It was a record year for the Meetings Industry Marketing Awards (MIMA), with more attendees and more sponsors than ever before.

Nearly 370 guests attended the awards ceremony at the Park Plaza Riverbank in London last night – an increase of 27 per cent on 2010 – where the industry’s best marketing initiatives of the year were celebrated.

Martin Lewis, managing director of CAT Publications, which organises the awards, added that it had also been a record year for the awards’ charity partner, Meetings Industry Meetings Needs (MIMN). “More than £90,000 has been raised this year, including just over £22,000 from the MIMA online auction,” he said.

The charity has made donations to a diverse range of causes from wheelchair hoists, to operations for children with cleft lip and palate. The latest project is the part-funding of an ambulance for an organisation called Village Africa, based in Tanzania.

The audience also heard details of the Gold winners’ campaigns, ranging from Global Infusion Group’s super-targeted short-run brochure, which converted all 15 targets and brought in £700,000 in sales; to the Ovation Bear kidnapping mystery, which increased Ovation Global DMC's website visits by 150 per cent.

Later guests were treated to close up magic courtesy of A Magic Place and music from The Toni James Band.

The results were:

Best Print/New Media Campaign

Gold award:            Vancouver Convention Centre
Silver award:           The Convention Centre Dublin
Bronze award:         Millennium & Copthorne Hotels
Finalist:                    Regus

Best Public Relations Campaign

Gold award:            Triggerfish Communications   
Silver award:           Harrogate International Centre   
Bronze award:        Friday’s Media Group   
Finalist:                    Davies Tanner

Best Website

Gold award:            The Convention Centre Dublin
Silver award:           QHotels
Bronze award:        Business Solutions Disneyland Paris  
Finalist:                    Banks Sadler

Best Brochure Intermediary

Gold award:            Global Infusion Group    
Silver award:           Keith Prowse    
Bronze award:        Grass Roots    
Finalist:                    Maxin Prague Ltd 

Best Brochure Venues & Destinations

Gold award:            Heritage Motor Centre   
Silver award:          Jersey Conference Bureau    
Bronze award:        Victory Services Club    
Finalist:                    Hong Kong Tourism Board   

Best Direct Marketing Campaign

Gold award:            One Great George Street           
Silver award:           Yarrington                
Bronze award:        One Wimpole Street              
Finalist:                    Rezidor Hotel Group                 

Best Use of Budget

Gold award:            VisitBrighton                 
Silver award:           QMH Hotels                
Bronze award:        Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre              
Finalist:                    Banks Sadler                       

Best Live Marketing Event

Gold award:            George P. Johnson                 
Silver award:           Melbourne Convention + Visitors Bureau                
Bronze award:        VisitScotland              
Finalist:                    drpgroup                       

Best Brand Marketing Campaign

Gold award:            Ovation Global DMC                 
Silver award:           Zibrant
Bronze award:        Corporate Innovations
Finalist:                    Hard Rock International                      

Best Integrated Marketing Campaign

Gold award:            Rezidor Hotel Group

Silver award:           Principal Hayley
Bronze award:        The Convention Centre Dublin              
Finalist:                    Zibrant


Pictured: The MIMA award winners