At the General Assembly of European Cities Marketing held in Lyon, France, on 10th June 2011, Heike Mahmoud (Berlin) was elected as the Association’s new Vice President (Conventions). Heike Mahmoud says: “ECM is an excellent marketing platform for cities and their wider regions. Convention business is booming, and as the new Vice-President I will seek to keep our members abreast of latest market intelligence and on leading-edge developments and marketing best practice. My focus will be on specific content, trends and new activities relating to the meetings sector, and on giving added value to our members”.
The General Assembly also appointed François Gaillard (Lyon) as new member of the ECM Board.
Heike Mahmoud is a graduate in foreign trade and also has a degree in economics and international marketing. After working in several sales and marketing positions in congress hotels and then as a exhibition organizer and a PCO, she took up her current post as the Convention Director of Berlin Convention Office of visitBerlin in July 2001. Her job is to ensure the German capital continues maximise the economic benefit of the meeting industry across association, corporate and other market segments.
François Gaillard started his career directing winter sports resorts in the French Alps. Since 2004 he has served as Chief Executive Officer of the Lyon Tourist Office and Convention Bureau. François Gaillard has a master degree in Service Marketing (Université de Savoie) and graduated in Hautes Etudes de Gestion Hôtelière at Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne.
Current ECM Board:
Dieter Hardt-Stremayr, President, Managing Director, Graz Tourist Office
Stefan Diender, Vice President (Tourism), Managing Director, Amsterdam Tourism & Convention Board
Heike Mahmoud, Vice President (Conventions), Director Conventions, visitBerlin Berlin Convention Office
Denis Zanon, Treasurer, General Manager, Nice Convention and Visitors Bureau
Board members : Annik Bogaert (Director, Antwerp Tourism & Congress), Airy Garrigosa (Director, Barcelona Convention Bureau), Olivier Lépine (General Manager, Biarritz Tourisme), Joaquin Miranda (Managing Director, Gijón Turismo), Tuulikki Becker (Deputy Tourist Director, Helsinki City Tourist & Convention Bureau), François Gaillard (CEO, Lyon Tourism and Conventions), Rémy Cregut (General Manager, Montreux Music & Convention Centre), Anne Wallin-Rødven (Convention Director, Visit OSLO), Vedran Matosic (Managing Director, Tourist Board of Split), Gillian Cruddas (Chief Executive, Visit York)
