The Meetings
Industry Association (mia) is seeking a new
chief executive following Kerrin MacPhie's decision to pursue a new venture.
Since her
appointment in 2021, MacPhie has transformed the
trade association as well as its work advocating best practice and championing
the business meetings and event sector.
Under her
leadership, MacPhie has restructured the mia team appointing Sandra Eyre as
business development director and promoting Katie Cotton as operations director
– strengthening its foundation for further growth while developing a clear
value proposition, ensuring the benefits of membership are both well-defined
and impactful.
Other key
initiatives introduced by MacPhie, who will leave her current role in December
2024, include reinvigorating the mia's programme of events. This has seen the miaList
awards reach record-breaking levels, the creation of
peer-to-peer groups, offering members a platform for discussion, collaboration
and mutual support, and the launch of monthly miaMeets giving members a regular
voice within the association.
Her collaborative approach has seen the formation of strategic
partnerships with industry colleagues, students, and advisory groups, including
the Events Apprentice Advisory Board and the Hospitality and Skills Training
Board, to support a pipeline of talent into the sector.
Additionally,
work has continued being the sector’s voice to government through regular
meetings and offering regular counsel and sector intelligence through mia
Insights. Notably, for the first time in the mia’s history, MacPhie raised
international awareness of the association at IMEX in
Frankfurt, participating in the Global Policy Forum and hosting, alongside
VisitBritain, two representatives from the Department of Culture Media and
Sport at the event.
As part of
MacPhie's three-year vision, a new visual identity reinforcing the positioning
of the mia will be revealed at The Meetings Show.
MacPhie said: “I am proud of the
achievements we've made at mia during my tenure as chief executive, ensuring that
this long-established association maintains its leading position in the
industry. The future is exciting, and I am confident that the mia community
will continue to grow in strength and influence, supporting an industry that I
love.”
Charles
Sargeant, chair of the Meetings Industry Association, added: “The board are
extremely grateful for the instrumental role Kerrin has played reinvigorating
and strengthening the mia and the value it offers to both our members and the
wider community. She has to be commended for driving change while supporting
the sector during its recovery from the pandemic, implementing impactful
initiatives to push the sector to the forefront of the government’s agenda
while developing a highly motivated team poised to take the refreshed mia to
new heights.”
The mia is
now seeking a new chief executive with senior-level experience in the wider
events industry to lead the association
into its next chapter.
For more information
or to apply for the chief executive role, visit Vacancies (mia-uk.org). Applications close 30
June.
