City marketing chiefs have strengthened their team with a trio of high profile appointments.
Marketing Birmingham has appointed three new directors to its board, welcoming Professor
David Tidmarsh, Vice Chancellor at UCE Birmingham, Crawford Rix, Managing Director of
bmibaby and Rachel Kavanaugh, Artistic Director at Birmingham REP, to the team.
The move comes at a time when the destination marketing agency is developing quickly, moving from a resource base of £2.4m in 2004/05 to a projected £7.5m in 2008/09.
Ian Squires, Chairman of Marketing Birmingham said: “These are exciting times for Marketing
Birmingham and for the city as a whole, so it is the right time to rebalance the board and invite some new key players to join us and help us to grow, with the right mix of skills and experience to help champion the city.
“I’m delighted that David, Crawford and Rachel have agreed to invest their time in the future of
Birmingham and their individual areas of expertise will be extremely valuable in developing the
work of the organisation.”
David Tidmarsh was appointed Vice Chancellor at UCE in January this year, having spent three years as Vice Chancellor at Anglia Ruskin University.
Crawford Rix joined bmibaby as managing director in May 2006, having been with the bmi group since 1995. He has played a pivotal role in pioneering the launch of the company’s radical new business passenger initiative.
Rachel Kavanaugh is the first female artistic director ever to lead the Birmingham REP in its 93 year history.
Ian continued: “Our three new directors bring a wealth of skills and experience to help move
Marketing Birmingham forward. David has great energy and ambition to maximise on
Birmingham’s unique position as the youngest city in Europe and promote the city to the next
generation, while our primary function of supporting the visitor economy demands expertise from the travel trade, making Crawford an obvious choice. And in the run up to the launch of our new Arts campaign in the Autumn, Rachel will be an extremely valuable asset.”
David Tidmarsh said: “I’m delighted to join Marketing Birmingham’s board and align UCE with
the organisation’s forward thinking strategies for promoting Birmingham.
“Birmingham is Europe’s youngest city, with more students than any other UK city outside
London, more under 15’s than any other major European city, and 37% of the population underthe age of 24.
“Education is therefore an essential part of Birmingham’s success and UCE and Marketing
Birmingham share the same target audience. Attracting more people to study in the city in turn attracts more people to stay on to work here, and supports the city’s leisure and retail industries, helping to improve perceptions of Birmingham as a city of academic excellence.
“Birmingham has to be known internationally as a University City with a knowledge-based
economy, a great place to live, work and study."
Crawford Rix said: “I am delighted and really excited to be joining the board of Marketing
Birmingham. The team at Marketing Birmingham have a clear and ambitious vision for the city of Birmingham, and have made great strides in attracting major events, working with the private sector and creating a positive and strong ‘brand Birmingham’. I’m looking forward to being able to play a role in helping to build on this great success story.”
Rachel Kavanaugh said: “It is excellent news that Marketing Birmingham is promoting the arts and culture of the city in its latest lifestyle campaign. I am delighted to represent The REP and increase awareness outside of the city as to the fantastic range of arts organisations, events and facilities that are here.”
Marketing Birmingham’s board now has 15 members. They are John Bills, Regional Managing
Director at Midlands Newspapers Ltd, Sir Albert Bore, Opposition Leader for Birmingham City
Council, Christine Braddock, Principal and Chief Executive of Matthew Boulton College of Further and Higher Education, John Edwards, Chief Executive of Advantage West Midlands, Trevor Foster, Managing Director for Banking at Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander Ltd, Rachel
Kavanaugh, Artistic Director at Birmingham REP, Stephen Maddock, Chief Executive of CBSO, Michael Mason, General Manager of Crowne Plaza Hotel Birmingham, Crawford Rix, Managing Director of bmibaby, Gary Taylor, Director of Argent Estates, Paul Thandi, Chief Executive of The NEC Group, David Tidmarsh, Vice Chancellor of UCE Birmingham, Peter Vella, Business Development Director at Birmingham International Airport, David Waller, Regional Chairman of PriceWaterhouse Coopers, and Leader of Birmingham City Council, Mike Whitby.
John Ling from Connexions and Lady Penelope Cobham, Deputy Chair of Visit Britain are both standing down from their positions.
“My heartfelt thanks go to John and Lady Penelope for their hard work and dedication during
their time as board members. They have been a part of Marketing Birmingham through exciting times to get the organisation to where it is today and I’m sure they will continue to watch our progress with interest,” concluded Ian.
ENDS
For further information please contact:
Charlotte Beeching, External Affairs Manager, Marketing Birmingham
Tel: 0121 202 5143 or email us.
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