What a night! M&IT Awards 2026 celebrates best of industry

The great and good of the meetings and events industry came together at JW Marriott Grosvenor House London on Friday night as the 2026 M&IT Awards celebrated another year of outstanding people, businesses, destinations and achievements across the sector.

Louisa Watson was named Personality of the Year, taking the industry's top individual honour in front of more than 700 event professionals at a glittering celebration of the sector, headline sponsored by IHG Hotels & Resorts.

Glasgow Convention Bureau marked a remarkable 20th consecutive win as Best UK Convention Bureau, while Quadrant Events was the biggest winner of the night, collecting three Gold awards.

“What a night!", said M&IT editor Paul Harvey "The M&IT Awards really are the Oscars of our industry - a chance to celebrate the incredible people and businesses that make this sector what it is, and to bring so much of the industry together under one roof.

“Congratulations to every single winner and finalist. The standard of entries and the achievements we’ve seen across the sector this year have been exceptional, and it was fantastic to see so many of those people recognised and celebrated on Friday night.

“It was an absolute privilege to be part of it, huge thanks to all our sponsors, and I’m already looking forward to next year.”

Reacting to her win, Watson said: “What a night! Thank you for such an amazing night - one I will never forget!”

Watson's award was one of several individual highlights from an evening which also saw Jackie Boughton of The Barbican receive the M&IT Editor's Award and Tasha Strange of Principal. Global Events named the winner of the Chris Peacock Rising Star Award.

Boughton said: “I am still working out what I did to deserve it but it will be a night to remember for many years to come.

“I have been lucky enough to work in an amazing industry with amazing people and feel so very humbled by the whole experience. Quite overwhelming!”

Strange, meanwhile, described her Rising Star win as something she had never expected after being nominated and shortlisted, and also highlighted the evening's fundraising for Meeting Needs, with more than £26,000 raised for the industry charity foundation.

“It's a brilliant reminder how events can create impact far beyond the evening itself, leaving a lasting legacy long after the lights go out and everyone has gone home,” she said.

Katherine Ryan and Cam Rhule get the party started

The ceremony was hosted by comedian Katherine Ryan, who wowed the audience with her trademark razor sharp humour, drawing huge laughs throughout the evening, and memorably getting Duncan James from Blue onstage for a surprise guest appearance.

Events R Talented winner Cam Rhule also got the crowd on its feet during the ceremony, with his energetic rendition of Beggin'.

Away from the individual awards, Glasgow Convention Bureau celebrated a landmark 20th consecutive Gold in Best UK Convention Bureau.

The bureau said the milestone represented “two decades of trust from the meetings industry”, while acknowledging the venues, hotels, academic institutions, conference ambassadors, suppliers and partners that make up Team Glasgow.

Quadrant Events was the night's biggest winner, taking three Golds across Best Event Provider, Best Intermediary Agency – Mid-size and Best Technology Provider.

Other Gold winners included Kru Live, which took the M&IT Elevate Award; Vista Events DMC Greece, winner of Best Destination Management Company; and VeSpace International, which won Best Intermediary Agency – Large.

There were joint Golds in both Best Overseas Conference Centre, won by Grimaldi Forum Monaco and PortAventura Convention Centre, and Best Unusual Venue, where Alton Towers Resort and MTC Events shared the award.

Celtic Manor Resort retained Best UK Hotel, while Scottish Event Campus took Gold for Best UK Conference Centre and The Q Hotels Collection won Best Hotel Brand.

More than £26,000 raised for Meeting Needs

The evening also delivered a significant boost for events industry charity foundation Meeting Needs, with £26,246 raised through the online auction, raffle and other fundraising activity.

Prizes donated by Leonardo Hotels, Barceló La Nucia, Factor 3 Events, Fairmont Monte Carlo and Grand Hotel Huis ter Duin helped add to the fundraising total.

A beneficiary of Meeting Needs funding, support group 21&Co, also shared its experience of the charity's work, with Georgie Devereaux and Marie Claire Lakin giving an inspirational presentation on the impact of Meeting Needs' support for parents of children with Down's syndrome.

Meeting Needs chair Lene Corgan said: “It was a fantastically generous display from all – Northstar and M&IT who made it happen, JW Marriott Grosvenor House who host and sponsor, the prize donors and all those who bought tickets and participated in the auction. It is a wonderful example of what happens when our industry joins forces. The cash we raised will fund several projects in the UK and overseas to make many lives better. Many thanks to all!”

The full list of winners can be found here.