Brussels/Melbourne. Leigh Harry, CEO of the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre and President of ICCA has assumed the Presidency of the Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC) as of the beginning of 2009.

“We are at a particularly important time for our industry as there are a number of issues ranging from global economic concerns to transportation concerns that are challenging our members”, said Harry. “However, we believe that meetings, conventions and exhibitions are critical elements in building international relations and helping stimulate economic growth, so there is more reason than ever to ensure the role of our industry is well understood and our issues are addressed. We intend to be more aggressive in advancing understanding of our industry and ensuring our concerns are addressed as part of the overall strategy for economic recovery”.

Harry’s appointment comes following a recently completed industry summit held in Barcelona to identify key industry issues and consider options for addressing them more effectively. The Council is now proceeding to develop a strategy for how JMIC can better respond to overall industry concerns and facilitate interactions between different components of the industry. JMIC is an organization representing the collective interests of major associations engaged in the convention, meetings, exhibitions and incentive travel sectors which are collectively defined as the Meetings Industry. www.themeetingsindustry.org