What it means to win an M&IT Award - and how to win one

Danielle Bounds, sales director at ICC Wales, Personality of the Year 2024

I've attended these events for so long, always looking at the Personality of the Year Award as the end goal, you know, when they announce someone’s name, say lovely things about them, recount their accolades and read heartwarming comments from peers. I’ve always thought, wouldn’t it be lovely if that happened to me.

I was so nervous because when it’s an individual award it seems so personal, and you can’t hide behind the team. I knew it didn’t matter if I didn’t win. My seven-year-old son had even said, 'Mummy, all that matters is that you have fun.' But my imposter syndrome was rife, and I just wanted to climb under the table.

And then James Rees started announcing the winner – I’ve worked alongside him for so long and he's such an icon – and after a couple of minutes I thought, this actually could be me. And then I was in complete shock. I burst into tears — not pretty tears like Cheryl where it looks like diamonds are rolling down your face, but red, sweaty, snotty ones. It was just such a pinch-me moment, being recognised for simply doing the job that I love and trying my best.

The awards are like a wedding where all your favourite people in the industry are together in one room - everyone you love and care for throughout the industry and that you've built such strong relationships with.

A client came up to me, crying, saying how proud she was of me. She remembered when I first started in the industry, and to see how far I’ve come was such a heartwarming moment for her. And when more people said, ‘We knew you were destined for great things’, I thought, 'Oh my, other people do believe in me'. And that is such a lovely feeling. I just felt so loved and accepted.

I hope I can use this award as a platform for future change and to continue driving innovation in the industry. There’s so much more I want to do, and I’m excited to see where this award can take me and how I can continue to shape the future of events.

Andrew Deakin, managing director, Conference Care, winner of Best Intermediary Agency (over 40 people) 

It's such a great award, because it feels good that we're competing against such great companies. The M&IT Awards are voted for by customers, and that means a lot to us. It means we must be doing something right. And for our customers to take time out and vote for us is quite special. It actually gets me quite emotional.

We’ve had customers say, ‘We’re not going to tender because you’ve won the M&IT Award - clearly, we’re working with the best’.

Winning an M&IT Award motivates me. It motivates the team. I even use the M&IT Awards as a morale booster for the staff – telling them if they do well this year, they can come to the awards ceremony.

We’ve had potential employees look at our website and say, ‘I've seen you've won these awards; I would like to come and work for an award-winning organisation like you’.

To win, you’ve got to be close to your customers – they must buy into your values and want to vote for you. We don't have a high touch marketing campaign. We let people know we are entering, then we leave it up to them. You can't twist someone's arm and get them to vote for you. They will or they won't. And of course we have a bit of fun with them, too. Life is too serious these days.

It’s not just about winning — it’s about the journey. These awards push you to engage more with your clients, and that’s always good for business. The M&IT Awards help companies foster closer relationships with their clients, drive innovation, and build brand recognition. Winning these awards signals to the market that you’re at the top of your game. And even if you don’t win, the process of engaging with clients and reflecting on your business practices can lead to valuable insights and growth.

My advice is enter, enter, enter. You’ve got to be in it to win it. And winning an M&IT Award comes with so many benefits - it helps with recruitment, retention, motivation, innovation and winning new business. It’s great PR for the business and helps expand our network across the industry. In fact, there isn’t a single negative and that’s why we'll be entering for a 10th time in 2025 and what a fitting way that would be to celebrate 30 years in business.

Tia Goadby, director of sales, Hinckley Island, Leonardo Hotels, winner of Best UK Hotel and Best UK Conference Centre  

It was an incredible feeling. A culmination of hard work, passion and dedication from the entire team. To be recognised for both awards from such a prestigious organisation within our industry was humbling and gratifying and validates the efforts of the team and everyone involved.

This win puts Hinckley Island on the map, as well as the wider Leonardo Hotels group, which had never entered or canvassed votes before. The win was a real morale booster and testament to everyone's hard work. When we got back from the ceremony, we gathered the whole team, celebrated and took photos and videos in front of the hotel.

It is quite a refreshing process to be honest, knowing the votes come directly from clients, peers and the wider industry, it makes the awards meaningful for the entire hotel. Being recognised by those who have first hand experience of our product and our services makes the awards credible, and they're the awards that we want to win.

