Edinburgh Convention Bureau is pleased to announce the new appointment of Lesley Williams as Head of Association Sales.  Lesley was previously Business Development Director for Prestige Scotland and brings a wealth of conference and hospitality industry experience, having formerly been Sales Director at Macdonald Highland Resort and Director of Sales and Marketing at the EICC.

Lesley's remit is to enhance the profile of Edinburgh as a world leading business tourism destination and source national and international conferences, persuading them to hold their event in Edinburgh.  In particular, Lesley will be responsible for further development of the Edinburgh Ambassadors Programme -  building on the success of the programme to date and to expand the network of Ambassadors in new or growth subject areas.

Lesley said    "I'm delighted to be joining the team at Edinburgh Convention Bureau. Edinburgh is an award winning destination with a proven track record in delivering successful conferences.  But there are challenges ahead... the competition is increasing and we are competing globally against many new emerging destinations.  It is important we remain one of the top conference destinations in the world and I am confident that ECB, along with our members, can deliver memorable events for our visiting associations and offer innovative and cost effective solutions to our conference organisers."

We asked Lesley a few questions to help introduce our newest member of the team!

What is your career path/background?

Originally from Aberdeen, I moved to Edinburgh to study at the university and fell in love with the city.  Although my career has taken me to different cities I have always returned to Edinburgh.  My sales and marketing career started in the Caledonian Hotel, many moons ago, and gave me the best introduction to sales and working in a five star environment.  More recently I worked as Business Development Director for Prestige Scotland, and prior to that with the Aviemore Highland Resort and Conference Centre.  Probably most relevant to my new role is the experience I gained at the EICC where I worked as Director of Sales, although each role I have had has given me a good understanding of all the different aspects involved in putting together a successful conference.

What are your career highlights/successes?

I have had such fun and some great experiences in my career and would recommend this industry to anyone.  I think it is the people that have made the career highlights and successes - it is nearly always a team effort where success is concerned.  The euphoria in winning a big international conference for the city, or an event that makes your January budget, reign supreme.

What are you looking forward to most in your new role?

Moving to the ECB as Head of Association Sales enables me to do what I love best - selling Edinburgh as a conference destination.

How would you describe Edinburgh to a potential association/conference?

Edinburgh is a must see destination.  It is an award winning city that has a proven track record in consistently delivering successful conferences.

From a conference organiser's point of view, it is easily accessible, has a great selection of conference venues that deliver outstanding service; many venue choices for your social programme that include the traditional, the cultural, the historical and the contemporary -  and it is great value for money! 

From a delegate perspective, the city is compact and safe to walk around, you can find a hotel to suit any budget and it is the kind of city you want to come back to with your friends and family. Edinburgh is a one stop hop from popular European cities such as Amsterdam, Paris, Frankfurt, Geneva, and many destinations in Spain, as well as long haul flights from New York.

And of course we are a very hospitable nation who welcome our international visitors and recognise the economic benefit that you bring.

Contact Details:

Lesley Williams

Head of Association Sales

Edinburgh Convention Bureau Ltd

29 Drumsheugh Gardens

Edinburgh EH3 7RN
t:   +44 (0)131 473 3662

f:   +44 (0)131 473 3877

e:  lesley.williams@conventionedinburgh.com

w:  www.conventionedinburgh.com