GTMC appoints chair for conference and events
The GTMC has appointed Leigh Cowlishaw of Capita Travel and Events as chair of its Conference and Events Strategy Group.
Cowlishaw is director of proposition – accommodation and meetings at Capita Travel and Events and is a former chair and current board member of the HBAA.
She joins fellow GTMC Executive Board member and Capita CCO Trevor Elswood in leading a GTMC Strategy Group.
"I’m proud to have been appointed to this role. Meetings, Conferences and Events is a sector I’m hugely passionate about. It’s an area of great opportunity, and natural fit, for TMCs; where, if done well, TMCs enable consolidation of services and full visibility of spend," she said.
"I look forward to working alongside my TMC peers to boost awareness and success by building upon the great work already taking place and supported by the HBAA Code of Practice."
GTMC CEO Adrian Parkes added: "Leigh’s depth of industry experience makes her the ideal choice for this role. With a career that has spanned meetings and events, accommodation agency and hotel operations, hotel sales management, and more, Leigh has the perfect perspective from which to successfully lead this strategy group.
"We launched the Conference and Events Strategy Group earlier this year, as well as becoming a member of the Business Visits and Events Partnership (BVEP) to address the growing economic opportunities in the sector and increasing trend towards TMCs’ widening remit. I look forward to working alongside Leigh in developing MICE activity and expertise within the business travel sector."
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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