For over 30 years, Meetings & Events Australia (MEA)’s Awards Program has celebrated the best of the best across the latitude of the greater Australian events industry.

MEA is delighted to announce the launch of its 2021-2022 Awards Program, which has an extended qualifying period of 24-months (to the regular 12-months) to ensure outstanding work of individuals and businesses in the delivery of events during both 2021 and 2022 can be recognised.

Due to the reduced body of work by the industry because of the pandemic, MEA deemed that an awards program for 2021 in isolation was not in the best interests of past or future winners. MEA looks forward to the industry’s coming together to honour the achievements of colleagues, peers, and the wider community over the past two years returning via State and National Award presentations in 2023.

The awards submission portal is now open for a total of 38 awards across 9 categories, including three brand-new Awards: Virtual Event of the Year, Skilling Program of the Year and Event Educator of the Year. The addition of a discrete award for virtual events was borne of the high-number of fully online events carried out during 2021 and into 2022, while the education-focused criteria awards seek to directly recognise the trainers and academics charged with teaching the future workforce of our industry, as well as the programs that have been developed to mitigate the real and immediate skills shortage our workforce is experiencing.

Among the other awards in this year’s line-up, the highly regarded  Outstanding Contribution Award which honours the achievements of an individual who has led discussion, supported change and who continues to nurture the industry’s future leaders. MEA invites members to nominate suitable candidates for this accolade – which will be presented alongside the National Awards at the gala dinner following MEA’s annual conference Evolve 2023, on the evening of 8 June.

MEA CEO Peter McDonald commented, “For one’s performance to be considered as best in industry after critical peer review is an empowering victory. That’s the beauty of the MEA Awards. It’s not a popularity contest. A rigorous assessment process underwritten by evidence- based claim evaluated by industry practitioners means that any win is a deserved and authentic one.”

He added, “State-based awards events will be held around the country throughout April and May 2023. State winners become the national finalists for the respective category, with the prospect of being presented the national trophy at the Awards Dinner on the Gold Coast on 8 June.”

The award categories in this year’s program have been re-shaped to encourage and recognise exceptional work, creativity and outcomes for events held within Australia and are open to both members and non-members of MEA.

Events held or activity performed between 1 January 2021 – 31 December 2022 underwrites eligibility to apply, creating an opportunity for business to reward individuals and teams who have delivered, supplied, or hosted successful events during what has been a significantly challenging time for the sector.

Submissions for the Awards will close 28 February 2023 at 11:59pm AEDT. Late submissions cannot be accepted due to judging timelines. Further information about the program milestones is available from MEA’s website  here. Individual award criteria can be viewed and submissions made via: bit.ly/2021-2022MEAawards