Mike Williams
Interim CEO / Senior Partner & Senior Consultant
Mike is a destination and convention and visitor bureau specialist with 30 plus years of experience in the tourism and business events industry. Since joining GainingEdge in 2007, he has been a lead consultant on destination and convention bureau development for clients around the globe including Australia, Dubai, Fiji, Japan, Indonesia, Macao, Malaysia, Qatar, Rwanda, Serbia, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand & the USA. Mike was the lead consultant for establishment and capability strengthening for the Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau and the Global MICE Cities programme in Japan. Mike’s skill set extends to strategic planning, destination sales and marketing, product development, bidding and business development. In addition, Mike oversees GainingEdge’s In-Market Sales Representation.
Mike served as General Manager Sales & Marketing for the Melbourne Convention & Visitors Bureau leading Melbourne’s business development and bid teams to secure events for the city. He also worked in senior marketing roles with Tourism Australia helping establish their presence in the Asia market and overseeing travel trade development in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Mike was instrumental in the development of AIME, the largest MICE trade show in the Asia Pacific and the world’s first BestCities Global Alliance. Mike is also a past Victorian State Chair and National President of Meetings and Events of Australia (MEA).
