The Meetings Show is on the hunt for the UK’s most exciting emerging event
professionals with the return of Tomorrow’s Talent 2026, the programme that
shines the spotlight on the industry’s future leaders.
Now in its eighth year, and delivered in partnership with
M&IT, Tomorrow’s Talent is designed to celebrate and champion the rising
stars working in the UK’s meetings, incentives and events sector. The
initiative provides an invaluable platform for up-and-coming professionals to
gain exposure, build meaningful connections, and take their careers to the next
level.
Each of the 10 winners will receive a year of exclusive
opportunities, including VIP access to The Meetings Show 2026, invitations to
leading industry events such as the M&IT Awards, and mentorship and
networking with senior leaders. Winners will also be featured across The
Meetings Show and M&IT channels, raising their profile and influence within
the sector.
They will have the chance to design and facilitate a future
talent-themed education session at The Meetings Show, contributing to a panel
celebrating the next generation of industry leaders.
All winners will also be offered a complimentary four-hour
‘Confidence in Communicating’ training programme with The Attendee Experience
Company (atex), covering presentation skills, intros and outros, handling
challenging situations, and body language tips. Completion of the training
provides the opportunity for the winners to host an education stage as an emcee
at The Meetings Show 2026.
Samme Allen, knowledge director at The Meetings Show, said:
“Tomorrow’s Talent was one of my standout highlights of the 2025 show. Offering
what is essentially a life skill through our masterclass made a genuine
difference to this year’s cohort. We saw them grow in confidence, capability
and presence, and what made it even more rewarding was how much they gave back,
from curating a brilliant session to sharing thoughtful feedback that helped
shape the programme. It was a wonderful experience to witness, and I’m excited
to see the impact our 2026 winners will make.”
Tomorrow’s Talent is open to UK-based event planners and buyers
who are aged 30 or under, or who have up to three years’ experience in the
meetings and events industry.
Applicants can nominate themselves or be nominated by a colleague,
by submitting either a short video (up to two minutes) or a written nomination
(up to 500 words) explaining why they, or their nominee, deserve to be
recognised. Entries should highlight achievements, challenges overcome, and the
individual’s potential to shape the future of the industry.
A panel of six industry leaders will once again select
the 10 most promising applicants:
- Paul Harvey, editor, M&IT
- Leigh Cowlishaw, managing partner, Black Box
Partnerships
- Patrick Delaney, managing partner, SoolNua
- Priya Narain, co-founder, Event First Steps
- Gracia Kabongo, senior associate, stakeholder
engagement and events lead, Ofwat, and Tomorrow’s Talent winner 2019
- Hannah Elston, marketing and communications manager,
Event Leaders Exchange (ELX), and Tomorrow’s Talent winner 2025 and newly
appointed judge
Jack Marczewski, portfolio event director, Northstar Travel Group,
said: “Tomorrow’s Talent continues to be one of the highlights of The Meetings
Show each year. The programme is all about recognising and empowering the
incredible professionals who are shaping the future of our industry. We’ve
already seen so many of our past winners go on to achieve amazing things, and
we can’t wait to uncover the next 10 names to join this inspiring community.”
Iulia Zorzoana, events coordinator at Step, and last year’s
Tomorrow’s Talent winner, commented: “Being a Tomorrow’s Talent winner came with
so many valuable opportunities. One of the biggest highlights for me was
receiving a complimentary place and completing The Sustainable Events Course,
produced by The Meetings Show and isla. It gave me a huge amount of knowledge
and made me much more mindful and responsible when it comes to sustainability
in events. It also provided me with the tools to start introducing
sustainability practices within my current organisation, which I’m really proud
of.
“Most importantly, being a Tomorrow’s Talent winner feels like a
real badge of honour, a sign that the judges recognised my hard work and
passion for the industry. It’s something I’ll be proud of for the rest of my
career, and I’m confident that winning this award will have a lasting, positive
impact on my growth and future opportunities.”
Applications for Tomorrow’s Talent 2026 are open now and will
close on 23 January 2026. To nominate yourself or a colleague, please apply here.
The Meetings Show takes place 24-25 June 2026 at Excel London and
is co-located with Business Travel Show Europe and Travel Tech Show.
