Welcome to the IMA Summit Awards

The IMA Summit Awards 2021 will take place on Tuesday 10th August during the IMA Summit at Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa in Fort Lauderdale, Florida!

The IMA Summit is the premier event focused on connecting business professionals within the incentive industry. This three-day conference is dedicated to promoting high standards of professionalism in the incentive and recognition field, creating greater awareness of incentives and helping its members prosper in a changing business environment.

We are busy assembling an incredible judging panel comprising of industry experts and IMA Members from across the globe. As always they are challenged to discuss and debate each nomination, ensuring that only the best of the best secure the top prize. The panel will be announced towards the end of February.

The IMA Summit Awards event offers the perfect chance to toast the industry’s finest achievements, whilst providing a greatly anticipated networking opportunity and the chance to celebrate with friends old and new.

Deadline to submit your nominations for the 2021 IMA Summit Awards is Friday 11 June.

We look forward to celebrating with you!

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The IMA advocates for and promotes the use of incentives and recognition to improve business performance

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Introducing our 2021 judging panel

Director of Gift Card Sales & Marketing at Landry's Inc. President IMA

Len Sadek, CPIM

Retail marketing executive with progressive career in marketing strategy development, customer marketing, product marketing, and merchandising. Known as project leader who always brings results on task and on time.
Chief Rewards Officer, RoWards

Robert Ward, CPIM

With over 30 years in the corporate recognition marketplace, Robert Ward, Chief Rewards Officer, is an award-winning professional in the Rewards and Incentive industry. His unparalleled expertise in the corporate Individual Travel Incentive market is the inspiration for RoWards Incentives, offering corporate clients the ability to gift a vacation as easily as buying a gift card. Mr. Ward has served on the IMA Board of Directors, Incentive Travel Council Board of Directors and the Incentive Gift Card Board of Directors.
Editor, Incentive and Editor, Incentives & Destinations, Northstar Meetings Group

Lisa Grimaldi

Lisa is the editor of Incentive and editor, incentives & destinations, for Northstar Meetings Group. A New Jersey native, she holds a B.S. in journalism from Boston University and a post-graduate certificate in magazine editing from Columbia School of Journalism.

Brian Dunne, CEO Giftcard Consulting, FCMA, FIH, CPIM, MBA, Fellow IMA

I regularly chair, judge and speak at many major conference and awards ceremonies in the gift card, loyalty, incentive and motivation sectors.

My broad experience has seen me working with many global retailers setting up multi-country and multi-currency card programmes, and assisting retailers to drive sales and profitability for their gift card programmes. During my 25 years as CEO at Action Solutions I built the business to be the UK’s leading Prepaid Consultancy.

Key areas of expertise
• Driving demand and profitability from gift card programmes
• Setting up gift card and e-code programmes on behalf of retailers
• Acting as a business advisor or in an ambassadorial role for companies
• An inspiring speaker on all things gift card, loyalty and engagement

Described by many as Mr Gift Card, Brian has a lifetime achievement award from the UKGCVA and the Incentive Marketing Association Europe recently accredited him with the distinction of a Fellowship Award.

Summit Awards

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President of IMA Europe

Sean Wilkinson

During the past 19 years I have been working at the forefront of the Incentive, Reward & Recognition industry. I founded CR Worldwide (previously known as Corporate Rewards) on 2nd August 2002. CR Worldwide was acquired by 360insights in 2019.
I have been a Board Member of the Incentive Marketing Association both in the USA and Europe for over 10 years and I am the President of the Incentive Marketing Association Europe ( IMA Europe ). The association is dedicated to promoting high standards of professionalism in the Incentive, Reward & Recognition industry. By creating awareness of our industry, we are able to help our members prosper in a changing business environment through education, training and research.

I regularly judge at various award ceremonies, attend many global industry events including our own IMA Europe quarterly Member Meetings held in various cities throughout Europe. I enjoy shaping IMA Europe for future growth alongside a great team of like-minded industry professionals from throughout Europe.

My business background was is in the world of horseracing, and for leisure I now enjoy hiking, skiing, cycling and I am currently learning to play polo in between spending time with my family.

Hinda Incentives, President

Mike Donnelly

As a 35-year veteran of the incentives, recognition, engagement, and loyalty industries, Mike is responsible for all leadership aspects of Hinda, including sales, marketing, product development, strategic direction, and operations. Mike leads the company’s efforts in helping clients achieve their goals with well-developed solutions and managed programs. Mike joined Hinda as a consultant in 2013 and was named president of Hinda Incentives in 2014. Prior to joining Hinda, Mike worked at Maritz for 28 years, and held the position of president of the Rewards, Motivation, and Loyally business units.

Mike was the 2020 recipient of the Karen Renk award from the Incentive Marketing Association (IMA) in recognition of his outstanding service to their organization and the industry. Mike has also been named one of the top 25 most influential people in the incentive industry by Incentive Magazine. He has received numerous Incentive and Direct Marketing industry honors, is a CPIM, a board member of the Incentive Federation, and has served on the board of the IMA.

