Events Management Knowledge
Provided by London Metropolitan University
Bob Cotton
Chief Executive
British Hospitality Association
Bob Cotton OBE has been chief executive of the British Hospitality Association, the national trade association of the hospitality and catering and leisure industry, with over 40,000 establishments in membership, since January 2000.
Before his appointment, he spent a year as tourism adviser to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
A graduate of the University of Surrey, gaining a BSc in hotel and catering management, he joined Gardner Merchant (now Sodexho UK Ltd), one of the country’s leading contract catering companies, working in various parts of the UK and abroad. At the time of his move to the DCMS, he was director of communications and strategic development, UK and abroad for Sodexho UK.
He is chairman of Hospitality Action (the industry’s benevolent organisation). He is a member of the London Mayoral Commission examining the potential for a London International Convention Centre, a trustee of Springboard and a board member of Tourism South East.
In 2002, he was presented with the Special Catey Award, organised by Caterer & Hotelkeeper, for services to the hospitality industry, as well as the Arena Accolade for his work promoting the industry. He is a Visiting Fellow at Bournemouth University, an honorary Fellow of Thames Valley University and has an Honorary Masters’ Degree from London Metropolitan University.
He was appointed OBE in the 2003 New Year’s Honours List for services to the tourism and hospitality industry.