The search is on for the UK’s rising stars of the events industry

The Meetings Show is on the hunt for the UK’s most exciting emerging event professionals with the return of Tomorrow’s Talent 2026, the programme that shines the spotlight on the industry’s future leaders. 

Now in its eighth year, and delivered in partnership with M&IT, Tomorrow’s Talent is designed to celebrate and champion the rising stars working in the UK’s meetings, incentives and events sector. The initiative provides an invaluable platform for up-and-coming professionals to gain exposure, build meaningful connections, and take their careers to the next level.

Each of the 10 winners will receive a year of exclusive opportunities, including VIP access to The Meetings Show 2026, invitations to leading industry events such as the M&IT Awards, and mentorship and networking with senior leaders. Winners will also be featured across The Meetings Show and M&IT channels, raising their profile and influence within the sector.

They will have the chance to design and facilitate a future talent-themed education session at The Meetings Show, contributing to a panel celebrating the next generation of industry leaders.

All winners will also be offered a complimentary four-hour ‘Confidence in Communicating’ training programme with The Attendee Experience Company (atex), covering presentation skills, intros and outros, handling challenging situations, and body language tips. Completion of the training provides the opportunity for the winners to host an education stage as an emcee at The Meetings Show 2026.

Samme Allen, Knowledge Director at The Meetings Show, said: “Tomorrow’s Talent was one of my standout highlights of the 2025 show. Offering what is essentially a life skill through our masterclass made a genuine difference to this year’s cohort. We saw them grow in confidence, capability and presence, and what made it even more rewarding was how much they gave back, from curating a brilliant session to sharing thoughtful feedback that helped shape the programme. It was a wonderful experience to witness, and I’m excited to see the impact our 2026 winners will make.”

Tomorrow’s Talent is open to UK-based event planners and buyers who are aged 30 or under, or who have up to three years’ experience in the meetings and events industry.

Applicants can nominate themselves or be nominated by a colleague, by submitting either a short video (up to two minutes) or a written nomination (up to 500 words) explaining why they, or their nominee, deserve to be recognised. Entries should highlight achievements, challenges overcome, and the individual’s potential to shape the future of the industry.

A panel of six respected industry leaders will once again select the 10 most promising applicants:

• Paul Harvey, editor, M&IT
• Leigh Cowlishaw, managing partner, Black Box Partnerships
• Patrick Delaney, managing partner, SoolNua
• Priya Narain, co-founder, Event First Steps
• Gracia Kabongo, senior associate, stakeholder engagement and events lead, Ofwat, and Tomorrow’s Talent winner 2019
• Hannah Elston, marketing and communications manager, Event Leaders Exchange (ELX), and Tomorrow’s Talent winner 2025 and newly appointed judge 

Jack Marczewski, portfolio event director, Northstar Travel Group, said: “Tomorrow’s Talent continues to be one of the highlights of The Meetings Show each year. The programme is all about recognising and empowering the incredible professionals who are shaping the future of our industry. We’ve already seen so many of our past winners go on to achieve amazing things, and we can’t wait to uncover the next 10 names to join this inspiring community.”

 Iulia Zorzoana, Events Coordinator at Step, and last year’s Tomorrow’s Talent winner commented: “Being a Tomorrow’s Talent winner came with so many valuable opportunities. One of the biggest highlights for me was receiving a complimentary place and completing The Sustainable Events Course, produced by The Meetings Show and isla. It gave me a huge amount of knowledge and made me much more mindful and responsible when it comes to sustainability in events. It also provided me with the tools to start introducing sustainability practices within my current organisation, which I’m really proud of.

“Most importantly, being a Tomorrow’s Talent winner feels like a real badge of honour, a sign that the judges recognised my hard work and passion for the industry. It’s something I’ll be proud of for the rest of my career, and I’m confident that winning this award will have a lasting, positive impact on my growth and future opportunities.”

Applications for Tomorrow’s Talent 2026 are open now and will close on 23 January 2026. To nominate yourself or a colleague, please apply here.

The Meetings Show takes place 24-25 June 2026 at Excel London and is co-located with Business Travel Show Europe and Travel Tech Show.