A quick summary of my experience to date:

• Developed marketing strategies and campaigns for VisitBritain, regional development agencies and tourist boards, destination partnerships, visitor attractions and hotels.
• Delivered training workshops and master classes for over 2000 people from the tourism industry. Strategic skills development projects for People1st and London Development Agency.
• Internet marketing - including website development, auditing, copywriting and strategy for tourist boards, VisitBritain, and smaller destinations and attractions.
• Author of 5 marketing books published by Kogan Page and VisitBritain Publishing, as well as an English guidebook published by Metro Publications, tourism industry handbook and multicultural handbook published by The Tourism Network .
• Facilitated over 100 workshops to broker and develop partnerships, offer strategic direction and industry consultation.
• Managed and developed destination partnerships in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Yorkshire, London, the East of England and the West Country.
• Developed and managed large scale events and conferences (200 pax) such as those on Sustainable Tourism and on Cultural Tourism for VisitBritain as well as The Tourism Network's own sell-out programme of networking and development events.
• Managed and acted as delivery agent for over £1million worth of ESF, RDA and SRB funded regeneration and skills development projects.

Founding The Tourism Network

After studying languages, I began my tourism industry career with a small incoming tour operator in my native Yorkshire, follwed by a couple of years with a specialist study tour operators and incentive company in London. My boss irritated me with his management-speak and lack of practical action and every time a representative from an attraction, hotel or destination came to sell to me, I ended up giving them new contacts and business ideas instead.

It didn't take long before I decided to start my own marketing consultancy (1990), helping destinations, accommodation providers and attractions to promote to a wider market and develop new revenue. Before long I had a great client list. They recommended me to others and so the business grew.

I am particularly interested in:

• product development & capitalising on trends
• celebrating local distinctiveness
• rural and urban regeneration through tourism
• creating new but authentic tourism experiences

I lived in London for 20 years but moved back up to the Yorkshire Dales 3 years ago. In my free time I do like to lounge around without doing much and spend time with my family but I'm also a trustee of the local Community Office, vice-chair of the Governors for Masham Church of England Primary School, and undertake marketing for the Masham Arts Festival as well as fund-raising for local events and making pantomine costumes (it's always been my ambition to have a go at being the front end of a pantomine cow).

I am now also a bit of an expert in sheep trivia and have become adept at organising silly events like the recent Masham Yorkshire Olympics, complete with flat cap discus throwing and Yorkshire Pudding shot pud. My husband, daughter and dog are fortunately very patient but sometimes pretend they don't know me, like the time the Arts Festival marketing budget was so small I had to make a sandwich board and parade around the village centre wearing it! Moral of the story: don't tell me your marketing budget is tiny or I may come up with an equally cringe-worthy solution...