Chair of the UKEVENTS Advocacy & Government Relations Working Group
Michael has chaired the BVEP since its inception in 1999 until May 2020. He now acts as Advocacy & Government Relations and Secretariat liaison. With fifty years' experience in the tourism and hospitality industry, he is a former board member of the Ladbroke Group Plc as Chairman and CEO of Hilton International and a former consultant to CBRE Hotels, the world's leading hospitality real estate advisory firm. He served as Chairman of The Tourism Alliance and continues to be a member of its Board. He was appointed OBE for services to tourism, voted "Personality of the Year" by readers of Meetings & Incentive Travel and awarded the Joint Meetings Industry Council Unity Award, recognising individuals who have made a significant contribution to the advancement of the Meetings Industry and its level of professionalism. In 2021 he was awarded a fellowship by EVCOM.