2025 Event Service Professional of the Year Award Nominations

Shine a Spotlight on the Heroes Behind Your Event

Every great event has a force working behind the scenes to help you: the event service professionals at hotels, special venues, convention centers, and CVBs. They are the ones who connect you to the right resources, anticipate challenges before they happen, and ensure your event runs smoothly from start to finish.

If you held a live event in the past year, one of these professionals helped make it a success. Here’s your opportunity to say thank you in a lasting way.

The Event Service Professionals Association (ESPA)—the only association dedicated to advancing the role of event service managers—is now accepting nominations for its Event Service Professional of the Year Award.

Nominate someone who:

Partnered with you as a true teammate,
Took ownership of your event’s success, and
Went above and beyond to deliver a seamless experience.

To be eligible to nominate an Event Service Professional for this award, you must:
~ Be a meeting planner who has worked with the Nominee on an event in the past year.

Submission deadline: December 5, 2025

Question Title

* 1. What is your contact information

Name

Title

Organization

Address

City/Town

State/Province

ZIP/Postal Code

Email Address

Phone

Question Title

* 2. How many years of meeting planning experience do you have?

Question Title

* 3. How would you describe yourself as a meeting planner? (Check all that apply)

Association planner

Corporate planner

Independent planner

Third party planner

Meeting planning is my primary function

My primary job function is not meeting planning, but
meeting planning is one of my responsibilities

Other (please describe)

Question Title

* 4. Select the type of organization your Event Service Professional nominee works for. (Select one only)

Convention & Visitors Bureau / DMO

Hotel or Hotel with Conference Center

Convention Center (Has no sleeping rooms)

Other Event Venue (Describe below)

Additional Information:

Question Title

* 5. Nominee's contact information.

Name

Title

Organization

Address

City/Town

State/Province

ZIP/Postal Code

Email Address

Phone Number

Question Title

* 6. Tell us about the Event that you worked together on:

Date:

Name of Event:

Type of Event:

Question Title

* 7. Rate your nominee in the following areas

	Satisfactory	Good	Very Good	Outstanding
Anticipates and envisions planners' needs	Anticipates and envisions planners' needs Satisfactory	Anticipates and envisions planners' needs Good	Anticipates and envisions planners' needs Very Good	Anticipates and envisions planners' needs Outstanding
Solves challenges efficiently and creatively	Solves challenges efficiently and creatively Satisfactory	Solves challenges efficiently and creatively Good	Solves challenges efficiently and creatively Very Good	Solves challenges efficiently and creatively Outstanding
Connects planners to needed and helpful resources	Connects planners to needed and helpful resources Satisfactory	Connects planners to needed and helpful resources Good	Connects planners to needed and helpful resources Very Good	Connects planners to needed and helpful resources Outstanding
Takes charge to exceed planner's requests and needs	Takes charge to exceed planner's requests and needs Satisfactory	Takes charge to exceed planner's requests and needs Good	Takes charge to exceed planner's requests and needs Very Good	Takes charge to exceed planner's requests and needs Outstanding
Generates enthusiasm about event with staff and suppliers	Generates enthusiasm about event with staff and suppliers Satisfactory	Generates enthusiasm about event with staff and suppliers Good	Generates enthusiasm about event with staff and suppliers Very Good	Generates enthusiasm about event with staff and suppliers Outstanding
Maintains a personable, yet professional relationship	Maintains a personable, yet professional relationship Satisfactory	Maintains a personable, yet professional relationship Good	Maintains a personable, yet professional relationship Very Good	Maintains a personable, yet professional relationship Outstanding
Initiates effective communication to plan, coordinate, and enhance the event	Initiates effective communication to plan, coordinate, and enhance the event Satisfactory	Initiates effective communication to plan, coordinate, and enhance the event Good	Initiates effective communication to plan, coordinate, and enhance the event Very Good	Initiates effective communication to plan, coordinate, and enhance the event Outstanding

Question Title

* 8. What three words best describe your Event Service Professional nominee?

Word 1

Word 2

Word 3

Question Title

* 9. Being as detailed as possible, please describe your relationship with this Event Service Professional over the past year.

How did they support you during the planning and/or execution of your event(s)?

What actions did they take that helped you succeed?

What challenges or obstacles did they help you overcome?

Consider sharing specific examples of how this professional went above and beyond your expectations. At minimum, we suggest a short paragraph that highlights why they stand out and are deserving of this honor.

Question Title

* 10. In your own words, explain why this Event Service Professional should be considered for the Event Service Professional of the Year Award.

Include specific examples and outcomes (what they did, how it helped, and why it was above and beyond).

2025 Event Service Professional of the Year Award Nominations

Question Title

* 1. What is your contact information

Question Title

* 2. How many years of meeting planning experience do you have?

Question Title

* 3. How would you describe yourself as a meeting planner? (Check all that apply)

Question Title

* 4. Select the type of organization your Event Service Professional nominee works for. (Select one only)

Question Title

* 5. Nominee's contact information.

Question Title

* 6. Tell us about the Event that you worked together on:

Question Title

* 7. Rate your nominee in the following areas

Question Title

* 8. What three words best describe your Event Service Professional nominee?

Question Title

Question Title

* 10. In your own words, explain why this Event Service Professional should be considered for the Event Service Professional of the Year Award.Include specific examples and outcomes (what they did, how it helped, and why it was above and beyond).

* 10. In your own words, explain why this Event Service Professional should be considered for the Event Service Professional of the Year Award.

Include specific examples and outcomes (what they did, how it helped, and why it was above and beyond).