Andy Kemp, executive director of Arena, said: “It’s with great sadness we receive this news.
“It was only a short time ago I met with Naomi and, despite the challenges presented through her illness, she was her usual exuberant self.
“Naomi was a formidable character within the hospitality industry and we will remember her with fondness and admiration.”
Arena began life in the 1980s as the Catering Industry Group, then towards the end of the decade Peter Backman was elected chairman and invited PR guru and industry personality Naomi Arnold to join the committee. She had previously been involved with the board responsible for setting up Wimpy Group.
The organisation changed its name to Catering Arena before settling on simply Arena in 1994.
Naomi took over the role of secretary for the group before stepping down in 2002.