A natural fit for Don’t Panic and the Internationally Acclaimed Search and Agency Awards

Kirstie joins Don’t Panic from the International Search Summit, where she spent six years helping grow the event into one of the search industry’s most recognised gatherings. That background puts her directly in step with the Search Awards across the globe, including the US, Europe, MENA, APAC and Global editions and our wider awards portfolio. Her experience building the search community from the events side means she arrives already fluent in the industry and our wider events portfolio.

Commenting on the appointment, Nicky Wake, Founder and CEO of Don’t Panic Projects, said:

“Kirstie’s experience speaks for itself. She has spent her career building the kind of events and relationships that our industry relies on, and her time growing the International Search Summit means she understands the search community as well as we do. That kind of alignment doesn’t come along often, and we’re thrilled to have her on board. We can’t wait to see the impact she’ll have.”

Hear from Kirstie herself about joining our team.

“I’ve spent the past (nearly) 20 years building and growing events that bring people and industries together. Throughout my career, I’ve specialised in creating commercially successful conferences and experiences that connect communities, foster meaningful partnerships, and deliver real value for attendees, sponsors, and stakeholders alike. Most recently, I’ve led international event portfolios across Europe, North America, and APAC, and helped grow the International Search Summit into one of the search industry’s most recognised events. Joining Don’t Panic feels like a brilliant opportunity to build on that experience. The team has an exceptional reputation for creating industry-leading awards and events, and I’m excited to work alongside them to strengthen existing partnerships, develop new opportunities and continue creating experiences that genuinely make an impact across the search and digital marketing community.”

Kirstie is joining us as Global Events and Sponsorship Manager. To discuss all things events and sponsorship, email [email protected] or connect with Kirstie on LinkedIn.