MELBOURNE.- The Australian Centre for the Moving Image has announced the appointment of internationally recognised marketing, communications and development professional Christopher (Chris) Travers to the role of Marketing and Development Director.

Chris has an impressive international pedigree in senior marketing, communications and development roles within the cultural, television broadcast and public sectors. He will join ACMI as Marketing and Development Director from his current role in London, where he is Director of Marketing, Communications and Audience at the British Film Institute (BFI).

ACMI Director & CEO, Tony Sweeney, said Chris will bring a wealth of experience in a global context to the leadership team in what is both an important time of growth in the organisation’s life, and a critical period of transition for cultural institutions worldwide in the increasingly digital era.

“In ACMI’s second decade, we must continue to innovate our arts and culture practice - and crucially, evolve the ways we engage and grow audiences as the shape and influence of digital media and marketing channels changes rapidly,” Tony said.

“Chris’ extensive experience and strengths in development and relationship management, communication, marketing, digital media and audience engagement will be invaluable”.

The Marketing & Development Director leads ACMI’s marketing and brand profile, strategic and corporate communications, audience development, design, fundraising and stakeholder engagement activities.

“Chris will lead a very passionate and talented team in the delivery of our overall brand identity, relationship strategies and audience development,” Tony said. “He’ll play a crucial role in developing future opportunities to engage new and diverse communities of interest, locally, nationally and internationally, particularly in the contemporary digital landscape”.

At the BFI, Chris leads a team of 70 responsible for marketing, public affairs, communications, sales and audience development. He has been responsible for the BFI’s international marketing of UK film at festivals such as Cannes and Berlin, marketing of the London Film Festival, UK-wide seasons like GOTHIC: The Dark Heart of Film, and the marketing of BFI’s own extensive national and South Bank programming across five cinemas, BFI Imax and the BFI Mediatheque. During his time at the BFI he also led a re-brand of the organisation in 2012, the launch of a content-on-demand service, BFI Player, and a re-launch of the BFI membership program.

Chris said he is “enormously excited at the prospect of joining such an innovative cultural institution as ACMI, in one of the world’s most vibrant cultural and creative cities”.

“ACMI already enjoys an international reputation and I very much look forward to increasing its impact and audience reach in the next chapter of its development,” Chris said.

Immediately prior to the BFI, Chris was Director of Strategy and Communications at The Royal Parks, during which he played a leading role in the delivery of major events including the London Olympics commercial program, the Royal wedding, and BBC Proms. He also has extensive senior experience in marketing, operations and communications roles at the BBC in London and Asia over 11-years, and he has held senior marketing roles at cultural institutions including Head of Marketing at the Barbican and the Welsh National Opera.

Chris Travers will begin his appointment as Marketing and Development Director at ACMI in March 2014.