With over 15 years of experience shaping the UK’s visitor economy, Katarina Railko has become a key voice in the business events and hospitality sector. Having navigated senior roles in both the public and private sectors, from leading international sales activity for Leeds City Council to driving strategy for global hotel brands, she possesses a rare, holistic view of the industry. Now, she brings her unique blend of commercial acumen and relationship-led strategy to a pivotal new role. We sat down with her to discuss her vision for fostering collaboration, her approach to delivering genuine value in an ever-changing landscape, and her forecast for the future of UK business events.
Your career has spanned public roles, like with Leeds City Council’s Visitor Economy Team, and senior positions in the private sector. How will this dual experience help you foster collaboration between destinations and venues, and what is a specific strategy you plan to implement to strengthen these partnerships?
It’s an invaluable perspective. When I was with Leeds City Council, my focus was on the macro level—how to sell the entire destination, what major events would elevate the city’s international profile. Then, in my roles with independent hotels, the focus was intensely commercial and immediate. I’ve sat on both sides of the table, and I understand the friction that can exist. Destinations need venues to deliver on their brand promise, and venues need the destination to drive foot traffic. My strategy is to break down those silos by creating shared objectives. I plan to champion collaborative bidding frameworks where venues and destination marketing organizations pool resources and insights to pursue major international conferences, creating a unified and far more compelling pitch than any single entity could manage alone.
You bring a relationship-led yet commercially focused approach to this new role. How do you plan to balance these two priorities to drive membership growth at the MIA? Please describe a time when this balanced approach led to a specific, measurable success in a previous position.
I genuinely believe the two are inseparable; strong relationships are the bedrock of sustainable commercial success. You can’t just sell a membership; you have to earn the trust that comes with it. My approach is to listen first—to understand the unique pressures a venue is facing before I ever talk about what we can offer. While consulting with Soror Pro, I worked with a venue struggling to attract corporate bookings. Instead of a generic sales blitz, we developed an intimate series of curated experiences for their top 20 target clients. It was relationship-led, focusing on connection over conversion. The result was a 40% increase in corporate event inquiries from that specific group within six months because we built genuine rapport, which naturally led to commercial wins.
You’ve emphasized that supporting organizations has never been more important for shaping a resilient future. In practical terms, what does “genuine value” look like for an MIA member today, and what are the first few steps you will take to deliver on that promise?
“Genuine value” has to be tangible; it has to solve a problem or open a door. In today’s climate, it’s about providing actionable intelligence that helps a business thrive, not just survive. It’s about powerful advocacy that protects our sector’s interests at the highest levels and a network that delivers real, qualified leads. My first step is a listening tour. I want to meet members on their home ground, to walk their conference floors and understand their specific pain points. Following that, I intend to launch targeted initiatives—perhaps a pilot program focused on navigating new sustainability regulations or a task force on talent retention—to demonstrate immediate, practical support and show that we are not just listening, but acting.
Having previously collaborated with the MIA, you’ve seen its impact from an external perspective. Based on that experience, what do you believe is the single greatest untapped opportunity for the association, and how will you now work from the inside to capitalize on it?
From the outside, I always admired the MIA’s work in championing quality and providing a unified voice. However, I believe the greatest untapped opportunity lies in more actively amplifying the collective power of its diverse membership, especially independent venues and suppliers. They are the heart of our industry’s creativity and resilience. From the inside, I want to create a dedicated forum or mentorship program that connects these independent players. This would allow them to share best practices, pool their purchasing power to achieve better economies of scale, and create a stronger, more unified voice in advocacy, ensuring their unique needs and contributions are fully recognized.
What is your forecast for the UK business meetings and events sector?
I am incredibly optimistic. While challenges remain, the sector has proven its immense resilience and capacity for innovation. I forecast a continued “flight to quality,” where clients and delegates prioritize meaningful, well-executed experiences over sheer volume. Technology and sustainability will shift from being talking points to being non-negotiable pillars of any successful event strategy. Ultimately, I foresee a thriving future, one where the UK’s reputation for excellence and creativity, supported by the collaborative spirit and high standards championed by organizations like the MIA, will make it an even more compelling destination for global business. The future is collaborative and focused on delivering genuine impact.
