New Executive Director appointed at Dorset LEP

Vinita Nawathe has been appointed as the new Executive Director at Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

An experienced senior executive and non-executive, she became an independent consultant in 2013 offering interim management, strategy and policy development advice.

Through her consultancy she has helped develop local economic strategy for LEPs and local authorities in the south west of England and has had senior interim roles, including an assignment as Interim Director at Dorset LEP.

From 2007 to 2013, Vinita was Managing Director of South West Observatory, a data, research and intelligence hub for the south west.

She was previously Policy and Research Director of Passenger Focus (now Transport Focus), a national non-departmental public body working on transport and consumer issues.

Vinita is currently a Board member of Cardiff Community Housing Association and an Independent Governor of Bath Spa University where she sits on the Finance and Infrastructure and Investment portfolio committees.

She is also a Board member (formerly Chair) of TravelWatch SouthWest.

In her new role Vinita will guide the implementation of Dorset LEP’s 2022/2023 Delivery Plan which focuses on renewed priorities of business-led economic insight and activity for productivity-led growth.

Cecilia Bufton, Chair of Dorset LEP, pictured left, said: “We are delighted to welcome Vinita back to Dorset LEP.

“Her extensive high-level economic policy and strategy experience will be vital in helping us to achieve our ambitions for the coming year, particularly in a changing political landscape.

“I would like to also take this opportunity to thank Dr Corrina Osborne for her outstanding commitment and leadership as Interim Director.”

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Not Just Travel wins Best Homeworking Agency in Cruise Awards

Bournemouth-based travel giant Not Just Travel has been named Best Homeworking Travel Agency in the Cruise Awards by Cruise Adviser.

The award was collected by Natalie Holder, Not Just Travel’s Head of Trade, pictured.

The judges, members of the CLIA (the world’s largest cruise trade engagement committee) said they were impressed by the company’s significant investment in people, technology and events during the pandemic that led to a four-fold increase in cruise sales from pre-pandemic level.

Judges also highlighted Not Just Travel’s continuous innovation and the new initiatives it has implemented over the past year which increased the number of repeat customers from 20 per cent to 60 per cent.

Paul Harrison, Co-founder of Not Just Travel and its recruitment arm, The Travel Franchise, said: “Once again, we’ve beaten off stiff competition to prove ourselves the best in the business.

“Our consultants show they provide the ultimate expertise and customer service in this lucrative, but complex market.

“Our total cruise sales this year has already beaten the entirety of last year.

“But we’re not stopping there.

“We have launched our new Cruise Division to boost franchisees’ sales in the market.

“We are now launching our Cruise Mastery training programme, which takes our already-expert travel consultants and immerses them in intensive cruise-specific training to become industry masters.

“In addition, this month, Seminar at Sea, a seven-day cruise training aboard NCL’s new Prima ship will teach 200 consultants everything they need to know to sell cruise expertly and confidently.”

The inaugural Cruise Awards evening began with a drinks reception on the Elizabethan, a Mississippi-style paddle steamer sailing the Thames, before arriving at the awards venue, the historic Cutty Sark in Greenwich, London.

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EPM to build 4,000 sqm exhibition space at trade show

A Poole company is designing and building an exhibition space for an area larger than three Olympic-sized swimming pools.

EPM Agency has been commissioned by Kobelco, the Japanese-owned construction and excavation machinery manufacturer.

The space, totalling 4,000 square metres, will allow 25 of Kobelco’s specialist machinery to be displayed on site, weighing over 600 metric tons.

It will also include a purpose-built double-decker building structure, incorporating a 150-cover fully operational VIP restaurant.

Two fully equipped kitchens and an outdoor walk-in refrigeration unit for cold food storage will support the restaurant.

There will also be an outside bar area and two shops on site for fans of Kobelco to purchase branded merchandise.

The exhibition space is at bauma 2022, the construction trade fair being held in Munich, Germany, from October 24 to 30.

While it’s taken ten months to design and plan, the assembly will take place over five weeks.

EPM Agency is next focusing on a modern-designed exhibition stand for Yanmar Marine for the Boot Düsseldorf boat show in January 2023.

It’s also working with a client for Sibos, the global financial services event.

Founded in 1999, EPM is part of the Berkshire Hathaway group.

• epm.agency