Kerry Edwards has been appointed as the new managing director of boutique event agency Bien Venue as the business navigates a new future ahead.
Edwards has been promoted from within the business, from a client director position to replace the agency owner Sam Elliott in the MD role. She will now lead sales, operations and finance teams and suppliers at the Greater Manchester-based agency as Sam Elliott moves to a CEO capacity to focus on further growth strategy and acquisitions.
Edwards has been at Bien Venue for six years and brings more than two decades of industry knowledge and experience to the role. Prior to being at the agency, she has worked for major hotel groups across F&B, event management, revenue management as well as being in regional and national sales director roles.
Edwards told M&IT that part of her focus in her role will be to enhance existing client relationships. "Going forward our strategy is about evolving with our clients, and being able to maintain the relationships that we've got in place, rather than focusing on going out there and finding brand new clients.
"We want to nurture and maintain the existing client base to ensure they feel loved and wanted."
Edwards' specialisms include forging strong collaborative relationships with clients and suppliers, team management and developing and implementing business strategies.
As managing director at Bien Venue, Edwards will be providing management and leadership, supporting staff and clients through developments while planning for the future.
Future development of the agency will aim to focus on moving forward into the new normal while nurturing Bien Venue’s client base and offering a consultative, customer‐focused service and promoting its existing and new portfolio of services.
Edwards added: "I’m delighted to take on this new challenge, I am passionate about building on our success of the last 24 years, leading our fantastic team to continue to deliver an A-star service of excellence to our clients.
"I've got a strong management team behind me and we're all really excited to see what the future brings. Hopefully, the industry will bounce back to what it's meant to be."
Established in 1996 and based in Poynton, near Stockport in Greater Manchester, Bien Venue is a creative, boutique events agency, its services include sourcing venues for meetings and events, booking travel, accommodation, team building activities and corporate entertainment. Bien Venue also has its own online portals for both meetings and accommodation.
M&IT editor Paul Harvey is a journalist with more than 15 years of experience. He began his career in the local press, working for various titles across the north. Since joining M&IT in 2013, he has become a trusted and respected voice in the sector, championing event professionals and reporting on all aspects of the events industry for the brand.
