Under the new structure, ATTA and ATTA Group Events (AGE) will operate as one organisation. Virginia Messina will continue as Group CEO, while Mears, currently CEO of AGE, will take responsibility for both membership and events. The association is also recruiting a chief marketing and strategy officer (CMSO).
Mears will focus on strengthening the links between ATTA’s membership community and its events programme, with the aim of creating more opportunities for tourism businesses to build relationships, access new markets and grow their businesses.
The restructuring forms part of ATTA’s renewed strategy, built around three pillars: Connect, Invest and Protect. The association is also introducing a five-tier membership model intended to offer more tailored support, connections and commercial opportunities to tourism businesses across Africa and their international source markets.
Virginia Messina, Group CEO of ATTA, said: “Bringing our membership and events operations together under one ATTA® brand gives us a simpler, stronger structure from which to deliver our ambitions for the association and, most importantly, greater value for our members.
“Chris has played an important role in the development of our events business and understands both our members and the commercial realities facing tourism businesses across Africa. His expanded role will enable us to connect our membership and events offering much more closely, ensuring the opportunities we create translate into tangible benefits for our members.
“This is about putting the right structure and leadership in place to deliver ATTA's next chapter. With Chris leading our commercial activity across Membership and Events and the recruitment of a new Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer underway, we are building a senior team with clear areas of responsibility around a shared vision for ATTA.”
Mears has led ATTA Group Events, which runs trade shows across Africa and Europe, including its flagship business-to-business event, Experience Africa.
The 2026 edition, held in London in June, attracted 615 delegates, including 205 exhibitors from 33 African and Indian Ocean countries and 269 buyer delegates representing 195 companies from 20 countries. Organisers reported 7,865 pre-scheduled meetings over the three-day event.
Chris Mears, chief commercial officer of ATTA, said: “Events and membership have always been closely connected at ATTA®. Both are ultimately about creating the right environment for tourism businesses to make meaningful connections, develop relationships and generate commercial opportunities.
“Bringing the two together gives us an opportunity to look at the entire member journey and ensure there is a much stronger connection between being part of the ATTA community and the commercial opportunities we create through our events.
“I’m excited to take on this expanded role and work with Virginia, our team and our members as we build on what ATTA already does well and deliver even greater value to tourism businesses across Africa and our international community.”
