At the packed Business Traveller & Mice Fair, the BTMF Awards have just been presented. MICE Travel Personality of the Year was Marjolein Blok-Dignum of MPI Netherlands! She was named after a deliberation by the jury consisting of four former winners of the Awards: Marijke Vink (GI Travel), Berend Bouwman (RAI), Lisette van Dolderen (Switzerland Tourism) and Judith Huisman (Meeting Select). The remaining awards were by voting.
BTMF AWARDS 2019, MICE Category
1) Best Hotel Chain: NH Hotels
2) Best MICE Destination: Poland
3) Best Airline Mice: KLM
MICE Personality of the year: Marjolein Blok-Dignum
Lisette van Dolderen on the winner:
‘Marjolein is a cheerful personality, always willing to help, think with and support MPI members. Very honest and if you accidentally pay for something twice, for example, she hangs up on you. Shares social media posts from fellow MPI members. Her position within the Netherlands chapter is VP Finance. But she handles more than just the finances. This year, the EMEC took place in The Hague. Marjolein took several participants under her wing, who in turn were grateful for this in their neighborhoods. In short, someone you can trust and build on.’
We asked Gijs Verbeek, Exectuive Director of MPI Netherlands for a reaction to Marjolein’s award:
‘Perfectly deserved! Any association that runs on the efforts of volunteers depends on the few who go “the extra mile. The person who never comes to the forefront and takes care of everything in the background; eliminates himself for the greater good. The beating heart, the glue that holds everything together, the connector of the network, the spider in the web. The Mice personality of the year 2019 has it all. Meeting planners and suppliers are running away with her. She has no hidden agenda, sells nothing, but listens sincerely to each person’s needs and sees opportunities where others drop out. She always knows how to connect with someone in the network. In addition to an important role within the organization of the European Meetings & events Conference organized by MPI Netherlands in The Hague last February, she has also been the VP Finance within the board of MPI Netherlands for four years. All on a voluntary basis… In doing so, she is an example and inspiration to many.’
Awards from sister magazine Business Traveller were also presented.
BTMF AWARDS 2019, BUSINESS TRAVEL Category
1) Best Airline Short Haul: Lufthansa
2) Best Airline Long Haul: Singapore Airlines
3) Best Travel Management Company: BCD Travel
4) Best Supplier: Airtrade
6) Best Hotel Chain: Accor Hotels
Business Travel Personality of the Year: Robert-Jan Meijers, American Express
