Tru Powell joins West Midlands Regional Board for Tourism

Tru Powell has recently been appointed as a Board Member for the West Midlands Regional Tourism Board. The news comes after the regional board’s Chair and Artistic Director & Chief Executive of Birmingham Hippodrome, Fiona Allen alongside The West Midlands Growth Company recruited a brand-new board to complete a new 16-member strong board. The board includes representatives from different areas of the West Midlands, who are experts in sports, culture, conferencing, hotel venues and more.

Supported by the West Midlands Growth Company (WMGC) – which aims to attract visitors, investment and event to the region – the board has been formed to deliver the region’s £1 billion Tourism Strategy, create a voice for the area’s tourism sector and advocate for funding from government.

To accomplish this, the board is working on planning for the future of the region’s tourism sector. The board is developing a bid to be one of the UK’s five future tourism zones, which will propose local solutions to raising productivity in the tourism sector. The zones will support the industry in various areas such as product development, mentoring, integrated visitor transport planning, digital skills training and extending the visitor season across business and leisure tourism.

In light of the challenges currently facing the tourism sector due to COVID-19, the new board is needed now more than ever. The inaugural meeting took place the beginning of April and as a result the board is calling on ministers to facilitate quicker access to the various schemes already available – and to create more cash grant support for charities and not-for-profit organisations. The board is also seeking clearer rules for existing business support schemes.

Powell will make significant contributions to the overall strategic objectives of the Board. Powell is also the Managing Director for The Alternative Events Company, the Creative & Events Director for Aston Performing Arts Academy and a Business Partner of Kandy Girl, a children’s pamper salon. This isn’t Powell’s only Non-Executive Director (NED) appointment as he is also a NED for TAG Network and a Board Member for CMI.

Speaking on the appointment Powell said,

“I am excited to join the West Midlands Regional Board. I am even more excited at the prospect of championing tourism for the region and supporting the development of the strategic plan. Now more than ever the tourism sector requires a regional board to speak as a collective voice on behalf of the regions sector especially during these challenges times. I am hoping to bring my wealth of experience and knowledge in the world of tourism and events to this role.”

For more information on the board please click here