Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) Meetings & Events has appointed global and EMEA leaders in a bid to better manage its overall meetings programme.

Floyd Widener has taken on the role as senior vice-president, global CWT Meetings & Events, while Thierry Duguet has been appointed vice-president, EMEA.

Speaking to meetpie.com at the IMEX trade show in Frankfurt, Selina Grocott, meetings and events director EMEA, said: “Clients we work with are looking more and more for a global partner. Five years ago, clients booked meetings services on a local basis. About two years ago they started implementing regional solutions. Now they want a global provider. We are in 74 countries with more than 1,600 meetings and events staff, so this just aligns the way we work across the globe."

The new organisation means companies will benefit from access to a broader range of global services such as data consolidation, safety and security and world-class tools and processes. National and regional teams will continue to provide local account management to clients while enabling them to benefit from CWT’s global scale and shared best practices.

Grocott said CWT Meetings & Events organised more than 35,000 events globally last year, 26 per cent internationally and 74 domestically. Spend per attendee had reduced 20 per cent, from €400 to €320, but this tended to represent more attendees at each event for better return on investment, rather than a drastic cut to budgets, she said.

"Our meeting activity has grown by 32 per cent in the last year as we grow in terms of market share - both in staff numbers and the number of events handled."

Widener, who joined CWT in 2006, will report to Cathy Voss, executive vice president CWT global programme solutions and meetings & events, while Duguet will report to both Widener and Andrew Waller, president EMEA and Global Partners Network.