At the start of the year, I planned our strategy and winning an M&IT Award was at the top of the list. We hosted regular ‘mix and mingles’ with guests, kept them informed about the awards, shared our stories, and asked for their support. We reminded them of our shared successes and were genuine and transparent in asking for support. It wasn't an aggressive campaign by any stretch, it built on relationships, and I think that is the key that led to our success.

These are the awards to go for because they are based on client relationships. The more you put in, and the more open and transparent you are with your guests about why you want to do this, the more they will back you, and the more likely you are to win. 

It’s a lovely evening. The joy and pride on our team’s faces were second to none. It was inspiring to be in a room full of event professionals who share the same passion for excellence and to share in their successes as well. It was the highlight of our year and will be for years to come.

Eleni Kyprianou, sales and marketing manager, Principal. Global Events, winner of Chris Peacock Rising Star award

Winning was a very proud moment. It’s such a prestigious accolade within the meetings and events industry, and to be recognised at this level is an honour. It feels very rewarding to see my hard work and passion acknowledged by peers and industry leaders.

I was fortunate enough to be nominated by the team at Principal, who have always believed in me and provided opportunities for me to progress within my role.

This award is a significant milestone in my career and represents much more than personal recognition. I’m proud of how far I’ve come, but it’s also a chance to share my journey and hopefully inspire others in the company. I am committed to mentoring the next generation of event professionals at Principal and this drives my dedication to making a positive impact within the company and the wider industry.

If there is someone out there new to the industry thinking, ‘should I enter for 2025?’, my advice would definitely be go for it! Entering is a great opportunity to reflect on your achievements. We often get caught up in our future goals, but it’s important to celebrate how far we’ve come. The recognition, exposure, and networking opportunities are invaluable, especially if you’re just starting out in the industry.

It was an unforgettable evening. It was amazing to be in a room full of industry friends, reconnecting and celebrating everyone’s achievements. Apart from the shock of winning, one of the most memorable moments was the heartwarming performance by Meeting Needs. Tom Billington’s music, along with Sam McNeill and William, brought a special energy to the room.

Kai Schomann, owner and MD, hotelrepublic, winner of Best UK Representation Company 

It was a big surprise to win, but it felt amazing. We had a lot of fun on the night, too – the whole team went up on stage to collect our award.

We are really proud of it; it features prominently on the hotelrepublic website, and we include it in proposals that go out to our hotels. All the hotels who work with us are even prouder to work with an agency that has been awarded a gold award, and we really think it will help to attract new hotels to join the hotelrepublic portfolio, too. 

This is so down to my team. They are the ones who have the relationships in place. That’s what won us this award. And it’s so motivational. We had a big party after winning, where I took the whole team to Deal in Kent. We celebrated with wine and cake – it was wonderful.

I confess, we did put a lot of effort in. We had a big party to celebrate 20 years in business in January and, the following day, the votes opened for the M&IT Awards. I’m pretty sure that worked in our favour because during our party follow ups, we asked people to vote at the same time. And people did.

We had a big banner on our website, right on the front page, saying ‘please vote for us as best representation company’, we had a very cool email signature with all our faces on saying Vote For Us with a link to the voting page, and we did a lot of calling and sent emails.

We do a lot of activities in the UK market - fam trips, sales calls, face to face presentations, and at every one of those touchpoints, we told people we had entered the M&IT Awards and asked them to vote. We basically didn't stop and thankfully it worked.

If you're thinking about entering the M&IT Awards, do it. You have to believe in your business, so why wouldn’t you enter? Anybody can win this.

Aileen Crawford, head of tourism and conventions, Glasgow Convention Bureau, winner of Best UK Convention Bureau

Winning Best UK Convention Bureau at the M&IT Awards is a highlight in the calendar. It’s tough competition, there are so many great convention bureaux across the UK & Ireland, so to be voted number one is such an honour.  

The Glasgow Convention Bureau accepts the M&IT Award for Best UK Convention Bureau on behalf of Team Glasgow. We know that when our conference clients are voting, they are thinking about both the service they received from the Convention Bureau team and also for the experience they and their delegates had in the city.   

Glasgow Convention Bureau has won Best UK Convention Bureau at the M&IT Awards for the past 18 years. The award, voted on by our clients, is recognition of the service the team offers, so having our clients take time out of their busy schedule to vote for us is humbling and we are continually grateful that they do so.   

The award is testament to the consistency of our service over the years. It shows how hard the team works with and for our clients and that in turn builds confidence in our city to deliver.

Voting for the M&IT Awards 2025 opens on Monday 20 January.