MEA award winners celebrate
IML Australia secured the MEA Platinum Award for Excellence while Peter Jones received the Outstanding Contribution Award at this year’s ceremony in Darwin.
Management and staff of the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre were certainly in good spirits after the May 7 event, collecting four awards in total.
Convention and exhibition centres in Brisbane, Adelaide and on the Gold Coast also collected major awards, highlighting the nationwide quality of finalists at the Darwin event.
As many as 33 awards were presented at the gala event with other notable winners including Verve Creative Events, which collected two major crowns, ExpoNet, Victoria Park, Stadium Events – Delaware North and Business Events Sydney.
The annual Platinum Award for the highest score of all submissions (except individuals) went to IML while Emma Rutledge, of the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, took out the Meetings or Events Professional of the Year for the highest individual score. Honoured with the prestigious Outstanding Contribution Award was Peter Jones of Melbourne-based Peter Jones Special Events.
Held in the Northern Territory for the first time, this year’s prestigious awards attracted a record number of submissions.
Victories for the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre came in the categories of Banqueting and Catering, Event Manager of the Year (Emma Rutledge, who was also crowned Meetings or Events Professional of the Year), and In-House AV Services. m
Winners were:
Association or Government Meeting of the Year – arinex, NSW
Banqueting & Catering – Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre, NSW
Business Development Person of the Year – Prue Rogers, assistant director of sales, Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre
Event Management Organisation – Verve Creative Events, NSW
Event Manager of the Year – Emma Rutledge, senior event manager, Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre
Exhibition Services – ExpoNet, NSW
Incentive Reward of the Year – cievents, NSW
In-house AV Services – Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre, NSW
In-house Meetings Management Department – AIST, VIC
Meeting Venue (500 delegates or more) – Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre, QLD
Meeting Venue (under 500 delegates) – MGSM Macquarie Park Executive Conference Centre, NSW
Meetings and Events Management Organisation (8 or more employees) –
arinex, NSW
Meetings & Events Management Organisation (less than 8 employees) –
Verve Creative Events, NSW
Meetings Manager of the Year – Cindy-Lee Bakos AMM, project director, MCI Australia, VIC
Metropolitan Destination Marketing Organisation – Business Events Sydney, NSW
Operations Person of the Year – Peter Middleaway, security and cleaning manager, Fed Square, VIC
Public Event of the Year – The 2nd Cellar Door Wine Festival, Adelaide Convention Centre, SA
Special Event of the Year – By Design Event Group Corporate Showcase, Atlantic Group, VIC
Specialty Event Venue – Victoria Park, QLD
Specialty Meeting Venue – Doltone Darling Island Wharf, NSW
Support Services – IML, NSW
Technical & Creative Production (branch turnover less than $5m) –
Scene Change Tasmania, TAS
Technical & Creative Production (branch turnover more than $5m) –
AV1, VIC
Y MEA Future Leader – Natalie Bell, events & marketing manager, Associated Advertising & Promotions, NT
Corporate Social Responsibility (In-house meeting member) – Nicole Browne, AIST in-house Meetings Management Department, VIC
Corporate Social Responsibility Category A (1-5 employees) – Forum Group Events, NSW
Corporate Social Responsibility Category B (6-30 employees) – Stadium Events, Delaware North, NSW
Corporate Social Responsibility Category C (30+ employees) – Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, QLD
Platinum Award – IML, NSW
Meetings or Events Professional of the Year – Emma Rutledge AFM, NSW
Outstanding Contribution Award – Peter Jones