The Events Industry Council (EIC), a global federation of associations and corporations representing the business events industry, has announced the recipients of its annual Global Awards which are designed to honour exemplary achievements and leadership within the global business events industry.
This year’s awards, hosted by MGM Resorts International, will be held in Las Vegas on 12 October.
This year’s honourees are:
EIC Hall of Leaders
Now in its 41st year, the EIC Hall of Leaders is considered a lifetime achievement award. More than 150 inductees have been named to the Hall of Leaders since it was launched in 1985.
The 2026 inductees are:
- Elliott L. Ferguson II, president & CEO, Destination DC
- Robert Priest-Heck, retired CEO, Freeman
- David Kliman, CMM, co-founder ELX and owner, The Kliman Group
- Kit Lykketoft, director of convention, Wonderful Copenhagen
- Weemin Ong, CEM, CMP, vice-president of sales & MICE, Marina Bay Sands
- Annamaria Ruffini, CIS, CITP, CMP, president & CEO, Events In & Out
EIC president and CEO Amy Calvert said: “This year’s Hall of Leader inductees and award recipients reflect the rich diversity of talent defining our global community, uniting legendary leaders who anchored our industry’s legacy with dynamic new voices driving its future. Ultimately, these awards remind us that business events are a powerful catalyst for human connection, community resilience, and global innovation.”
Additional award categories and winners:
EIC Pacesetter Award
Recognises an emerging leader with a proven track record of successful leadership and who are making an impact on advancing the industry.
- James Filtz, CMP, CPCE, CHE, senior principal solutions consultant, Cvent
- Evan Nielson, CMP, senior event manager, AARP
EIC Social Impact Award
Recognises extraordinary effort on the part of an individual and or organisation in the areas of people, planet, and prosperity aligned with UN SDGs.
- Anna Abdelnoor, CEO and founder, ISLA
- Alisson Batres, CEO, Organización, S.A.
Adaptation and Innovation Award
Recognises extraordinary effort on the part of an individual or organisation in the areas of adaptation and innovation to ensure our industry’s relevance now and into the future.
- Chin-Hsun (Ken) Tsai, Ph.D., associate professor: program director of Event Management Program, Iowa State University
Learn more about the awards and the winners at www.eicglobalawards.org
