Three new senior management roles will anchor a restructured national sales team for Event Hospitality as the company moves into a new phase of growth and readies for the post-COVID market recovery.
The appointments include two internal promotions, with each role bringing significant sales experience both inside and outside the company.
Melanie McGufficke has stepped into the role of National Director of Sales for Rydges, Atura and the Independent Collection. McGufficke moves up to the role from her former post as Area Director of Sales at Rydges Melbourne.
A 20-year veteran of the company, she will be tasked with all facets of the overall sales performance of the Rydges, Atura and Independent Collection brands and will also oversee the company’s Conference and MICE division.
In a similar role, Nicola Porter will take on sales for the QT Hotels and Resorts brand. Having relocated to Australia in 2010, Porter played a major role in the opening sales effort for the Art Series Hotel Group, part of Accor, before moving to Event Hospitality and taking up a key sales role at QT Melbourne.
Using that experience, Porter will now lead and execute the overall sales strategy for the QT brand and take a lead role in the company’s travel industry consortia partnerships.
Joining the company also will be Alison Boyd, who takes on the role of General Manager Strategic Partnerships. Boyd brings 20 years in tourism and hospitality to her new role at Event Hospitality, having worked in several countries and working her way up through digital marketing, sales and distribution roles for Starwood Hotels, which became part of Marriott International in 2016.
Her new role will involve developing the overall distribution strategy for Event Hospitality and maximising the market share opportunities through new partnerships.