Associates

Mike Elcock

Mike Elcock is a longstanding tourism professional, who has worked extensively in Canada and Europe, developing and/or managing projects of varying size and complexity. These projects have involved event (and festival) management, planning and/or execution in areas of operations, management, personnel (selection and training), finance, market analysis, and marketing; sometimes involving the integration of information systems in diverse facets of an organisation's operations, and/or investigating efficient applications of new technologies in these areas. Mike has also worked with success as a 'company doctor', conducting comprehensive analyses of operations and management structures, communications, and strategic marketing focus, leading often to corporate reorganisation and restructuring.

Mike's career in tourism began when he was appointed the first CEO of Tourism Victoria, the tourism industry authority for British Columbia's Capital Region. His responsibilities covered all aspects of tourism - national and international marketing and media programmes, personnel, finance, industry standards and product development, events development, information systems, industry education and training, government relations. Specific achievements included development of accommodations reservation systems, computer-based target mail systems for businesses and services, comprehensive national and international marketing programmes, and regular visitor-based surveys.

During his tenure at Tourism Victoria, the region's visitor revenues increased by 250%, as measured through the primary indices of visitor volume, length-of-stay, and per diem spending. During this period Mike was a core member of the Victoria 'bid' team, which won the competition to host the 1994 Commonwealth Games.

Following his time at Tourism Victoria, Mike moved to Seville in Spain, where he was Vice President of Marketing for D'92-ASI at Expo '92, responsible for managing tourism, trade and industry initiatives with a number of governments and corporations in Europe, the Middle East, the Antipodes, and the Pacific Islands-and in developing project-specific joint ventures. D'92-ASI developed major events, and was involved with concept development, design, construction, fit-outs, advanced technologies, entertainment and international relations at the largest World Fair that has yet been held.

Earlier in his career, Mike was Director of Sports and Recreation at the University of Victoria for ten years, and took the university's sports and recreation programmes from relative obscurity to provincial and national championships and international honours in a wide range of sports. During a sabbatical year he was a full-time member of Edinburgh University's Faculty of Physical Education.

Mike has a BA (English and History) from the University of Victoria, and an M.Ed degree (Comparative Studies in Management and Organisation) which involved studies in Stockholm, Munich, Brussels, Edinburgh and Montreal. He has taught Tourism Management in the International MBA programme at Malaspina University College (affiliated with the University of Hertfordshire, England).

Mike's publications include two non-fiction (travel) books, and numerous articles for periodicals, newspapers and/or journals in the UK and North America - on subjects ranging from tourism, cultural affairs, business development, education and sport, to architecture, conservation, civic affairs, and travel.

Mike, a Scot by birth, holds British and Canadian citizenship.

Key areas of expertise

Tourism strategy and action planning; destination marketing; IT and e-business; market research; visitor services; business tourism; arts and heritage; EU and tourism; Green and environmental matters / sustainability; rural and urban regeneration; establishing new trusts; workshop facilitation; training for business (including tourism marketing training - planning and delivery; tourism training programmes); training on destination management; developing public / private sector partnerships; communications audit; communications plans and campaigns; local ambassador; crisis management plans; fundamental service reviews / best value; project management; human resource development; media planning and implementation; geographic flexibility.