The Meetings Industry Association (mia) is seeking a new chief executive, following Kerrin MacPhie’s decision to pursue a new venture. She will leave her current role in December 2024.
Since her appointment in 2021, joining from Visit Britain, MacPhie has transformed the trade association, as well as its work advocating best practice and championing the meetings and event sector.
Under her leadership, the mia team has been restructured, with Sandra Eyre recruited as business development director and Katie Cotton promoted to operations director.
Other key initiatives introduced include a reinvigoration of the miaList excellence awards to 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.
MacPhie’s 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, the mia has striven to become a major sectoral voice to government through regular meetings and by offering regular counsel and sector intelligence through mia Insights. For the first time in the mia’s history, MacPhie this year raised international awareness of the association at IMEX 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 a MacPhie’s three-year vision for the association, a new visual identity reinforcing the positioning of the mia will be revealed at The Meetings Show later in June.
Speaking on her time as chief executive, Kerrin 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 mia, 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 build on the strong foundations and lead the association into its next chapter of innovation and growth.
For more information or to apply for the chief executive role, please visit Vacancies (mia-uk.org). Applications close 30 June.
