Strategic Lead - Business Tourism & Events

Gleeson Recruitment Group; West Midlands Combined Authority; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 75,000

Job description

Business Tourism and Events Strategic Lead

Role Overview

The Business Tourism and Events Strategic Lead will be responsible for promoting the city and region as a world-leading conference and events destination. This role focuses on creating and leading the strategy development for the whole sector, acting as the lead industry expert and primary spokesperson, and being responsible for KPI reporting and creating reports for the board, external partners, and other entities.

Key Responsibilities

1. Manage the Convention Bureau and Major Events annual budget and ensure the most effective use of funds in delivering against the organisation's KPIs.
2. Act as a key advocate for the region, able to speak to businesses, public sector networks, and the media in relation to the region, organisations, and relevant meetings, conferences, events, and hotel activity.
3. Set and deliver the strategy for the Convention Bureau and Major Events programme (attracting meetings, events, conferences, and incentive travel) based on the needs of venue and convention infrastructure partners, continuing to establish the region as a conferences, events, major events, and incentives destination.
4. Develop a commercial plan within the above strategy to ensure the delivery of Convention Bureau income against agreed targets.
5. Explore new technology system solutions and platforms to enable more efficient delivery of Convention Bureau services and income generation.
6. Collaborate with the Head of PWM to ensure activities align with the retention and acquisition of future Corporate and Visit & Meet PWM partners.
7. Ensure excellence in reputation through strategic leadership, including support for the accreditation of the Convention Bureau with Green Tourism or similar certification to retain a best-in-class reputation.
8. Maintain strategic relationships with VisitBritain's business events lead and key business and event organisations (MIA / NorthStar / UK Sport, etc.), as well as with the Tourism, PWM, SRM, and Inward Investment sector leads.
9. Review insights from city/destination performance, team activity, marketing and promotions activity, and events to enable effective decision-making.
10. Support the pursuit and conversion of high-value and strategic bidding to attract events into the region.
11. Manage the day-to-day operations of the Convention Bureau and Major Events team, using best-in-class tools, coaching, and training.
12. Collaborate with the marketing team to ensure compelling content and optimised customer journeys for event organisers, agencies, and broader audiences to drive engagement and advocacy.

Qualifications & Experience

1. Extensive experience (5+ years) in a similar strategic leadership role within the tourism, events, or convention bureau industry.
2. Proven track record of developing and implementing successful business tourism and events strategies.
3. Excellent knowledge of the tourism and events landscape, including industry trends, best practices, and key stakeholders.
4. Proficient in using relevant systems, tools, and software for event management, data analysis, and reporting.
5. Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to liaise effectively with businesses, public sector organisations, and media.

Possible Career Progression

Upon successfully fulfilling the responsibilities of the Business Tourism and Events Strategic Lead role, there may be opportunities to progress to senior management positions within the tourism or events industry, such as Head of Tourism, Director of Convention and Visitors Bureau, or Chief Executive of a regional tourism organisation.

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