The sheer breadth of talent within the events industry was championed last night at the IMEX Frankfurt Gala Dinner Awards. Held at the Alte Oper, the "grande dame" of Frankfurt's cultural institutions, the ceremony brought together the sector's shining stars to honor their positive impact on the industry and wider world, celebrating their achievements, innovation and passion.
The 2025 awards roll call:
- Destinations International—Global Ambassador Award
- International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE)—International Excellence Award
- American Society of Association Executives (ASAE)—Global Association Visionary Award
- International Association of Professional Congress Organisers (IAPCO) Driving Excellence—Innovation Award, supported by IMEX
- International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA)—Global Influencer Award
- Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC)—Unity Award
- Meeting Professionals International (MPI)—Foundation Student Scholarship Award
- Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE)—Jane E. Schuldt Master Motivator Award
- IMEX-Events Industry Council (EIC)—Innovation in Sustainability Award
- Paul Flackett—IMEX Academy Awards
Destinations International Chief Operating Officer, Gretchen Hall, was welcomed on stage to present the Global Ambassador Award to Lyn Lewis-Smith, CEO of Business Events Sydney. Lyn has led the organization with vision and integrity for the past 13 years. She has been a leading voice for a more holistic evaluation of the importance of conferences and business events and an influential advocate for legacy and impact.
Each year, the International Association of Exhibitions and Events® (IAEE) presents its International Excellence Award to a member who has made exceptional strides in advancing IAEE’s programs and presence on an international level. President and CEO Marsha Flanagan presented the award to IAAPA Expo Europe 2024 recognizing its record-breaking 2024 edition. The premier event for the leisure and attractions industry had the highest number of registered attendees in its history and its largest ever trade show floor.
The American Society of Association Executives (ASAE)—Global Association Visionary Award, was presented by President and CEO Michelle Mason to Mike Dominguez. As President & CEO of Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI), Mike is actively involved in leadership roles in the industry including the executive committees for the US Travel Association and Meetings Mean Business Coalition. He’s a regular speaker on topics such as disruption, the state of the industry and the economy.
IAPCO’s Driving Excellence—Innovation Award celebrates those at the forefront of innovation and Núria Fernandez, Online Education Specialist at Kenes Group, was a fitting winner. The award was given by Sissi Lignou, CEO of AFEA Congress and IAPCO President-elect, in honor of Núria’s forward-thinking use of technology including the use of emotional recognition AI in training for healthcare professionals.
Mohamed Mezghani was the delighted recipient of the ICCA Global Influencer Award, presented by ICCA President, Marta Gomes. As Secretary General & Chair of the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) and also President of the European Society of Association Executives (ESAE), Mohamed is a globally recognized leader in the community of trade associations and professional societies. He puts the association’s international membership at the heart of his work, focusing on developing knowledge-related services and growing member-led experiences.
JMIC President, James Rees presided over the JMIC Unity Award—the recipient is chosen by Council members in recognition of leadership roles in major industry organizations and significant contributions to industry advancement and professional development initiatives. He presented the award to Kai Hattendorf, one of the industry’s most prominent thought leaders. In his decade at the helm of UFI, he spearheaded numerous initiatives and projects to develop the sector, drive public awareness, and grow the association’s reach and relevance. As Chair of JMIC, Kai also drove advocacy work.
Next, the awards looked ahead to the event professionals of the future: Viktoriia Yushkaliuk from Vistula University in Poland received the MPI Foundation Student Scholarship Award. This award, presented by MPI’s Chief Revenue Officer, Rachel Benedick, celebrates and supports the next generation of meeting planners as part of the IMEX-MPI-MCI Future Leaders Forum International University Challenge.
One of our industry’s most valued skills is the ability to motivate, and it was the duty of SITE CEO Annette Gregg to hand over the Jane E. Schuldt Master Motivator Award to Lisa Xu, Managing Director of East Star Event Management and President of SITE China. Lisa has nearly 30 years of experience in both government and corporate meetings and events. She manages a team of more than 70 people, building local and international cross-cultural working practices.
The IMEX-EIC Innovation in Sustainability Award shines a light on sustainability success achieved through a focus on innovation and creative thinking. Workday in partnership with George P. Johnson won this year’s highly-contested award, presented by EIC’s Chair Senthil Gopinath. The sustainability strategy for the Workday Rising event demonstrated a strong partnership approach delivering some impressive outcomes: significant diversion rates, decreased transport emissions, and a clear positive impact on the community. The team showed strong commitment to circular economy initiatives, such as upcycling event banners into attendee bags.
The Paul Flackett IMEX Academy Awards, named in tribute to the former IMEX Managing Director, rounded off the ceremony in style. Four outstanding individuals were recognized for their long-term commitment to the industry and for pushing boundaries around innovation.
The 2025 line-up of winners is:
- Aneta Książek, Head of Poland Convention Bureau
- Lyn Lewis-Smith, CEO of Business Events Sydney
- Nikki Walker, Global Vice President at MCI-Group
- Kai Hattendorf
The Gala Dinner was sponsored by Cvent and produced by Encore. IMEX Frankfurt concludes today, May 22, at Messe Frankfurt.
- Photo (L): Viktoriia Yushkaliuk from Vistula University in Poland received the MPI Foundation Student Scholarship Award—download image here.
- Photo (R): Núria Fernandez, Online Education Specialist at Kenes Group, won IAPCO’s Driving Excellence – Innovation Award—download image here.
- Next year’s IMEX Frankfurt will take place May 19-21, 2026
- IMEX America will take place October 7-9, 2025 at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas.