ESPA RECOGNIZES INDUSTRY ACHIEVERS

Submit your nomination today!  2025 submissions are due December 5, 2025.

ESPA’s annual awards programs recognize the superstars of our industry. Many of these great achievements come from nominations by our own members or by planners. Read below to learn how you can recognize a superstar in your life.

Event Service Professional of the Year
Leadership in Services
Executive Excellence
Meeting Professional of the Year
ESPA Member Awards

Event Service Professional of the Year

Meeting Planners: Nominate a Deserving Hotel, Convention Center or CVB Event Service Manager Today

Behind the scenes, event service professionals from hotels, convention centers and CVBs help Meeting Planners deliver memorable experiences. They connect planners with the right resources, solve problems with their expertise that covers a multitude of scenarios and educate about the ever-changing norms in each destination.

Have you held a live event in the last year? As a meeting planner, here’s your chance to recognize an event service manager that worked their magic to make you shine!

The Event Service Professionals Association (ESPA) is accepting nominations for this year’s Event Service Professional of the Year Award. If you worked with a deserving event service pro—someone who partnered with you, embraced your event, and went above and beyond to make it seamless—please tell us about it!

• Nominations for this award are only accepted from Meeting Planners who worked directly with the nominee on an event in the past year

2024 Recipient Paul Ruby, CMP
Director of Conference Services & Events
The Lodge at Gulf State Park

Leadership in Event Service Award

Who Inspired You in Event Services This Year?

Nominated by colleagues, managers, partners, and industry peers, this award recognizes Event Service Professionals from CVBs, Convention Centers, Hotels and Special Venues whose leadership in the past year has been an inspiration to others.

Nominees may demonstrate leadership in many ways, such as:

• Guiding their organization through challenges or adversity
• Implementing an innovative program or initiative
• Inspiring and uniting the local event services community
• Leading impactful community service efforts
• Achieving service excellence through leadership, overcoming obstacles, and

These individuals share a positive, can-do attitude that lifts others and strengthens our industry in meaningful ways.

Who comes to mind for you? Take this opportunity to nominate them.

Nominate an event service professional for this year’s Leadership in Event Services Award.
Deadline: Friday, December 5, 2025

• Nominations are welcomed from colleagues, managers, partners, or industry peers. Those within the event services community who have been inspired by their leadership. (This is not an award for nominations by Meeting Planners)

2024 Recipient
Rhonda Whyte
Vice President of Convention Management
Events DC

Executive Excellence Award

Celebrating Leaders Who Champion Event Services

Has your VP, GM, or other Executive demonstrated outstanding support and leadership in event services this year? Each year at the Annual Conference, ESPA recognizes an executive whose commitment and dedication to the events services profession and strengthens both their team and the profession of event service.

Criteria and Guidelines

• Nominees support staff participation in ESPA.
• Nominees must be executives of an organization which has an ESPA member.
  • Executives are defined as a VP or higher at a CVB; a member of the executive committee or GM at a hotel; or a VP, GM or Executive Director at a Convention Center.
• Nominees personally and consistently support quality assurance in the organization’s convention services operations.
• Nominee supports staff development, growth and continuing education.

As an ESPA member, if your executive is a mentor, an advocate for event services, and a champion of your team’s professional growth — recognize their leadership by submitting a nomination for the Executive Excellence Award.

Deadline: Friday, December 5, 2025

2024 Recipient
Matt Robinette, ESPC, CDME, CMP
Vice President of Visitor Experience
Richmond Region Tourism.

Meeting Professional of the Year

Event Service Professionals, has your planner client demonstrated exceptional leadership and collaboration for an event in 2025?

This award was designed to recognize hard-working meeting professionals who exemplify teamwork, professionalism, and a true partnership with event service professionals..

Event Service Professionals know better than anyone when a planner is prepared, supportive, and a strong leader in bringing a meeting or event to life. This is your opportunity to celebrate those planners who represent the very best of our industry. Why not recognize them for their dedication and hard work?

Criteria and Guidelines

• You must have worked with meeting planner in an event services capacity during the past year
• Shows superior leadership and management qualities before, during and after the meeting
• Recognizes the importance and supports the role of the CSM in the meeting planning process

Think of the planner who inspired and exemplified partnership this year. Honor them with a nomination for the Outstanding Meeting Professional Award.

Nominate a deserving Meeting Professional
Deadline: Friday, December 5, 2025

2024 Recipient
Ashley Grimsley
Brasfield & Gorrie

ESPA Member Awards

Member of the Year – This award recipient is an ESPA Member who has been outstanding in his or her constant enthusiasm and support of both ESPA and the
Event Services Industry. This person is selected annually by the ESPA Board of Directors.

 

 

 

President’s Award  – Each year the President of ESPA has an opportunity to recognize a member that he or she feels has shown continued support and enthusiasm for the association. There are no specific criteria for this award—it is the President’s decision to honor a member that is deserving of special recognition for their volunteer support and efforts towards the betterment of the association.

2024 Recipient
Natalie Young, CMP
Visit Houston