C&IT IMPACT AWARDS 2026

CELEBRATING POSITIVE IMPACT IN EVENTS ACROSS PEOPLE, PLANET & PURPOSE

Second entry deadline: Thursday 5 February

The events industry is shifting faster than ever. The old model of excess is gone, replaced by a new standard where true success is measured by the impact we create for people, the planet and our wider communities.

The C&IT Impact Awards are the UK’s definitive celebration of this transformation. We recognise the agencies, venues, suppliers and in-house teams delivering real progress across ESG - from sustainability and social impact to diversity, equity and inclusion. These are the organisations shaping a more ethical, inclusive and responsible future for events.

Now is your moment to step forward.

This isn’t about being perfect, it’s about showing meaningful progress. Whether you’ve reduced your carbon footprint, championed community initiatives, empowered diverse talent or redefined what responsible event delivery looks like, your work deserves to be seen.

With the second entry deadline on 5 February, time is running out to get your achievements recognised at the highest level.

If you’re driving positive change, prove it - and position your organisation as a leader in the future of events.


Enter now and make your impact impossible to ignore.

WHY THESE AWARDS MATTER


The C&IT Impact Awards celebrate real progress, not perfection. 

Every meaningful step towards creating more responsible, inclusive and sustainable events deserves recognition, whether it’s bold innovation or the first step on your ESG journey. 

Hosted by C&IT, the UK’s most authoritative media brand in the MICE industry, these awards amplify your impact, giving credibility and visibility to the people and organisations shaping a better future for events.

C&IT is using its powerful platform not just to report on the industry, but to actively champion and accelerate its shift to sustainability. A win is an endorsement from a trusted voice, amplified to the entire UK events community.

BUT AM I DOING ENOUGH?

NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE IN YOUR ESG JOURNEY, THESE ARE YOUR REASONS TO ENTER

PUT YOUR IMPACT IN THE SPOTLIGHT

No matter if you're just starting out or leading the charge, your efforts deserve recognition. 

These awards celebrate the real progress, big or small, that are better for people, communities and the planet.

SHOW THE INDUSTRY (AND YOUR CLIENTS) WHAT YOU STAND FOR

From agencies and venues to suppliers and tech innovators, this is your chance to highlight the work you’re doing to advance sustainability, inclusion and responsible business practices and set new standards for the industry.

TURN YOUR VALUES INTO A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

More clients and partners are choosing businesses that prioritise ESG, from environmental impact to diversity and governance.

Winning, or even being shortlisted, positions you as a trusted leader in responsible event planning.

CONNECT WITH PURPOSE DRIVEN INDUSTRY LEADERS

Join a community of event professionals, suppliers, and brands all committed to positive change, and open doors to meaningful collaborations and partnerships.

CELEBRATE THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE PROGRESS

From teams reducing waste and carbon to those championing accessibility, wellbeing or diversity, this is your moment to recognise the dedication driving your organisation forward.

BE PART OF THE MOVEMENT DRIVING REAL CHANGE

ESG isn’t a trend - it’s the future of our industry.

Show how you’re making an impact, shaping responsible events, and inspiring others to follow your lead.

CATEGORIES


Event Categories

Best Conference

This award honours conferences that achieve a powerful synergy between their purpose and their practice. It’s for educational and network- ing events where the commitment to ESG is just as evident in the operational execution as it is in the content on stage. The award celebrates a holistic, 360-degree approach to impact. Judges will assess how ESG was strategically embedded in all facets of the conference.

Best Large Scale Events, Confex and Exhibitions

This award celebrates the major events, exhibitions, and confexes that are setting a new benchmark for responsible event production at scale. This category is for organisers who view their event’s significant size not as a challenge to be mitigated, but as a powerful platform to influence industries, shift supply chains, and engage vast audiences on critical ESG issues.

Best Internal Communications Event

This award shines a spotlight on the internal events that galvanise a company’s greatest asset – its people – to drive its ESG agenda forward. It honours the pivotal role of internal communications in transforming corporate culture, turning sustainability strategy into a shared mission, and empowering every employee to become an agent of change.

Best Celebratory Event

This award celebrates the art of celebration itself, honouring events that prove purpose and pleasure can go hand-in-hand. It’s for the galas, awards ceremonies, and milestone anniversaries that create unforgettable moments of joy, while demonstrating that a deep commitment to ESG can amplify, not diminish, the spirit of the occasion. Judges will look for creative and seamless integration of ESG principles into the very fabric of the celebration.

Best Festival

This award is for festivals that prove that large-scale public events can be a powerful platform for positive change. It celebrates festivals that have placed ESG and impact at the core of their identity and operations, going beyond entertainment to create a lasting legacy.

Best International Event

This award honours international events that master the complexities of a global stage to deliver exceptional impact. It celebrates events that not only bring diverse, multi-national communities together but do so with a sense of global responsibility, addressing the unique ESG challenges inherent in cross-border collaboration and travel. This award is open to any organisations, regardless of where they’re based.

