5 minutes with Manchester Convention Bureau’s… Dmitrijs and Richard

Meet Richard Moss, Business Visits and Events Manager

Iin May 2023, I joined Marketing Manchester as Business Visits and Events Manager, working to promote and position Manchester as the UK’s leading international conference destination. When I’m not creating bespoke bid documents on behalf of the city or working with our partners to identify new opportunities , you can find me at trade shows or carrying out site visits with our clients.

Tell us about your background in the industry:

My events journey began at Marriott Hotels and following a stint working for a media organization in Australia (we’ll gloss over the two weeks I unsuccessfully sold life insurance in Sydney), I joined a small event agency near Stockport (which grew into Capita Travel & Events, now Agiito) managing clients in the telecommunications, F&B, education and government sectors. I spent the next few years working for a couple of event agencies around the North-West growing their client base, leading on project management, working with suppliers both at home and around the world and becoming more involved in the design of client portals and booking systems.

I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have worked closely with some influential people in the events industry over the last 10-15 years, many of whom have given me the opportunity to learn and develop my own skillset and support my progression. That’s the fantastic thing about this sector – the collaboration and support from peers is second-to-none. These individuals have enabled me to share my knowledge with the next generation of event planners, sales executives and researchers and I hope I continue to bring that to Marketing Manchester. I’m a huge advocate of mental health in the workplace, collaborative learning and supporting progression in this sector and since I’ve been in this role I’ve been fortunate to not only have attended events like the ICCA UK & Ireland chapter, who offer education and support in these areas, but also to be part of a team that has so much experience and is still open to new ways of working, new ideas and the greater good.

What has been your highlight of the last few months at Marketing Manchester?

I’ve worked on some very high-profile opportunities and we’ve secured some great events to the city recently – from the MTV EMAs, BritSpine Conference in 2025 and of course, hosting our Ambassador launch event at Manchester Museum, but having the opportunity to work in collaboration with our city partners to ensure bids are mutually beneficial to all, is the most satisfying, from the events team at Manchester City Council and Ambassadors at the Universities, through to Transport for Greater Manchester and our partners across the city.

Meet our Conference Researcher: Dmitrijs Andrejevs, Conference Research Executive

I joined Marketing Manchester in September 2023 as a Conference Research Executive.  My role is to help identify key conference bidding opportunities in academic and industry sectors that align with Greater Manchester's strengths. I also support the Manchester Conference Ambassadors Programme, connecting influential academics and professionals eager to bring prestigious national and international conferences in their field of expertise, to Manchester. Through research, Ambassador connections, and partnerships with national associations, I help the Convention Bureau team to qualify and develop potential leads.

Tell us about your background in the industry:

I’ve recently become an Honorary Research Fellow at The University of Manchester, where I gained a PhD in Russian and East European Studies, and subsequently worked in several roles, including Graduate Teaching Assistant. A voluntary role, the position of Honorary Research Fellow is offered in recognition of a significant level of achievement in research, teaching, collaboration with university staff and professional reputation. In return, Research Fellows are given access to university facilities to further their own research, can cooperate on joint research and contribute to the teaching of the University.

My doctoral studies at the University of Manchester introduced me to association conferences, but my foray into destination marketing and MICE was a happy accident. Attending the UK & Ireland Chapter of ICCA's Annual Conference in Belfast solidified my interest in the dynamic business events industry, in which I hope to use my knowledge of academia to strengthen the work of the Manchester Convention Bureau.

Marketing Manchester and its parent company, The Growth Company, offered the perfect next step, and the past six months have been a whirlwind of learning, with a fantastically supportive team ensuring a smooth transition. I’m glad I took the deep dive into the world of association acronyms, and I should give a shout out to my colleague Anthony Cassidy, Manchester Convention Bureau’s resident acronym guru! 

What has been your highlight of the last few months at Marketing Manchester?

The recent relaunch of the Manchester Conference Ambassadors Programme is a personal highlight of my time at the Manchester Convention Bureau. While I continue to develop my academic connections as an Honorary Research Fellow with the University of Manchester, I'm excited to explore the rewarding connections between academia and the MICE world. The upcoming Great Ambassador Networking Group conference in Bristol promises a valuable exchange of ideas among destination marketing organisations, academics, and congress centres.

Working collaboratively with partners and universities across Greater Manchester is truly rewarding.  We welcome flagship events that showcase the world-class expertise of our universities and local industries.