath & West of England Society as Trade Stand Assistant, working on the triennial event, Grassland UK alongside the Royal Bath & West Show. The gap year transpired into a further five years with the Society, developing his experience through further roles including Sponsorship and Marketing before combining his role with Trade Stand Manager for the Society events.

In 2019, James moved to the Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show as Show Organiser. Then joined the Dorset County Show in autumn 2022, delivering record attendance, new attractions, rebrand and redesigned layouts. Since then, as the Show continues to grow, he has introduced the Dorset Spring Show which is now in its third year, and the Dorset Cultivation Event.

Rhonda Geary

ASAO Council Member

Rhonda Geary is the Group Operations Director of the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society (RUAS) in Northern Ireland. Having joined the charity shortly after her 21st birthday as a Management Trainee it wasn’t long until Rhonda’s passion, enthusiasm and leadership abilities saw her progress through the departments as she gained a wealth of knowledge and experience.

She oversees the logistics behind the RUAS’s three annual Shows: The Balmoral Show, the Royal Ulster Premier Beef & Lamb Championships, and the Royal Ulster Winter Fair.

Her commitment to the local agri-food industry was recognised in 2018 as she was presented with the ‘Woman of Excellence in Agriculture’ accolade at the Farming Life Awards. Rhonda is also Honorary Secretary and Treasurer of the Northern Ireland Shows Association (NISA), Honorary Secretary of the Council for Awards of Royal Agricultural Societies (CARAS) NI Panel and a proud ASAO Council Member.

Richard Heath

ASAO Council Member

Richard is the Show Director at Moreton In Marsh Show but is a volunteer at many other regional shows. He is a keen poultry keeper and eagerly awaits the return of the poultry sections at our shows.

Christine Knipe

ASAO Council Member

Christine Knipe has been Chief Executive of Westmorland County Agricultural Society since 2005. Married to David, the Knipes live on their upland sheep, beef and poultry farm in central Cumbria.

Christine is a former Chairman of the ASAO, a Fellow of the Royal Agricultural Societies, a Trustee of the Royal Agricultural Society of the Commonwealth, secretary for the North West Federation of Show Societies and Chairman of the national Access to Farms partnership. She is also ASAO’s Education Champion and is keen to develop educational opportunities to promote agriculture within our shows and events.

Lisa Moore

ASAO Council Member

With over 20 years of experience at the Devon County Show, Lisa has good understanding of the agricultural Show community. As the DCAA Chief Executive and Devon County Show Manager, she oversees the Show while also guiding the Devon County Agricultural Association in hosting key events such as Farmwise, Rootstock, Agrifest and various events at Westpoint. She has a commitment to making the Show accessible to all to ensure these events are inclusive, welcoming, and impactful, fostering growth and innovation. She is married to Ben who also has an involvement with the Show as a Chief Steward and has two children Sophie and Charlie (who is absolutely a next generation Steward!)

Mark Stoddart

ASAO Council Member

Mark is the Secretary / CEO of the Royal Cornwall Agricultural Association, where he brings his skills in IT, financial strategies and building a strong team to the Royal Cornwall Show. He previously carried out a number of roles in his 19 years at The Great Yorkshire Show, including Society Manager and Financial Controller. He has also been instrumental in leading the Agricultural Charities approach to VAT on Show Tickets. He is a past Chair and Board Member of ASAO. He is married to Amanda, who is the Livestock Coordinator at the Great Yorkshire Show.

David Tennant

ASAO Council Member

David has worked for the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland for 11 years beginning as an annual temporary member of staff before becoming permanently employed in 2015 and moving into his current position of Competitions Manager in 2019.

Along with looking after the competitive elements of the Royal Highland Show David is the lead on Scottish Show Forum, which holds an annual conference and provides a platform for the Scottish Agricultural Show industry to engage with each other and share good practice.

In 2019, David graduated from the Scottish Enterprise Rural Leadership Program, which focuses on self-development and self-awareness to empower individuals to effectively respond to the challenges and to enact positive change in the wider rural economy.

David Tite

ASAO Council Member

David has recently joined the team at Yorkshire Agricultural Society as their Society Manager, working on the Great Yorkshire Show and across the charity and business, after working for the Driffield Agricultural Society for 20 years as their CEO and working on the show for over 30.
David also holds the role of Honorary Secretary for the Yorkshire Federation of Show Societies, supporting over 50 Agricultural Shows across the wider Yorkshire region with an annual one day conference and by being their link to the ASAO.
He is a former Chairman of the ASAO and is currently a council member of the organization, acting as one of the Learning Day Champions and is married to Cara and has two young boys, Monty and Rupert.