Tributes paid to Andrew Hickinbotham

Tributes have been paid by several members of the exhibition industry, and its related sectors, to Andrew “Andy” Hickinbotham who passed away at the age of 54 on Saturday, January 10^th, 2026.

In an article posted on LinkedIn, Mark Eddy, a board member for a variety of service companies, and managing director of Network Group, wrote about Hickinbotham who Eddy worked with for over 25 years.

In his article, Eddy says “Andy was taken far too early,” and that he is “deeply rocked” by his passing.

At the time of writing, the article has prompted over 175 comments and over 500 reactions to the news of Hickinbotham’s passing, which also details his career and contribution to the event, signage, and exhibition sectors. Comments and tributes all reference Hickinbotham’s eccentricity, dedication, and humour.

Robert Brackstone, managing director at ESM, says: “Truly shocking news. So passionate, articulate, always speaking up for what he believed in and adding value wherever he could.”

Hickinbotham’s latest role was at exhibition and retail specialist, Tecna, where he worked as head of sales.

Commenting on Eddy’s article, Jordon Jones, installation technician at Tecna, says: “He was one of the most thoughtful, loving, wonderfully eccentric, and intelligent men I’ve come to know and have had the pleasure to work with. It’s safe to say not many people poured their love into the events space like he did. Rest in peace you absolute legend.”

Posting its own tribute to Hickinbotham on social media, Tecna says: “He gave his time freely, shared his knowledge without hesitation, and supported and inspired everyone around him with positivity and humour. He was deeply passionate about introducing new talent to the industry and took great pride in teaching the next generation everything he loved about the world of events.”

After falling ill in late November, Hickinbotham was admitted to hospital six days before his passing where he was diagnosed with an extremely rare and aggressive renal sarcoma. In his article, Eddy expressed the thoughts of him and others to Hickinbotham’s family who were in his words: “Proud of everything that Andrew achieved in life.”

In his reflection, Eddy says that it’s hard to overstate the impact on the exhibition and events industries Hickinbotham had. Starting his career at Hayden International, Hickinbotham then moved to Silver Knight Exhibitions, as well as Sovereign Exhibitions, and GES UK & Europe.

Hickinbotham was also responsible for helping establish Human Built during the Covid-19 pandemic, in which Eddy says he did so with “clarity, enthusiasm, and calm leadership when it was most needed.”

Eddy also emphasised Hickinbotham’s active role in the ETT Club Exhibition Think Tank Club, which was formed in response to the halt of worldwide exhibitions, as well as his commitment to sustainability via initiatives such as Sheltersuit UK.

“Andy described himself as 'an excitable thinker', and that phrase captures him perfectly,” says Eddy, who adds: “He brought energy, curiosity, and creativity into every room, combined with a deep love of design and a results-driven mindset. Central to his thinking was a genuine commitment to doing things better and more responsibly.”

Also commenting on Eddy’s article, Peter Bowen, owner of Access Displays, adds: “I’ll always remember the Event Supplier and Services Association (ESSA) golf days – the laughter, the easy conversations, and the way Andy brought people together so effortlessly. Those moments capture him perfectly: warm, inclusive, and quietly influential without ever needing the spotlight.”

Complementing Eddy's piece, Fiona Aston, director at Shareable Events, adds: "Such a wonderful piece Mark Eddy and really captures Andy perfectly. He was my boss for many years, we spoke often on all sorts of topics, not just exhibitions, and to coin his own phrase, he really was an 'excitable thinker' who could talk for hours and hours. I am deeply saddened by this loss and will always remember Andy with a huge fondness."

As evident by the comments and tributes on LinkedIn, Hickinbotham clearly had a huge impact on various companies and individuals. Talking about his experience with Hickinbotham at live events, journalist and business owner, Matt Coyne says: “If you ever saw his name on an attendee list, you knew one thing for certain: you had a friend to chat to. No awkward small talk. No agenda. Just a genuine conversation, with a genuinely lovely man.”

Concluding his article, Eddy says: “Andy touched more lives than he ever realised, and he will be remembered with enormous respect, affection, and gratitude. He will be deeply missed, but his legacy will live on through the people he supported, the standards he stood for, and the more sustainable, collaborative industry he worked so hard to help shape.”

Since his passing, a dedicated web page has been set up to donate money to the Blue Ribbon Foundation and HEAL Rewilding, as well as a place to share memories and pictures of Hickinbotham. The page can be found at: https://andyhickinbotham.muchloved.com/