Best Impact Strategy

This award recognises the organisation, agency or team that has developed the most comprehensive and forward-thinking ESG and impact strategy. The focus here is on the framework and methodology that underpins action, rewarding the strategic thinking that drives meaningful and measurable change across a series or portfolio of events.

Best Cultural or Community Event

This award celebrates events that have fostered connection, celebrated culture, or strengthened community bonds. It recognises events that have not only achieved their primary social objectives but have done so in a way that is sustainable, inclusive, and creates lasting positive value for the community they serve. Judges will be particularly interested in how the event was co-designed or developed in collaboration with the target community, ensuring authentic representation and engagement.

Best Sustainable Build

This award recognises excellence in the sustainable design, construction, and dismantling of temporary event structures. Open to anyone from agencies and venues to production companies and suppliers, it celebrates the innovation and strategic thinking required to create physically impressive and functional event environments while minimising environmental impact and championing circular economy principles.

Supplier Categories

Best Venue

This award is for venues that lead the industry in responsible operations and provide a best-in-class foundation for impactful events. It recognises the long-term commitment, investment, and policies required to embed ESG principles into the very fabric of a building and its management, as well as how it enables clients and visitors to make better decisions. Judges will be looking for evidence of a venue-wide strategy that champions sustainability and social value.

Best Sustainable Destination Strategy

This award recognises the destination (e.g., city, region, or country) that has developed and is implementing a comprehensive, long-term strategy to foster a responsible business events ecosystem. It celebrates the collaborative effort required between tourism boards, local government, venues, and suppliers to position the destination as a leader in impact-focused MICE activity. Judges will be looking for a holistic and evidence-based strategy that goes beyond marketing and demonstrates genuine commitment to positive change.

Best Tool or Tech Provider

This award celebrates the tool, technology, or digital platform that most effectively empowers event professionals to achieve their ESG and impact goals. It recognises innovative solutions that provide tangible, measurable, and scalable ways to improve an event’s environmental footprint and social handprint.

Best AV production provider

This award recognises the AV production provider that excels in delivering state-of-the-art technical solutions while demonstrating a profound commitment to sustainability and social responsibility. It celebrates companies that are actively reducing the environmental footprint of their operations and using their technical expertise to create more inclusive and accessible event experiences.

Best Caterer

Celebrating caterers that place sustainability and ethical considerations at the heart of their menu design, kitchen operations, and service delivery, this award recognises that food and beverage choices represent one of the most significant opportunities for an event to create a positive impact, from both an environmental and social perspective.

Best of the Best

Impact Team of the Year

This award celebrates a group of individuals who have worked together to become powerful agents of change. It’s for the dedicated sustainability committees, internal green teams, or client-facing impact units that have successfully championed the ESG agenda, driven meaningful initiatives, and inspired others to take action.

Impact Champion of the Year

This award recognises an individual who is a true trailblazer and advocate for ESG and impact within the business events industry. This is for the person who, through their personal passion, dedication, and influence, has inspired change, challenged the status quo, and made a significant, measurable contribution to advancing a sustainability, diversity or accessibility agenda.

Best Agency

This award is for the agency that has most successfully embedded ESG and impact into its core business strategy and client offerings. It recognises agencies that act as expert partners, guiding their clients to deliver events that are not only brilliantly executed but also strategically sustainable, inclusive, and purposeful. Judges will be looking for evidence that ESG is a core component of the agency’s identity and operational framework, not just an optional add-on.

Grand Prix

KEY INFORMATION


DEADLINES

Second entry deadline: Thursday 5 February

Final deadline: Thursday 19 February

PRICING

£470 +VAT

£530 +VAT

A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR


"I'm delighted that we're bringing back the C&IT Impact Awards for its second year. The response to 2025's inaugural Impact Awards was fantastic to see, and I'm hoping that 2026's awards will allow us to celebrate even more of the outstanding work being done on DEI across the events sector. 

With the foundational principles of diversity, ethics and inclusion under greater threat than ever, it's never been more important to ensure that we're not just championing progress, but also showcasing the proven blueprints for how event planners and agencies can move the needle in key areas, helping all of us to learn how to enhance our own impact efforts."

Adam Shepherd, Editor, C&IT 

JOIN THE JUDGING PANEL

SHAPE THE FUTURE OF EVENTS

We’re inviting industry leaders, innovators and passionate professionals to help recognise the work that matters most.

Nominate yourself or a colleague to join the judging panel and help recognise the people and organisations driving responsible, inclusive and sustainable events.

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES


The C&IT Impact Awards celebrate the people, organisations and innovations driving progress across ESG in the UK MICE sector. Sponsoring the awards gives your business the chance to associate your brand with excellence, responsibility and meaningful impact.

As a sponsor, you’ll gain high-profile exposure across C&IT, putting your brand in front of the industry’s most influential agencies, venues, suppliers and in-house teams.

This is more than sponsorship — it’s your opportunity to position your business as a leader in responsible, inclusive and sustainable events and demonstrate your commitment to shaping the future of the industry.


For bespoke sponsorship packages, contact James Callaby at [email protected]