Meetings Industry Association unveils 2021 miaList shortlist

The shortlist for this year’s miaList has been revealed by the Meetings Industry Association (mia).

Celebrating its tenth year, the miaList aims to shine a spotlight on the inspiring and talented individuals and teams who go above and beyond the call of duty to support the success of their organisation and the wider business meetings and events sector.

The shortlisted individuals are:

 Billy Harris, Edgbaston Park Hotel  Bouchra Ennaciri, The Venues Collection  Bradley Hill, Church House Westminster  Chris Walls, Events2  James Russ, CCT Venues  Jan Denning, The Hospitality Partnership  Jessica Southworth, Hotel Football  Josh King, emc3  Matt Merrick, Holiday Inn London - Brentford Lock  Rachel Bradshaw, Wyboston Lakes  Sam Morgan, The Venues Collection  Simon Coleman, Wyboston Lakes  Sonia Jackson, The Grand Brighton  Suzanna Reid Barreiro da Silva, Unique Venues Birmingham

The shortlisted teams, spanning four categories, include:

Best Venue/Venues Team  ACC Liverpool, Event Delivery Team  CCT Venues, Senior Management Team  Lime Venue Portfolio  The British Museum

Best Destination Team  Conference Leeds  Marketing Liverpool, Liverpool Convention Bureau  Visit Belfast, Business Tourism Team  Visit West, Meet Bristol & Bath Convention Bureau

Best Events and Operations Team  emc3  GLG, EMEA Events Team  Richmond Hill Hotel, Meetings and Events Team  The Belfry Hotel & Resort, Meetings and Events Operations team  Wyboston Lakes, Senior Operations Team

Best Sales and Marketing Team  QEII Centre, Commercial Team  Selling Savvy  The Belfry Hotel & Resort, Sales team  The Hospitality Partnership, Associate Partners

The shortlisted individuals and teams will now take part in a further judging round with the miaList’s panel, which includes Gill Smillie of Conference Venues Countrywide, Robert Kenward of YOU search & select, Lacy Curtis-Ward, Julie Shorrock of Hotel and Travel Solutions, Dan Stevens of Primary Live, Paul Southern of Central Hall Westminster and Sam Van Leeuwen of PwC.

Jane Longhurst, chief executive of the mia, said: “At what is now a decade of the miaList it’s been incredibly rewarding to see such a high standard of nominations once again, and based on the number of entries it’s clear that many organisations have used this as an opportunity to show their gratitude to their teams and colleagues for all they have done over the course of a challenging 12-month period.

“We now look forward to celebrating the achievements and contributions that these shortlisted teams and individuals have made for their organisation and would like to thank all of the nominators for taking the time to recognise the achievements of their deserving colleagues, peers and partners.”

The eventual winners will be revealed at the miaList ceremony – which will take place at London’s Millennium Gloucester Hotel on 4 November 2021 following the mia‘s Ignite conference.

Written By

Paul Harvey

M&IT editor Paul Harvey is a journalist with more than 15 years of experience. He began his career in the local press, working for various titles across the north. Since joining M&IT in 2013, he has become a trusted and respected voice in the sector, championing event professionals and reporting on all aspects of the events industry for the brand.