The company's Executive Chairman and founder, Eric Everard, is one of Europe’s most successful entrepreneurs in the trade shows, public events and exhibition venues sector.

He is the 2010-2011 serving President of UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibitions Industry.

Everard launched the easyFairs Group in 2003, based on the concept of time and cost-effective trade shows with an international identity and a simple focus on doing business.

He also founded the Artexis Group in 1998, which now employs over 350 people and is focused on trade show organisation and exhibition hall management.
In 2002 the Artexis Group acquired the Antwerp Exhibition Halls and the management contract for the Palais des Expositions at Namur, and in 2007 it acquired FlandersExpo in Ghent.

Between 1997 and 2000 Everard was Associate Director for the KI Partners Group, a specialist in direct communications.

He was previously a Director with Reed Midem in Paris, responsible for the events MIPTV and MIPCOM.

From 1991 to 1995 Everard was General Director at Reed Exhibitions Benelux, part of the Reed Elsevier Group, in charge of events including Salon Européen de l’Etudiant, Jedifa, Mediaplanet and Eurantica.

Everard also founded the Belgian student magazines Univers-Cité et Kampus in 1985 and, based on its success, the European Student Fair. In 1988 he launched the Student Welcome Packs, a two million copy sampling business.

Everard holds a degree in Applied Economics from the Catholic University of Louvain, UCL (1986). He is an active member of the Young Presidents’ Association (YPO) and Board Member of Fortis Bank, Brussels.