Germany - The managing director of the German Convention Bureau (GCB), Lutz Vogt, is to go into semi-retirement and will step down on 28 February, 2010.
Vogt, who was on secondment to the bureau, is returning to work for his former employer, Lufthansa.
"The decision to end my secondment was very hard for me," says Vogt. "Even after all these years, the meetings and conventions industry has still lost none of its excitement. I enjoyed and appreciated the very friendly and professional co-operation with the members of the bureau very much. I would also like to thank my excellent team."
Vogt has been MD of the bureau since 2001 and one of his most important achievements was the establishment of the IMEX trade show in Germany. He leaves it with a record membership of 259 companies.
“Lutz has made an outstanding contribution to the industry since becoming MD of the GCB. During that time Germany’s position in the meetings industry has been significantly enhanced. Lutz, together with his GCB colleagues, has been the perfect strategic partner for IMEX and I would like to thank him for his outstanding co-operation,” the chairman of IMEX Group, Ray Bloom, told EW.
The GCB says operational continuity will be ensured by long-standing deputy Anke Pruust, pending the executive board’s recruitment committee appointing a successor. A spokesman added that the GCB is looking to 2010 with optimism. “The crisis is not over yet but we seem to have broken the downward trend," they said.
