The meetings and events sector is one of the key legacy opportunities for the capital in the years before and after the London 2012 Olympic Games.

To help maximise this vital market for the capital, Visit London announced the appointment of Tracy Halliwell, who will join the team as Head of Business & Conventions in February.

Tracy, whose previous role was at Millennium & Copthorne Hotels for the Europe, Middle East & African region, as Vice President of Sales & Marketing, has a wealth of experience in the sector.

At Visit London she will head up its Business Sales & Convention Services team and drive this key sector across the business.

Over the last two years the team has been increasingly successful, utilising a more focused sales and marketing approach to attract business to the capital.

With an ROI of over 60:1, this aspect of Visit London’s work is paying real economic dividends, and will be crucial in the further development of the organisation’s overall activity.

Said Tracy, on her appointment: “With the 2012 Olympic Games coming to London, this is a fantastic moment for the city. London is a world-class capital and its offering looks set to improve further as new services and facilities come on stream in the run up to 2012. I am greatly looking forward to working with the team and maximising this opportunity, both for London and for Visit London.”