Rachel Azzopardi, head of catering and events at Regent’s Conferences and Events, has been appointed chair of the venue consortium.

Rachel takes over from QEII Centre’s director of sales and marketing, Diane Waldron, who steps aside following her recent appointment as chapter chair for ICCA UK & Ireland.

Diane, who remains on the collection’s board of directors, said: “I’m delighted to hand over the reins to Rachel who is a talented and enthusiastic leader, embedded in the industry and well-equipped to take the helm. I remain passionate and committed to the consortium, which features such a fantastic array of venues from fashionable townhouses and private members’ clubs, luxury hotels, celebrated attractions, historic institutes and societies.”

Rachel said: “Diane has done a wonderful job serving the members of Westminster Venue Collection over the last year and we are extremely grateful for her leadership and contribution.”

With over a decade of industry experience, Rachel has been responsible for a vast array of prestigious events. These have included BBC Question Time, product launches for brands such as Sony Music and Facebook and fashion shows for Topshop during London Fashion Week.

Rachel added: “As a venue marketing consortium we are constantly looking at ways to build our profile and engage with the industry, delivering a seamless and simple approach to venue finding for time-poor event planners.”