London & Partners - the official promotional organisation for London – will be the headline sponsor of The Meetings & Incentive Travel Industry Awards 2012.

The theme for this year’s event is 'The Year of The Olympic Games' and London & Partners will use it to present latest news on the games and their legacy to the 800-plus events industry professionals in attendance on March 5.

London & Partners is the latest leading brand to confirm sponsorship for the Meetings & Incentive Travel Industry Awards, joining top agencies including BI Worldwide, Universal WorldEvents, P&MM, drpgroup, Zibrant, AddingValue, Noble Events, Kudos and MCI UK while top supplier brands like VIParis, Grimaldi Forum Monaco, EIBTM, Twickenham Experience and the Canadian Tourism Commission are supporting with major cash sponsorships. Industry association Eventia is also a sponsor.

The awards dinner, staged on the eve of International Confex, will be held at the Westminster Park Plaza Hotel and will raise money for M&IT’s charity, Save The Children. M&IT has raised more than £800,000 for the charity and has set a target of another £50,000 to fund the refurbishment of two health facilities to reduce neonatal death in Zambezia province in Mozambique.

M&IT publisher Steve Lewis, said: “London & Partners’ major sponsorship of the event – along with all the others - will help us reach that important target.”

In Mozambique, more than 37,000 babies each year die within the first 28 days of their life. Birth asphyxia, newborn sepsis and pre-term birth complications are the three leading causes of newborn death. M&IT’s fund raising will provide the necessary equipment to help save newborn lives in remote rural areas, such as tools for newborn resuscitation and train 20 frontline health workers in essential newborn care.

The 2012 event will be hosted by broadcaster Kate Silverton for the third successive year. 

For further information go to www.meetpie.com/awards