Reed Travel Exhibitions announces Winners of AIME 2008 Awards

Reed Travel Exhibitions has announced the winners of the AIME 2008 Awards on the second day of the event in Melbourne.

Elizabeth Rich, Executive Director of the Business Events Council of Australia, the country's peak convention and exhibition industry organisation won the Industry Person of the Year Award for the Asia Pacific region.

Elizabeth's 30 year career in the meetings industry has included the management of two of Australia's leading industry associations, the establishment of industry education programs and lobbying of successive governments on the value of the business events industry. Ms Rich also manages the AIME Business Events Forum and ICCA Youth Forum at AIME.

The AIME Award for the Industry Person of the Year in the International category was won by Martin Lewis, Managing Editor, Meetings & Incentive Travel magazine, based in the United Kingdom.

In presenting the award, Paul Kennedy, RTE Group Exhibition Director, described Martin Lewis as a true internationalist, an outspoken commentator on industry affairs, a speaker and presenter whose body of work over the last 20 years has gone beyond his company's self interest.

"Martin is an industry player who backs up his commentary with intellectual vigour and a stalwart supporter of international associations. He championed the concept of a Meetings Week designed to focus on the growing importance of meetings in a modern day economy," Mr Kennedy said.

The AIME Awards also included five categories of stand awards including a new environmental stand award and an award for the Best Environmental Supplier. The winners are:

Best Single Exhibitor Stand: Flemington - The Event Centre
Best Multi Exhibitor Stand: Northern Territory Convention Bureau
Most Creative Stand Design: Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority
Best New Exhibitor Stand: Tourism Australia
Best Environmental Stand: Intercontinental Hotels Group, New Zealand

In selecting the winner for the Best Environmental Stand the judges took into account the stand holder's commitment to the environment through the use of recycled materials and the implementation of electronic documents for hosted buyers, trade visitors and media.

The Intercontinental Hotels Group was recognised for its use of recycled plastic for floorplan boards, eliminating all paper, using electronic documents and creating zero waste on their stand.

Best Environmental Supplier: Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC)

In judging the Best Environmental Supplier category, the judges took into account the supplier's commitment to the environment and how they have helped make AIME 2008 Climate Neutral.

The winner contributed by providing additional recycling at AIME, particularly in the area of timber recycling, which this year is expected to reduce the amount of timber products disposed of to landfill by 50%. In addition, the winner's already established environmental policies and its use of environmental products and technology assisted AIME to become a climate neutral event.

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