Meet the organisers

The botanica conference series grew out of  Rhiannon Lewis' desire to connect plant-passionate professionals from around the world for a time of sharing information, education, networking and sourcing quality products. 
Running biennially since 2012, in the face of the pandemic in 2020, botanica pivoted from an in-person event to a virtual conference and has remained as a virtual edition since then, using state of the art technology to offer an immersive and live experience for all participants - all the while maintaining her original dream and goals of providing excellence in  education, networking and sourcing of products.
The botanica conference series enjoys worldwide acclaim as the leading aromatherapy conference event worldwide.
We look forward to you joining us!

Rhiannon Lewis of Essential Oil Resource Consultants

Rhiannon Lewis has been active in the field of clinical aromatherapy since 1989 as a practitioner, author and educator. Her interest in essential oils and related plant extracts effectively dovetails with her passion for making a difference to health and quality of life of sick patients.

From 2004 to 2020, Rhiannon was editor of the International Journal of Clinical Aromatherapy (IJCA), the only journal of its kind that combined evidence based information with practitioner-relevant information in a professional publication. This publication is now integrated within the International Clinical Aromatherapy Network.

In 2021  Rhiannon realised another personal dream in the creation of the International Clinical Aromatherapy Network (ICAN) : a safe, professional online platform for all involved professionally in the field of essential oils. ICAN currently has 1400+users and members from over 80 countries worldwide and provides the opportunity for networking, education, mentoring and sourcing quality products related to the field.

As director of Essential Oil Resource Consultants based in France, Rhiannon provides information, education and research related to the field of essential oils. She accomplishes this in a number of ways via ICAN, lecturing worldwide, speaking at conferences, writing articles and chapters for professional publications, consulting for laboratories and organising conferences and seminars.
Rhiannon is known for her engaging and effective teaching style as well as freely sharing her deep knowledge and grounded experience of working with essential oils for health benefits.

The botanica conference series is a natural extension of her work – aiming to promote the safe, effective use of essential oils and related extracts and to encourage their use in clinical settings alongside mainstream healthcare. To this end, she is also host and organiser of another biennial international educational event : The Essence of Clinical Aromatherapy International Seminar,  focussed on the use of essential oils in clinical settings.
She is also a long-time and active member of the organising committee of Phyt’Arom Grasse – a bilingual aromatherapy and herbal medicine conference based in France.

Rhiannon’s contribution and deep dedication to the field of aromatherapy has not gone unnoticed; in 2000 she was made a Fellow of the International Federation of Professional Aromatherapists, in 2009 she received an outstanding achievement award from the Alliance of International Aromatherapists and in 2019 she received a lifetime achievement award from the same organisation.

Rhiannon says

The Citrus genus offers the herbal and aromatherapy worlds such a diversity of applications and are amongst the most loved by patients and practitioners alike. For the first time, a botanica conference will provide a spotlight of information and celebration with the zest oils, the petitgrains, the nerolis and other herbal extract forms being center stage for 2 entire days of conference followed by one day of masterclasses for practitioners. We look forward to welcoming world experts to share their work and findings concerning all things citrus and we are set for a bright, juicy and refreshing event!

Marie-Anne James of EYAS EVENTS

Rhiannon and Marie-Anne have been working together since 2020, hosting and administrating both the botanica conference series and the Essence of Clinical Aromatherapy International Seminar series. Marie-Anne is the keystone of all the administrative and coordination aspects of botanica2024. She is CEO of Eyas: Conference and Event Management based in the UK.

Eyas has been managing conferences and events for 40 years. With a heritage spanning over 4 decades, Marie-Anne took over the family business in 2007. Marie-Anne says

We are proud to still be working with many of our original clients as well as continuing to grow and establish relationships with new clients who operate in a range of sectors across the globe. Our client relationships are at the heart of what we do. Our approach to event management enables the Eyas team to understand our clients and their business, which in turn allows us to flourish in the events we produce. It is very important to us that we respond quickly and enjoy good relationships with everyone who signs up to one of our events, we try to make everybody feel as welcome as possible.

Mohammad Bilal, senior project manager from vFairs

vFairs has been partnering with Rhiannon and Marie-Anne since 2020, offering a platform for the successful execution of the Botanica Conference and Essence of Clinical Aromatherapy International Seminar series. Muhammad Bilal, who became part of the team in 2021 as the dedicated project manager from vFairs, has played a crucial role in ensuring seamless setup and delivery of various conferences. Through adept utilization of the platform's features, Muhammad Bilal ensures that participants and organizers derive maximum benefit from vFairs. With unwavering dedication, Muhammad Bilal is committed to providing top-notch support, making botanica2024 an exceptionally valuable experience for all participants. He is currently a Senior Project Manager at vFairs.

Being part of the company since 2020, Muhammad Bilal says

As project managers at vFairs, we consistently strive to fulfill both our clients' and our own expectations when organizing events. Witnessing the success of a project we've collaborated on is particularly rewarding, especially with colleagues like Rhiannon and Marie-Anne. Working alongside them has always been an exciting, fulfilling, and meaningful experience, making me eagerly anticipate our collaboration in the future.

vFairs is G2’s #1 rated Event Management Platform that goes the extra mile to help you host stellar in-person, hybrid, and online events. Since 2012, the modular event technology platform has helped thousands of organizations create, manage, and promote bespoke conferences, trade shows, hiring events, and more.