The QEII Centre will welcome two new directors early in 2015 in a team expansion and restructuring designed to help shape and deliver the strategy for future growth and extend the reputation of the iconic QEII Centre worldwide.
Diane Waldron, currently head of marketing and events for the Honourable Artillery Company, will join the QEII Centre on 5 January 2015 as director of sales and marketing.
Anna Clover, currently commercial and operations director at Casna Group, will join the QEII Centre in February 2015 in the role of director of operations and customer experience.
Meanwhile, Sue Etherington, who has been with the centre for more than 11 years and is a well-known figure in the events industry, will become head of international sales and industry relations. Her new role will see her develop and drive international association and international corporate client sales. In addition, she will lead the centre’s relationship development with event industry partners and associations. Sue currently serves on the board of ICCA UK and Ireland and has recently been appointed to the board of ABPCO.
The successful interior re-build and modernisation of the QEII Centre this year has coincided with strong financial performance, with contract values exceeding targets. Confirmed events have increased by more than 10% compared with 2013 and forecasted occupancy for this year is almost 14% higher than that achieved last year – a firm indication that the centre’s future plans for stability and development are already exceeding expectations in the run-up to the new appointments.
Diane Waldron’s new role at the QEII Centre will see her focus on bringing the brand in line with the long-term vision for the centre. She’ll develop the sales and marketing strategy, growing brand awareness by demonstrating the centre’s versatility as a leading large venue. Diane’s career portfolio spans a diverse range of events and markets and she has held roles at the Natural History Museum, Searcy’s at the Barbican and at the Tower Thistle Hotel. Her current role at the Honourable Artillery Company has seen her responsible for the development and delivery of the sales and marketing strategies for the site.
Diane said, “I am delighted to be joining the iconic QEII Centre at such an exciting time in its history. I look forward to working with the team to revitalise the brand and reposition the QEII Centre as a world leading venue at the heart of London’s conference and events industry.”
Anna Clover, who joins the QEII Centre in February 2015, will focus on the customer experience to ensure the highest levels of customer service and event satisfaction. Anna brings with her extensive experience of working in both the hospitality and facilities sectors at sites including Alexandra Palace, IET Venues, the Royal Society of Arts, Millennium Dome and Shakespeare’s Globe. She is currently commercial and operations director at Casna Group, a contract cleaning company specialising in 5 star hotels.
Anna said, “I am extremely excited to be joining the QEII Centre in 2015, to support the team to deliver the vision to become the most innovative and leading event space in central London.”
Speaking of the change to Sue Etherington’s role and the addition of Diane and Anna to the team, Mark Taylor, QEII Centre chief executive, said, “This important, re-focused role really plays to Sue’s strengths as a very effective and well connected face of the QEII Centre globally, as well as its lead on industry relations.
“Following our successful re-launch of the QEII Centre last month and stellar results, we are continually focused on building a structure for additional growth and establishing the QEII Centre as a world class centre of excellence. The appointments of Diane and Anna and the vast wealth of hospitality experience that they bring will aid the commercial development of the venue and ensure we achieve our vision of delivering unbeatable service and choice for events, meetings and conferences in the heart of London, for local and international businesses.”
For more information about the facilities at the QEII Centre, or to speak to a member of the events team, simply call 020 7798 4000 or visit www.qeiicentre.london.
