MPI Announces the 2026 RISE Award Recipients
Meeting Professionals International (MPI) announced the recipients of this year’s RISE (Recognizing Industry Success and Excellence) Awards during the association’s 2026 World Education Congress (WEC26) in San Antonio, Texas.
“This year’s RISE Award recipients represent the very best of our profession with bold ideas, meaningful impact, and leadership that lifts others. We’re honored to recognize them and celebrate their achievements with our global MPI community,” said MPI’s International Board of Directors Chair, Jim Russell.
The RISE Awards feature seven awards in two categories: individual achievement and community achievement. Recipients are recognized for innovation, replicability across MPI’s global community, impact, and influence within the industry, and will join the MPI Community of Honorees, a group composed of past MPI award winners and distinguished leaders.
“From advancing education to strengthening communities, this year’s recipients are delivering results that matter. Their work is shaping the future of meetings and events, and we’re thrilled to celebrate them,” said MPI’s President and CEO, Paul Van Deventer.
The RISE Award for Member of the Year was presented to Jenny Ng, CMP, MPI Minnesota Chapter.
Jenny Ng is recognized for her sustained global leadership advancing Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion across MPI. She led the development and rollout of MPI’s first standardized EDI training, reaching more than 1,100 leaders and staff, and established supporting initiatives, including EDI Office Hours, the Regional Ambassadors program, and baseline measurement through a global EDI survey.
The RISE Award for Meeting Industry Leadership was presented to Krzysztof Celuch, MPI Poland Chapter.
Krzysztof Celuch exemplifies sustained global leadership within MPI and the meetings industry through a career defined by education, collaboration, and legacy-building. Reviewers highlighted his intentional approach to leadership handover, mentorship, and sponsorship—ensuring initiatives outlast individual terms and that new leaders are prepared to step into visible, decision-making roles.
The RISE Award for Young Professional Achievement was presented to Nikola Naus, MPI Poland Chapter.
Nikola Naus is recognized for her early-career leadership and measurable impact advancing student and emerging professional engagement within MPI. As Vice President for Students and Emerging Professionals for the MPI Poland Chapter, she designed and launched the chapter’s first structured mentoring initiative, Future Professionals, creating a sustainable framework that connected industry leaders with students nationwide and resulted in new member growth.
The RISE Award for Social Impact was presented to the MPI Potomac Chapter.
The MPI Potomac Chapter’s WorldPride 2025 Social Impact Initiative leveraged Washington, DC’s role as host city to advance LGBTQIA+ inclusion, safety, and social responsibility within the meetings and events industry through targeted education, community engagement, and global advocacy. The initiative generated strong participation, high satisfaction scores, and lasting educational resources through toolkits, podcasts, and publicly accessible materials.
The RISE Award for Innovative Educational Programming was presented to the MPI Southern California Chapter.
The MPI SCC Roadshow is a multi-city education and engagement initiative designed to increase accessibility and strengthen member engagement across Southern California’s geographically dispersed region. By delivering consistent, destination-specific programming directly into local markets, the program provided timely DMO-led market intelligence, facilitated planner–supplier dialogue, and introduced applied AI tools to address real industry challenges.
The RISE Award for Membership Achievement was presented to the MPI Türkiye Chapter.
In FY 2024–2025, MPI Türkiye Chapter implemented an inclusive membership engagement initiative by opening the EMEC Istanbul 2025 preparation process to the broader Turkish meetings and events community, including non-members, emerging professionals, and industry stakeholders. The initiative resulted in increased visibility and credibility for MPI across Türkiye, 28 new members, active volunteer participation in EMEC sub-committees, and sustained engagement from professionals previously unfamiliar with MPI.
The RISE Award for Marketplace Excellence was presented to the MPI Greater New York Chapter.
In FY 2024–2025, MPI Greater New York Chapter implemented a comprehensive overhaul of its Marketing and Communications Standard Operating Procedures to modernize, standardize, and professionalize how all promotional activities, sponsorship deliverables, and chapter communications are managed. The initiative resulted in stronger branding cohesion, improved sponsor fulfillment, increased digital engagement, and clearer, more timely communication for members and partners.
For more details on the MPI RISE Awards and this year’s recipients, visit www.mpiweb.org/RISE.
About MPI
Meeting Professionals International (MPI) is the largest meeting and event industry association worldwide. The organization provides innovative and relevant education, networking opportunities, and business exchanges, and serves as a prominent voice for promoting and growing the industry. MPI has a global community of 60,000 meeting and event professionals, including nearly 12,000 engaged members. It has nearly 70 chapters, clubs, and members in more than 75 countries worldwide. “When we meet, we change the world.” www.mpi.org
