Academy Awards
In a gesture that publically acknowledges some of the meetings, incentive travel and events industry’s ‘unsung heroes’, individuals from four global regions were presented with IMEX Academy Awards. These awards celebrate and recognise excellence and achievement among top industry professionals. Each of the 2011 winners were praised for reaching consistently high standards throughout their careers and for setting an excellent example for others.

After carrying the Olympic flame for part of its journey to the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, an event that he was pivotal in organising, Rick Antonson, President and CEO of Tourism Vancouver, added further kudos to his CV when he was presented with the IMEX Academy Award for The Americas. In an entertaining introduction, Paul Flackett noted some of Rick’s finer quirks including his distaste for onions and paper, as well as authoring books with names such as “All the way to Timbuktu for a Haircut”, before Rick met vociferous support as he went on stage to collect his award.

“Mr Enthusiasm himself”, said Paul Flackett as he introduced the winner of the Africa & Middle East Academy Award - Rick Taylor, CEO at The Business Tourism Company, South Africa, and former head of the South African Tourism: Convention Bureau. Paul praised Rick for his effervescence in both business and in life, noting a career that has spanned advertising, hotels, destination management and entrepreneurship next to personal achievements in bike racing and Iron Man competitions.

Trudi Wagner, Senior Event Manager at Marriott International, received the European Academy Award. Paul Flackett provided a snapshot of Trudi’s 25 year career in the hotel business, noting how she has worked across every aspect of the industry, along the way gaining widespread respect among colleagues and a reputation for excellence.

Samuel Koo, President and CEO of the Seoul Tourism Organisation & Seoul Convention Bureau, was the much acclaimed winner of the Asia-Pacific Academy Award. Known to his staff as “Mr Non stop” for tirelessly working all hours of the day, Paul Flackett explained how Koo has played an integral part in the development of South Korea as an international destination for the meetings and events industry, raising its perceptions both regionally and globally.

An additional Special Academy Award was included for 2011 in order to recognise the career of Jon Hutchison, CEO of Business Events Sydney. Working across airlines, tourism bureaus, convention bureaus and even contributing to the Sydney Olympics, Jon has been the creator and instigator of many national programmes. He has also found the time to Chair two major international associations, PATA and DMAI. In 2006 Jon was recognised by Australia with the ‘Member of the Order of Australia’ for his services to business and for promoting Australia, and last night was able to add the IMEX Academy Award to his list of achievements.

JMIC Unity Award 2011
The Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC) Unity Award is presented annually to a meeting professional in recognition of outstanding association, industry or community contributions, leadership and professionalism. Following high praise from some of the industry’s leading figures, it was Luc M. Maene, President at the European Society of Association Executives (ESAE), Director General of the International Fertilizer Industry Association (IFA) and Board Member for the Center for Association Leadership (ASAE’s education foundation arm) who received this award for 2011.

In a career that has taken him around the world, from Tunisia to Malaysia and Thailand and back to his home country of Belgium, Luc’s experience includes previously working in the United Nations as the Team Leader of the Fertilizer Advisory, Development and Information Network for Asia and the Pacific before joining IFA in 1987. A well-known and respected figure within the industry, Luc was loudly applauded by gala dinner guests when he went on stage to collect his award from Leigh Harry, Chairman of the Business Events Council of Australia, who remarked that this recognition was “long overdue for such a highly regarded colleague”.

Site Master Motivator 2011
The Site Master Motivator award was introduced in 2010 to recognise a member of the industry who has shown the highest standard of excellence in creating or executing motivational events. This year’s award was presented by Allison Summers, Managing Director of Site, to Annamaria Ruffini CMP, President and CEO at Events In & Out. A champion of CSR (corporate social responsibility) and environmental initiatives within the industry, in July 2010 Annamaria founded the GMIC (Green Meeting Industry Council) Italia Chapter and has also published a book on the green approach to incentive travels and events, entitled “Ecoeventi”.

MPI Foundation Youth Award
As part of IMEX’s ongoing commitment to nurturing some of the brightest, up and coming young professionals in the industry, the MPI Foundation Youth Award is given to the winner of the international IMEX-MPI University Challenge programme each year. Students are judged on the presentations given at Future Leaders Forums around the world and a shortlist is then invited to attend the University Challenge final, which is held during IMEX in Frankfurt. This year, Michal Maziarczyk of Vistula University, Warsaw, was the deserved winner and picked up their award from Bruce MacMillan, President and CEO, MPI, who praised them for offering a particularly insightful contribution to the meetings industry through their research paper.