Vacancy -- Head of Business Events

Reporting to the Deputy Director – Tourism Development and Major Events, this is an exciting new role responsible for implementing the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure’s (CSEI) specific ambition to develop a fully integrated ambitious cross-sectorial approach to win targeted business conferences and events to Wales from UK and international associations, corporate and public sector meetings, team-building and incentives.

 

With extensive MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, events) market experience, they will take a commercial approach to promoting Wales – focusing on delivering real business - aligned with Wales’s priority business sectors and academic, scientific and medical strengths. They will be required to develop new ways of working that will boost Wales’s profile and performance, and help build the competitiveness and capacity of the Wales business events sector to win more business. With excellent strategic planning and management skills, the postholder will develop and deliver a new sustainable approach, harnessing key partners and stakeholders at every level across the public and private sector, including creating a long-term funding model. The post-holder will be responsible for building Wales’s profile as a business event destination and for translating this into brand-defining initiatives, and sustainable business growth.

• Utilising knowledge of the business events sector, work with multiple internal and external stakeholders to build and manage a new team and approach – developing a long-term financially sustainable model - to promote and win business events to Wales, taking account of the diversity of venue types, sector/academic/medical strengths and organisational structures across Wales;

 

• Recruit and directly manage a small business events team to deliver a fully integrated approach to attracting conferences, meetings and other business events to Wales. Matrix work with relevant colleagues across Welsh Government;

 

• Research the market and prospect for events aligned with Wales’s medical, academic, business and cultural industries;

 

• Work closely with Major Events Unit (MEU) colleagues, and across Economy, Skills and Natural Resources, and with public and private sector in Wales to develop a highly effective bid-handling approach for Wales. Bid for and secure events in liaison with business sectors, conference contacts and venues throughout Wales;

 

• Contribute to the ongoing delivery of the Wales brand strategy and strategic marketing delivery plans, and create a compelling proposition for Wales as a business events destination. Develop high quality platforms and assets and distribute dynamic content;

 

• Build demand for Wales by developing and delivering marketing and PR plans and programmes, in close collaboration with Marketing colleagues, including platforms for Wales suppliers – web microsite, social channels, events, trade exhibitions and familiarisation trips;

 

• Set up appropriate approaches and oversee sales activities targeting U.K. and international associations and corporate, incentive and team-building clients;

 

• Working with key senior level stakeholders within Wales and beyond , taking account of existing approaches across the public and private sector, create and run a national ambassador programme with Wales’s key industry, academic and medical leaders;

 

• Provide leadership for the industry in Wales, and in conjunction with Visit Wales’s Development department, support initiatives to ensure the highest quality and appropriate skills and customer service are delivered to meet the needs of this sector. Help to build capacity and provision for this market by working appropriately with internal and external stakeholders;

 

• Build relationships and lever opportunities for Wales with key UK organisations – VisitBritain Business Events team and the Business Visits and Events Partnership in particular;

 

• Prepare bids for VisitBritain’s Event Support programme, working with relevant event leads within WG and across the public and private sector;

 

• With consideration of national delegate spend and evaluation work, work with the WG research team to develop an appropriate benchmark, impact methodology and evaluation process for the team’s work and ensure ongoing research and analysis is put in place to monitor and report the success of the new approach to Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure and others;

 

• Develop and manage relationships across the industry and with key public and private sector stakeholders, within and beyond Wales, building a positive collaborative approach;

 

• Manage external agencies as appropriate to deliver programmes in support of WG priorities – always ensuring an appropriate balance between in-house and external delivery;

 

• Work with marketing colleagues to maximise the leisure tourism outputs from business event delegates to Wales - through quality partner/spouse programmes as well as encouraging extenders, and repeat business.  

The successful candidate will be part of the ESNR Tourism & Marketing senior team and will have access to a range of development opportunities available to staff throughout Welsh Government.

More pay may be available for an exceptional candidate.

29/08/2017, 16:00

Posts recruited to as part of this recruitment campaign are broadly open to UK nationals, those with right to remain and work in the UK and those that meet the Civil Service Nationality Rules only. Check your eligibility here:

• UK Visas and Immigration - GOV.UK

• Nationality rules – GOV.UK

Prior to appointment, all successful applicants will be required to produce original, acceptable documents as part of the pre-employment checks. If it becomes apparent at a later stage in the process that you aren’t eligible to apply, your application will be withdrawn, or offer retracted.

The Welsh Government is committed to providing services which embrace diversity and which promote equality of opportunity. This is underpinned by the Equality Act 2010 and will be adhered to at each stage of the recruitment process. Our goal is to ensure that these commitments are also embedded in our day-to-day working practices with all our customers, colleagues and partners.

We are committed to being an anti-racist organisation and increasing diversity in the Welsh Government by removing barriers and supporting all our staff to reach their potential. We are committed to recruiting Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people and disabled people who are currently under-represented in Welsh Government.

We welcome applications from everyone regardless of age, marriage and civil partnership (both same sex and opposite sex), impairment or health condition, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, gender identity or gender expression.

We are a Stonewall Diversity Champion and a Disability Confident Level 3 (Leader) organisation. Key to supporting this work and providing peer support are five Board sponsored Staff Networks (Disability Awareness and Support (DAAS); Minority Ethnic Support Network (MESN); Mind Matters (Mental health and well-being); PRISM (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex +) and Women Together.

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.

The Welsh Government is a bilingual organisation and Welsh language skills are considered an asset to the organisation. We encourage and support staff to learn, develop and use their Welsh language skills in the workplace. 

The following list of language requirements represents an objective assessment by the line manager on behalf of the Welsh Government of the Welsh language skills required to undertake the duties of this particular post.

In Welsh Government, the relationship between the employer and trade unions is based on social partnership. We believe our goals can best be achieved by management and trade unions working together.

Our 3 recognised trade unions are:
•         PCS
•         Prospect
•         FDA

This relationship is underpinned by a partnership agreement. This sets out how our unions work with Welsh Government on issues such as:
•         pay
•         terms and conditions
•         policies and procedures
•         organisational change.

Our Welsh Government trade union colleagues work together to give their members a real say in the workplace. They make sure that the interests of their members are promoted and protected. They also help reduce inequalities and improve terms and conditions.

The Welsh Government has an excellent track record of working in partnership with its trade unions. We encourage staff to get involved. We support you to join a recognised trade union, to ensure your voice is heard in the workplace. and to learn more about trade unions and partnership working.

• Unless stated otherwise in ‘actual starting salary’, all candidates will start at the minimum of the pay scale being appointed to (this includes existing civil servants).This is not negotiable.
• Unless stated otherwise in ‘type of opportunity’, this recruitment advert is not open on a Loan or Secondment basis.
• For more information on the eligibility criteria and terms and conditions for Loan and Secondment positions in Welsh Government, please see external recruitment candidate guidance.
• Unless stated otherwise in ‘Location of Post’ the role/s recruited to via this campaign can only be worked in the UK, not overseas.

All applications for this vacancy should be made online via the Welsh Government's online application system.  If you have a disability which would prevent you from applying on-line, please e-mail SharedServiceHelpdesk@wales.gsi.gov.uk to request an application pack in an alternative format, or to request a reasonable adjustment related to a disability in order to submit your application.

To apply, you'll need to have an account on our online application system.  Click the 'Apply' button below, and you'll be asked to 'Log in' if you already have an account, or 'Register' if you don't yet have an account.  Registration takes just a few minutes to complete.  You'll need an e-mail address to be able to register.  Once you've registered for an account and logged in, you'll be taken to the online application form, which you'll need to fully complete and submit before the deadline on the closing date.  

If you’d like to apply for this vacancy in Welsh, please use the ‘Newid Iaith / Change Language’ link at the top of this page, to take you to the Welsh version of this advert, from which you can apply in Welsh.

For further information regarding the Welsh Government recruitment process, please see the Recruitment Guidance for External Candidates (link).

When evidencing your suitability for the post, it is recommended that you refer to the Civil Service Competency Framework (link)

Anyone who believes they have been treated unfairly, or has a grievance or complaint, about how the process was conducted should either write to the Head of Resourcing, Welsh Government, Cathays Park 2, Cardiff CF10 3NQ or email SharedServiceHelpdesk@gov.wales.  If you are unhappy with the outcome of the complaint raised with the Welsh Government and feel that the principles of appointment on merit through fair and open competition have not been met you have the right to pursue your grievance with the Civil Service Commission.