Callum McLean , HBAA membership director and Capita Travel and Events ’ director of business partnerships , talks about the association ’ s board restructure s we continue to navigate this era of disruption and move towards the recovery phase , being part of a stronger , united community is critical to survive and thrive . And the Hotel Booking Agents Association ’ s ( HBAA ) role , as the association for the meetings , events and accommodation industry , has never been more vital .
When Covid-19 hit , our initial annual plans were put on hold . We moved into survival mode with our members to support their urgent , short-term needs , and collaborated further across the industry , particularly on advocacy .
Engagement with our members has continued to be key . For example , we ran regular pulse checks to understand how we could help them in an ever-changing environment and provided advice and guidance on a vast scale . We lobbied the Government on many issues , including calling for furlough extensions , VAT cuts , financial support and grants to re-skill and re-equip our people .
Our longer-term vision , set out last year , was to become # HBAAFutureFit . This was about ensuring our association is robust , relevant , resilient and fit for purpose for members and the industry as a whole going forwards . We also wanted to be a platform for those underrepresented in the sector and to deliver support for non-members too .
We have now defined clear objectives that will heighten our industry contribution and position us as an industry leader by providing insights and championing change .
Last year we stripped back the organisation to its foundations to look at who we are and what we represent for our members . A year of change and restructuring was ahead . We did not know the
“ As part of the process , we conducted a thorough analysis of what skills we require from a board to lead the association .”
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Association comment effects Covid-19 would have at this point , but it has made our drive to be FutureFit all the more pertinent . An in-depth review of our structure revealed that we weren ’ t broad enough as a board to support our membership completely and the longer terms plans of the association , especially as we are all volunteers with busy day jobs and teams to lead . Membership was continuing to grow throughout 2020 , people needed support and more guidance , so it was only right to push ahead with our plans .
As 2020 progressed , like all businesses , we had to review inwards , as well as supporting outwards . As part of the process , we conducted a thorough analysis of what skills we require from a board to lead the association and also reviewed what our members needed .
This has now resulted in doubling the board ’ s size to bring in more leaders with specialist expertise from a diverse cross-section of the industry to better reflect our member ’ s needs and interests .
The new volunteer board has seven roles , including three new ones , plus two consultant executive directors . As well as the treasurer there are directors for marketing , membership , governance and strategy . In addition , we now have advisors for specific roles to broaden our expertise and we will continue to review and expand the structure as needs require . The role of association chair has been discontinued along with the executive committee and sub-committees . This decision will enable us to take a much more strategic and agile approach , with the launch of action groups for key projects and initiatives . However , HBAA has www . conference-news . co . uk