Loughborough University’s hospitality and conference brand, imago, has expanded its sales team with the appointment of five new members of staff as it prepares for its Olympic business from Great Britain and Japan this summer.

Paul Cooper has joined imago as the new business development manager and will be working to introduce imago to Europe by attending IMEX in Frankfurt and EITBM in Barcelona later this year. Coordination manager Nicola Wilson has also joined the team and has been tasked with controlling quality standards and liaising with imago’s management and operation teams.

In addition to these appointments, imago has also taken on a revenue manager, a marketing executive and an event management assistant.

Emma Boynton, sales and marketing manager at imago, said: “The recession has hit the hospitality market hard and our response has been to make sure customer service levels remain consistently high. 2012 will be a big year for us with Burleigh Court celebrating its 21st year, the two Olympic teams using our facilities in addition to sustaining current business growth. The unique customer service imago provides, from the initial booking through to the final event, separates it from large chain venues and has been instrumental in building a strong customer base. The appointment of Paul and Nicola will provide another resource for extending this unique support whilst keeping the business competitive by looking for opportunities in new market sectors."