The chief executive of the Edinburgh Convention Bureau, Sue Stuart, is the new chair of the British Association of Conference Destinations (BACD).

The BACD is the trade association representing conference destination marketing organisations across the British Isles. Its members are convention and visitor bureaus, conference desks and national tourist boards. The BACD supports, promotes and represents British conference destinations. It does this by providing advice, research, education, networking, accreditation, business leads and joint marketing opportunities, and through maximising the opportunities for alliances and collaboration with key strategic partners.

For event organisers, the BACD offers a range of services including a comprehensive venue finding operation to help companies find the ideal location for their event.

“Business tourism is extremely important, generating more the £20 billion a year for Britain’s economy,” said Stuart on her appointment. “Success demands the vision to identify necessary change and the discipline to implement it. My aim is to assist in that process using the experience we have gained in delivering change in Edinburgh. BACD is pivotal to both the educational process and influencing of business for its members. I look forward to working with the BACD staff and Board to ensure that the organisation is best placed strategically and operationally to respond to these challenges and provide best possible return for its members.”

Commenting on Stuart’s appointment, BACD chief executive Tony Rogers said: “We are absolutely delighted that Sue has assumed the chair of the BACD at a crucial time in the association’s development. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience of both the national and international conference industry, combined with high level strategic skills. We are very much looking forward to the contribution that she will make.”

For more information on how the BACD can help you, visit www.bacd.org.uk