About Linda

Linda Pereira is the senior partner and CEO of the L&I Communications Group. In addition to her long and respected career as one of the most influential voices in the Meeting Industry, she is also Executive Director of CPL Meetings & Events and Executive Director and Co-Founder of Spring Up Europe.

Respected internationally as a speaker, writer and as an educator, she has been an invited speaker in over 143 cities and all continents. She is also the only female ever to be invited by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a keynote speaker at a national event. She is internationally known as the Destination Diva for her work as expert bidder and is a feared competitor. She is often contracted by a variety of destinations to present bids on their behalf.

In the present time, she is special advisor to Confederation of Portuguese Business (CIP) for Gender Parity and Special Advisory to the Minister for the Economy of Cape Verde. She has played an active role in many major events and bids for world events. She has worked on the major events which marked the last 30 years from EXPO ’98, EURO 2004, World Stage Fencing Championship and various EU Presidencies among others.

She is also an invited lecturer at three different international Universities where she lectures strategic meetings management. She is recognized for her efficiency and professionalism and thinking outside the box. She is absolutely passionate about associations and sits on a variety of international association boards herself. Linda is also a consultant to a variety of international Governments and associations. In 2008 she was considered one of Portugal’s five most influential people in the industry and received the annual education award from USA-based IAHMP.

In 2009 she received the medal of honor for responsible entrepreneurship for her commitment to promoting culture and heritage and for CSR initiatives. In 2012 she was voted one of world’s top 100 PCOs for the third year running and was listed among the top 100 Women CEOs of e-commerce companies by WE magazine from the USA. She is currently the European Ambassador for the Sands Cotai Macao’, the City of Johannesburg in South Africa and Ekateringburg in Russia for their recent bid to host EXPO 2020.

She sits on various Advisory Boards, most notably the Meetings UK Show since 2013 and Portugal’s Events Industry Awards as well as the IAHMP Education Committee which she presides and was the Chair of the International and European Association Congress for three years. In 2014 she was voted the Events Personality of the Year in Portugal and received the Global Marketing Personality Award from WE Magazine in the USA. In 2015 she was elected president of the Global Council for Women in Leadership. She is currently special advisor to the Minister for the Economy of Cape Verde and sits on the Advisory Council for the Leader Magazine and the Venues of Excellence Certification Board.