Favorite thing to do at work: Brainstorm! Innovate! Create! I love idea generation and the creative and strategic planning processes. I love to innovate new and exciting product and service capabilities with my fellow Hinda teammates and our valued partners.

Best advice I was ever given: Came in the form of a quote, "… Leadership is ACTION, not POSITION.”

Editor, Sales & Marketing Management

Paul Nolan

Paul has written about the incentive and non-cash recognition industry for more than 30 years. He has served on the judges panel for the IMA Summit Awards in several previous years.
Partner Account Executive

Hollis Thornton, CIPM

Hollis brings nearly 20 years of demonstrated history and passion for the incentives industry, possessing well-cultivated skills in team leadership, operations and account management. She offers expert insights in the areas of partnerships, integrated marketing, strategic planning, problem solving, sales, and more. Her thought leadership has been published in outlets including Premium Incentive Program and the Flourish podcast.

She has been a featured speaker at events for the Retail Gift Card Association, Incentive Gift Card Council, Incentive Marketing Association, and others.

Chairman Grupo Digi

Cristiano Miano

Being an entrepreneur for over 20 years, Miano is the founder of grupo Digi, a holding company that owns Agência Digi, one of the leading Inventive Marketing agencies in Brasil.
Servicing clients such as Coca Cola, Cargill, Burger King, Honda and others. Miano is
proud of being Harvard Business SchollOPM45 Alumini and siting in the board of the promotional marketing association in Brasil for the last 8 years. CPIM and have already trained IP certified professionals in Brasil
Director, Channel Marketing: Incentives at Tango Card

Cindy Mielke

Cindy Mielke, CPIM, is Tango Card’s Director, Channel Marketing: Incentives and has spent more than 20 years working with clients and partners on their incentive and recognition program rewards.

A strong advocate for the incentive industry, Mielke is president emeritus of the Incentive Marketing Association and past president of the Incentive Gift Card Council. She currently serves on the board of the Incentive and Engagement Solutions Providers council, in addition is on the Board of Trustees of the Incentive Research Foundation.

President, The Incentive Research Foundation

Stephanie Harris

Stephanie Harris is President of the Incentive Research Foundation (IRF). In her role she directs the efforts of the IRF, an organization that funds and promotes research to increase the understanding, effective use, and benefits of non-cash incentives to businesses globally.
Harris is responsible for all strategic and operational aspects of the IRF, working closely with the IRF Board of Trustees.
Prior to joining the IRF, Harris was part of the American Express Meetings & Events leadership team, leading their global event strategy, thought leadership, and marketing efforts. During her tenure, Harris created the Global Meetings Industry Forecast which has become an industry bellwether.

She received the American Express Chairman’s Award for Excellence and was a 2015 Pacesetter at American Express GBT.

Harris also spent eight years at Maritz, as Division Vice President, Brand Strategy & Marketing, working across the Motivation, Rewards, and Travel business units where she developed an understanding of, and passion for, the incentives business. She received
the Maritz Innovation Award for her work on Travel Insight, a conjoint research-based approach to incentive travel program design.

Harris has served on the Meeting Professionals International Foundation Board and the Travel + Leisure Business Travel Advisory Board. Currently, she represents the IRF on the Events Industry Council and serves on the Incentive Federation Board of Directors.

President, RK Incentives

Rich Killian

Rich Killian CPIM, is the President and Founder of RK Incentives. He is an active participant and past Board of Directors Member of the Incentive Marketing Association (IMA) and is a two times past President of the IGCC (Incentive Gift Card Council).

Rich is a proud graduate of Robert Morris University, based in Pittsburgh, PA and is a member of the University's CEO Club. RK Incentives is based in beautiful South Tampa, Florida. Rich is married, and a very proud father of his two sons Jake (14) and Luke (10). Rich is a big fan of both Pittsburgh and Tampa sports teams.

President & CEO, Incentive Solutions, Inc.

Mark Herbert

Mark has over 25 years of experience overseeing business operations. At WorldTravel Meeting & Incentives, he managed multi-million dollar travel programs and meetings as the Vice President of Incentives and Technology. In 2002 he joined Incentive Solutions as President and COO, and took the reigns as the President and CEO in 2018.
Around Atlanta Mark is well known for his philanthropic work with Children's Healthcare of Atlanta's Distinguished Clown Corps.
Mark holds a B.S. in Management from Bentley College.
Sales Manager, Continental Premium Corp

Lore Rincon

Lore Rincon serves as Sales Manager at Continental Premium Corporation, a manufacturers sales representative firm who specializes in brand name merchandise. As an 19 year veteran of the incentive industry she takes pride in working with customers to place brand name merchandise in corporate gift, employee reward and customer loyalty programs.
As a passionate ambassador of brand name merchandise, Lore has participated in several industry panel discussions and moderated education sessions. She currently serves on the Incentive Manufacturers & Representative Alliance (IMRA) Board.

Take a peak at our fantastic 2019 event

2019 Winners

2019 Gallery

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We look forward to celebrating with you in 2021

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