A Singaporean MICE leader is among the six awardees to be inducted into the Hall of Leaders at the MGM Grand Las Vegas Hotel & Casino. The six leaders being inducted into the EIC Hall of Leaders in 2026.
Marina Bay Sands' vice president of sales and MICE, WeeMin Ong, has been named to the 2026 Events Industry Council (EIC) Hall of Leaders, becoming one of the first Asian business events professionals to receive what is widely regarded as the industry's highest lifetime honour.
Now in its 41st year, the EIC Hall of Leaders has been likened to a lifetime achievement award to recognise “outstanding leaders who have unequivocally shaped the global business events industry”. More than 150 inductees have been named to the Hall of Leaders since it was launched in 1985.
Ong joins a distinguished but relatively small group of Asian recipients, including Amelia Roziman, former CEO of Business Events Sarawak, who became the first woman from Asia to enter the Hall of Leaders in 2023; Noor Ahmad Hamid, CEO of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), who was inducted in 2022; and Edward Liu, honorary president of the Asian Federation of Exhibition & Convention Associations (AFECA), who received the honour in 2018.
The 2026 Hall of Leaders inductees are:
WeeMin Ong, CMP, vice president of sales and MICE for the Marina Bay Sands;
Elliott L. Ferguson II, president and CEO, Destination DC;
Robert Priest-Heck, retired CEO, Freeman;
David Kliman, CMM, cofounder, ELX, and owner of the Kliman Group;
Kit Lykketoft, director of convention, Wonderful Copenhagen; and
Annamaria Ruffini, CIS, CITP, CMP, president & CEO, Events In & Out.
Beside the Hall of Leaders, five industry professionals will also be honoured under other award categories.
There will be two recipients of the EIC Pacesetter Award, which recognises emerging leaders who are making an impact on advancing the industry and have proven track records of successful leadership. They are:
James Filtz, CMP, CPCE, CHE, senior principal solutions consultant, Cvent, and
Evan Nielson, CMP, senior event manager of the AARP.
Another two industry professionals will receive Social Impact Awards, which celebrates extraordinary effort on the part of an individual or an organisation in the areas of people, planet and prosperity, as aligned with the United Nation’s Sustainability Development Goals. They are:
Anna Abdelnoor, CEO and founder of Isla, and
Alisson Batres, CEO, Organización, S.A. (OSA).
In addition, Chin-Hsun Tsai, associate professor and director of the event management programme for Iowa State University, will receive the Adaption and Innovation Award, which recognises extraordinary efforts on the part of an individual or organisation to ensure the industry’s current and future relevance.
All 11 recipients will be honoured during the EIC’s Global Awards, taking place on 12 October at the MGM Grand Las Vegas Hotel & Casino.