Stephen Lakin from Protec was crowned Industry Icon of the Year in front of 800 guests at the Middle East Special Event and Exhibition Awards on Tuesday. MESE is a sister show to The Special Event. An industry pioneer with more than four decades of experience, Lakin’s dedication to the industry was praised at the annual event, which received a record 400 nominations in 22 award categories.
Now in its 11th year, the award program recognizes outstanding work in the region. The awards gala is the climax to two days of topical debate and discussion on the key issues and opportunities facing the region’s events sector at the MESE Conference, held April 8-9 at the Madinat Jumeirah.
The roster of winners:
- Young Achiever of the Year – Annabelle Mandar, Dubai World Trade Centre
- Best Event on a Budget – du Arena (Abu Dhabi Pet Festival 2018)
- Best Employer of the Year – Delta Sound
- Best Sporting Event – HQ Worldwide Shows (Gov Games 2018)
- Best Venue – La Perle by Dragone (Al Habtoor Theatre)
- Best Trade Exhibition – Clarion Events (EDEX)
- Best Event Space Design and Décor – DXB Live (Cyberquest)
- Best Consumer Exhibition – Informa Exhibitions (Middle East Games Con)
- Best Association/Corporate Meeting – People (Mohamed Bin Zayed Majlis for Future Generations)
- Best Philanthropic Event – Done Events (Designs of Hope – Brides of Hope)
- Best Social Event – Studio Neelabh Luxury Weddings and Entertainment (Ayush and Vishakha's Wedding)
- Best Music Event – Corona Sunsets Festival (Urban Events)
- Best Arts and Culture Event – Flash Entertainment (Mother of The Nation Festival)
- Outstanding Brand Activation Event – Linkviva (Dubai Festival City – Pirates of the Bay)
- Best Event Marketing Campaign of the Year – dmg (Index)
- Best Temporary Venue or Structure – Losberger De Boer Middle East (Formula E Riyadh Project)
- Best Entertainment Production – Invent Creative & Event Solutions (The Warner Brothers Live Shows--Warner Brothers World Abu Dhabi)
- Best Use of New Technology at an Event – mamemo (Holographic Map at the CSP Abu Dhabi Terminal Inauguration)
- Best Technical Support – DXB Live (ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2018)
- Best Stand Design and Build Supplier of the Year – GES (Tetra Pak Gulfood Manufacturing 2018) and OP3 Global (Ajman e-Government GITEX 2018)
- Best Supplier of the Year – Stories by Zinaida
“Every year at MESE, we’re delighted to attract outstanding levels of participation and engagement from our speakers, exhibitors and visitors, but the buzz this year was exceptional,” said Alan Kelly, commercial and strategy director at Informa Middle East, which runs the annual MESE event. “There was particular interest and excitement as we learned more about how Expo 2020 preparations are unfolding, and for those of us based in the UAE, it really made us feel lucky to be able to operate in such a forward-thinking, innovative and thriving events destination.”
MESE 2019 covered a range of topics, including latest technology trends, the future of ILEA Middle East, how to create a world-class show, mastering events on a budget, and how to develop live entertainment to appeal to the UAE’s diverse culture. It also hosted speakers from some of the region’s leading businesses and organisations, including Dubai World Trade Centre, EXPO2020, Futurous and ILEA Middle East.
“MESE as a platform has excelled in bringing the fraternity together, with knowledge transfer as a key binding factor,” said Harmeek Singh, owner of Plan B and winner of last year’s Industry Icon Award. “The awards has drawn a lot of interest this year and is a fantastic way to both showcase and acknowledge breakthroughs and creativity. It’s also a great way of setting the tone for the best to become better and more refined year-on-year. It was an absolute honor to present the Industry Icon Award to Stephen Lakin--one of the most senior professionals who has inspired many and continues to raise the bar.”
