Kai Hattendorf, President of the Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC) announced Joachim König, the MD of HCC Hannover Congress Center and former President of the European Association of Event Centres (EVVC) as the winner of the 2019 JMIC Unity Award.
König formally received the award at the IMEX Awards Dinner in Frankfurt, Germany, on 22 May.
Hattendorf said: “As an organisation devoted to building stronger relationships within our industry and promoting greater awareness of the values we represent, the recognition of individuals who invest their personal time and efforts in industry advancement is very important to us.
"Ours is an industry where many contribute in this way, so each year we are presented with a challenge in selecting just one – and I am therefore pleased to say that as the recipient is someone who has demonstrated strong leadership over many years and in several different organisations he is in our view particularly deserving.”
König, Hattendorf noted, has been deeply engaged in advancing industry development not only within his specific region but subsequently at the global level. For over nine years he developed and led a powerful regional organisation that among many other things developed advocacy and reporting tools that are in many respects a standard for the industry.
He subsequently added responsibilities for representing the sector in a federal-level tourism initiative in order to ensure proper acknowledgement of the industry’s role as an economic force. Finally, he the led the re-organisation and advanced crucial structures in a global level organisation.
The Unity Award is made annually to an individual who represents the best qualities of Meetings Industry leadership and who has devoted major efforts to creating stronger relationships and a greater cohesion for the industry. Award criteria evaluate industry leadership and initiative both in a candidate's own professional conduct and the efforts they put into industry-building through association, education and professional development activities.
JMIC was established in 1978 as a vehicle for creating a forum for the exchange of information and perspectives among international associations engaged in various aspects of the Meetings Industry.
JMIC supports industry networking, awards and advocacy programmes, and is currently expanding its activities in the areas of information exchange, industry messaging and the development of a collective voice to advance key issues and values. Its programmes are supported by partners IMEX and Reed Travel Exhibitions and JMIC has added five new members within the past six months for a total of 18 members. These include:
- AACVB | the Asian Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus
- ACCCLATAM| the Association of Convention Centres of the Caribbean and Latin America
- AIPC | the International Association of Convention Centres
- ASAE | the American Society of Association Executives
- Cocal | the Latin American Confederation of PCO and Related Companies
- ECM | European Cities Marketing
- EMECA| European Major Exhibition Centres Association
- EVVC | European Association of Event Centres
- IAEE| International Association of Exhibitions and Events
- IAPCO| the International Association of Professional Congress Organizers
- ICCA | the International Congress and Convention Association
- MPI | Meeting Professionals International
- PCMA| the Professional Convention Management Association
- SACEOS| the Singapore Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers
- SISO| the Society of Independent Show Organizers
- SITE| Society for Incentive Travel Excellence
- UFI| the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry
- UIA| the Union of International Associations
