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Vanessa Cotton, former non-executive chair of Reed Travel Exhibitions' (RTE) meetings and events portfolio, has passed away.

<update 16:29 CET> The industry stalwart finally lost her secret fight against cancer, a battle that she carried out with the great dignity, strength and courage that she had shown in all her personal and business relationships. </update> 

Former colleagues at Reed told C&IT they were shocked and saddened at the news.

Cotton's predecessor at RTE, Paul Kennedy, said her death was "simply tragic" and that the industry in the UK and Europe was saddened by the news.

Formerly the face of Excel London as its managing director (conference and events), Cotton was a long established and respected industry figure, frequently listed in C&IT's Power 50 top ten.

Cotton was also an early adopter of CSR in the events industry and championed initiatives including the introduction of an environmental penalty scheme to discourage clients from using non-recyclable materials at the venue.

Reed Travel Exhibitions managing director Richard Mortimore said: "We at RTE are deeply shocked and saddened by the news of Vanessa's death. Our thoughts are with her family and friends. She was a true industry doyenne and contributed much to our team. She will be greatly missed in the meetings industry."

Excel London chief executive Kevin Murphy said: "Myself and the entire Excel London team are absolutely shocked and devastated at the news. Vanessa made a significant and transformational difference to our business. We will all remember her with great fondness."