The RISE Award for Member of the Year was presented to Jenny Ng, CMP MPI Minnesota Chapter.
Jenny Ng is recognised for her sustained global leadership advancing Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion across MPI. She led the development and rollout of MPI’s first standardised 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 recognised 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, the 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, the MPI Greater New York Chapter implemented a comprehensive overhaul of its Marketing and Communications Standard Operating Procedures to modernise, standardise, and professionalise how all promotional activities, sponsorship deliverables, and chapter communications are managed. The initiative resulted in stronger branding cohesion, improved sponsor fulfilment, 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.
