The Meetings Industry Association (mia) is seeking an exceptional and inspirational new chief executive, following Kerrin MacPhie’s decision to pursue a new venture.
Since her appointment in 2021, Kerrin has significantly elevated and transformed the trade association as well as its work advocating best practice and championing the business meetings and event sector.
Under her leadership, Kerrin 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 Kerrin, who will leave her current role in December 2024, include reinvigorating the mia’s busy program, making its events highly sought after by both members and the wider industry. This has seen the miaList excellence awards being revitalised 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.
Kerrin’s tenure has been marked by her commitment to providing members with enhanced opportunities and added value, crystallising the mia’s importance to the sector. 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, Kerrin raised international awareness of the association at the renowned IMEX trade show 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 Kerrin’s three-year vision, a new visual identity reinforcing the positioning of the mia will be revealed at The Meetings Show.
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 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 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.
