ITM SEEKS NEW SOUTH EAST REGIONAL CHAIR
Regional leader will drive development in the SE Region
Linda Elsdon is stepping down from her role as ITM South East Regional Chairman having left her position at Merrill Lynch some months ago. The Institute of Travel & Meetings UK & Ireland (ITM) is therefore issuing a call to all buyer members located in the South East region to consider the role of Regional Chairman. Ms Elsdon has agreed to play a caretaking role until a successor is found.
The region has been run by a committee headed by both Ray Wooldridge and subsequently Linda Elsdon over the last few years but as Ms Elsdon is not seeking to work in travel management as a full time buyer, the chair position has become vacant as ITM rules state that each region is required to be run by a buyer member of the association.
"We are very grateful to Linda for her hard work. It's a shame to be losing Linda as she has been such a fantastic supporter of the association in general and the region in particular, but it is our duty to the membership and the rules of the association to look for a replacement with full buyer membership status, "said Caroline Strachan, ITM Chairman.
The Institute of Travel & Meetings UK & Ireland (ITM) regional committees are responsible for driving regional networking events and attracting membership. The board is also presently considering a series of low-key educational events in the regional base too, to build on the success of the "Inside the Mind of a Buyer" programme run for the first time at the 2008 conference. The new SE Regional Chair would therefore also be responsible for rolling out this programme if trials are successful.
Anne Deamer, ITM's General Manager in charge of education, explains, "Feedback and discussion as part of the Evolution of ITM road show in Manchester resulted in us considering an extension of the Inside the Mind education approach. This is where, for example, a group of buyers might visit a TMC to hear from a travel consultant on their experiences and then engage in round-table discussions, or alternatively where a group of suppliers might go to the offices of a buyer and hear what a frequent traveller experiences. The attendees literally get "inside the mind" of another business travel stakeholder". The programme is being developed to enhance regional best practice discussions, and will form part of the associations approach to create greater information exchange, with an on-line directory and networking tool also part of the plans for 2009.
Members wishing to apply for the SE Regional Chair position or discuss the voluntary role in more detail should contact paul.tilstone@itm.org.uk in complete confidence by 31st January 2009.
