Several notable members of the exhibitions and events industry will be honored for the achievements during the IAEE’s annual awards in December.
“The IAEE Awards Committee looks forward to recognizing these outstanding individuals during Expo! Expo!,” said Lenay Gore, chairperson, 2012 IAEE Awards Committee.
“They embody the hard work and dedication that keeps our industry growing and evolving. They truly exemplify the gold standard of excellence. We encourage members to continue to support the IAEE Awards Program so we may continue to recognize colleagues deserving of these top honors.”
The annual award winners were selected after careful consideration and review by the IAEE awards committee and the board of directors, following an open call for nominations earlier in the year. The following outstanding individuals were selected for recognition.
Patricia Farias-Barlow, CEM, CEO of the Puerto Vallarta/International Convention Center and CEO of Farias Global Expos, has been named winner of the 2012 Pinnacle Award. The award recognizes an individual who, over the years, has furthered IAEE’s objectives of advancing exposition management through the promotion of education, the dissemination of knowledge and the introduction or development of innovative techniques, and who has been dedicated to the perpetuation of the highest ideals, trust and professionalism in this highly specialized field.
Jennifer Hoff, CEM, general manager of VP International, wins the Distinguished Service Award, which is presented to an IAEE member in recognition of his or her service rendered to IAEE and to the exhibitions and events industry as a whole.
The Merit Award, which recognizes those whose ideas and/or work have benefited IAEE and is generally reserved for those who have stepped forward at the local level, goes to Jeff Mellin, associate director of sales at the Georgia World Congress Center.
The Educator of the Year Award, honoring IAEE members who possess outstanding creativity, a positive attitude and the ability to transfer knowledge through good communication skills and innovative teaching to promote life-long learning to exhibitions and events industry professionals, goes to attorney Mark Roysner.
Rob Hamlin, president and CEO of MarketArt, wins the Committee/Task Force Volunteer of the Year Award honoring an individual who has dedicated his or her time to the progress and fulfillment of the charge of a committee or task force on which he or she serves. The Outstanding Achievement in Industry Leadership Award, which recognizes individuals who have made an extraordinary personal or professional commitment that materially contributes to the advancement of the exhibitions and events industry, goes to Errol Ahearn, vice president, Global Experience Specialists.
The Outstanding Achievement in Marketing & Sales Award recognizing outstanding achievements by show management in marketing and sales based on achievement of defined objectives, including measurable comparable metrics. This year’s winners are NAPE Expo, Traci Cook Lee (director) and Michelle Raczynski (event specialist), and PROCESS EXPO 2011.
The Young Professional of the Year Award goes to Lauren Bauer, national sales manager at Shepard Exposition Services; Kristy Breaux, director of Computers and Expositions at the Texas Computer Education Association; and Mary Higham, CEM, manager, Exhibits at ASIS International.
