Exhibition & Seminars: 9 & 10 June 2026
Dubai World Trade Centre, UAE
Awards: 11 June 2026
Madinat Arena, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai
Our Esteemed Judges for the Middle East Event Awards
We are thrilled to introduce the expert panel of senior leaders, decision-makers, and event professionals who will evaluate all award nominations for the 2025 Middle East Event Awards, one of the region’s most anticipated event recognition programmes. These judges have extensive knowledge and experience in the MICE and live events industry and have generously volunteered their time to ensure a fair and impartial evaluation of all submissions. We thank them for their dedication and invaluable contribution to the awards program.
We look forward to the results of the judges' evaluations and anticipate a successful awards ceremony. Thank you, judges, for your commitment to excellence in the event industry.
MEET THE JUDGES
Get to know the independent panel of event experts, creative leaders, and senior decision-makers who are reviewing submissions for the Middle East Event Awards 2025.
Ajay Bhojwani
Regional Managing Director,
MCI Group
Anam Ahmad
Founder & Chief Creative Officer,
The Hanging House
Andy Reardon
Managing Director,
Creative Technology Middle East
Antony Parham
Executive Creative Director,
LINKVIVA
Benoit Honnart
CEO,
Electra Exhibitions LLC
Bruno Marx
CEO,
EventKnowHow
Catherine Broad
Director,
Venue Matchmaker
David Balfour
Co-Founder,
LIGHTBLUE
Dawn Dennis
Executive Director,
Pico International
Donna Hyland
General Manager,
GES Middle East
Dr. Ray Tinston
Managing Director,
Identity Global
Dr. Yianni Spanos
Vice President- Sustainability,
Expo City Dubai
Emma Pope
Corporate Director of Lifestyle Events,
Emaar Hospitality Group
Fakhry Maher Alsarraj
Director of Event Bureau,
Department of Culture & Tourism (DCT)
Flyn Roberts
Chief Operating Officer,
Messe Frankfurt Middle East
Gemma Lennard
Head of Marketing,
Staffwise
Girish Bhat
CEO,
Eventify Entertainment
Joseph Lewis
Founder & CEO,
JLC Productions Middle East
John Jossifakis
Head of Events & Ceremonies,
AFC Asian Cup 2027 Local Organizing Committee
Kevin Brown
Event Planning & Reporting Director, GSO
Lucy Magee
Founder & CEO,
West End Worldwide LLC
Manal Al Kiyumi
Director of Marketing & Communications,
Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre - OCEC
Mariam Ahmed
Co-Founder,
The Collective
Mark Jan Kar
General Manager,
ASM Global (MENA)
Michail Panagiotakis
Executive Director Events,
Viola Communications
Nadine Farrag
General Manager,
Weddingsonline
Naomi Warmington
Senior Sustainability Manager,
Informa Global
Olla Abbas
Head of Mindvalley MENA,
Mindvalley
Rhiannon Downie Hurst
Founder,
Bride Club ME
Samantha Breslin
Head of Production,
People
Sankalp Sharma
Co-Founder & CEO,
Rayqube
Shelley Frost
Owner & Director,
The Fridge
Shenin Hamid
Founder & CEO,
Inspire Events & Activations FZ LLC
Sujoy Cherian
CEO & Creative Technologist,
Option 1 Events
Tammy Urwin
Director,
Urban Events
Tom Ralston
Regional Director, GSO Middle East
Encore Middle East
Valentina Ruffoni
Founder & CEO,
The Pie Network (People in Events)
Yvonne Hoffzimmer
Chief Operating Officer,
Designlab Experience
Ziad Ghaloul
CEO & Founder,
Build Up