The Hotel Booking Agents Association (HBAA) is reinforcing its role as the UK’s leading accommodation and venue finding booking body with the immediate appointment of Loraine Holdcroft as Executive Director to oversee its day-to-day operations. 

The Association consists of over 60 accommodation & conference venue finding agencies, over 70 Charter Partners (hotel chains, independent hotels, training centres and venues), and annually places over £500 million worth of accommodation and conference business into hotels and venues here and abroad.

Holdcroft was formerly Executive Director at the Institute of Travel Management and prior to that oversaw travel & entertainment budgets and policy as part of her role as Company Secretary for Ikeda Technology Europe.

Responsible for the HBAA’s Executive Office in Macclesfield, Holdcroft will oversee a team directly reporting to her, as well as liaise with the HBAA’s Executive Committee to implement the Association’s strategies and goals. One of her key objectives is to consolidate awareness of the HBAA within the corporate market and to maximise corporate travel managers’ perception of the Association as a benchmark of quality.

Loraine Holdcroft commented: “The HBAA’s growing presence in the marketplace is having a great effect on the business travel sector, both in terms of our growing membership and in the rising amount of business we are placing. Corporate decision-makers are increasingly looking to consolidate their purchasing power in terms of accommodation and venue finding, and this is where the HBAA can play a significant role.”

Bob Dixon, Chairman of the HBAA, said: “Loraine’s appointment means the Executive Committee can continue work towards best practice in the industry and that we can expedite our initiatives professionally and with maximum effect. Loraine brings a great deal of business travel experience with her and will be instrumental in reinforcing our status as the sector’s leading association.”