The Meetings Industry Association (MIA) celebrated a year of progress and strategic focus at its 36th Annual General Meeting yesterday, reflecting on key achievements under its new leadership.
Opening its 36th annual general meeting, MIA Chair Andrew Mosley celebrated the association’s continued momentum, highlighting its strengthened member engagement, enhanced industry insights and committed governance.
Mosley reflected on the steps taken over the past year to strengthen the association’s structure and ensure it continues to respond to evolving member needs, particularly around people and performance. He explained how the MIA team, board and taskforce had developed a clear, shared strategic vision, positioning the association to be “more agile, more focused, and better equipped to serve MIA members and represent the industry.”
“a positive step forward, bringing fresh perspective, strategic focus and a collaborative approach to supporting MIA members.”
Shonali Devereaux, Chair, MIA
Shonali took to the stage recognising a year of “progress and purpose”, having been appointed as CEO at the end of 2024. “Our members are at the centre of everything we do,” she told the room, reinforcing the association’s commitment to delivering exceptional value, meaningful connections and initiatives that help members thrive in a changing industry landscape.
This commitment was reflected in strong membership growth, with 135 new members joining across venues, agencies, suppliers and academic institutions, bringing the total membership to 721.
Devereaux discussed the evolution of the MIA’s Insights programme, which now delivers twice-yearly deep-dive reports focused on people and performance, helping to shape the association’s guidance, training and advocacy activity. “These insights are designed not simply to observe the market, but to actively inform our work,” she said, highlighting the association’s role in supporting members and strengthening engagement with partners and government.
She also talked about how the insights had been used to expand professional development and member engagement over the past year, informing over 30 training events as well as its Connect Days and Connect Dinners programme. Among these events was the joint ESG Summit with Beam, which took place in September, with the CEO highlighting collaboration as “a defining theme of 2025.”
This collaboration extended beyond events and into Westminster, as the MIA remained proactive in raising the profile of business events with government. This included discussions with the Department for Business and Trade and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on SIC code reform, supporting the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) and positioning the sector more clearly within economic and policy narratives, which the MIA CEO described as “vital to ensuring our members’ voices are heard and the value of business events is recognised at the highest levels.”
Concluding the AGM was the appointment of the mia board for 2026/2027, with Andrew Mosley of Andrew Mosley Hospitality remaining as chair following his appointment last year.
Other board members for 2026/27 include:
Alison Hogberg, Countrywide Hotels
Barry Cope, ACC Liverpool
Charles Sargeant, Whittlebury Hall
Jason Gutteridge, Venue Directory
Jessica Southworth, Hotel Football
Jon Kelly, Meet & Potato
Justine Meek, Warwick Conferences
Manju Goel, Park Plaza Hotel Group
Nicky Harding, Meet Devon
Robert Kenward, Jigsaw Talent Solutions
Samantha Van Leeuwen, PwC
Sarah Franczak, Central Hall Venues
Sharon Bannister, Hotel & Travel Solutions
