Here are the 2017 Women in Events Hall of Fame Inductees! 

Andrea Streat, CMP, is the recipient of the Disruptor Award, and Inductee into the 2017 Women in Events Hall of Fame. As the Director of Conferences for the International Foodservice Distributors Association, Streat is changing the status quo for meeting and event professionals. “She saw a need in her industry that no one else was addressing, and she took a step towards fixing that,” said her nominator.

Audra Franks, M.T.A, CMP, CAE is the recipient of the Coach Award, and Inductee into the 2017 Women in Events Hall of Fame. Franks’ approach to mentorship reflects a level of dedication that is essential to the advancement of women in the events industry. She has made an incredible impact as the Senior Director for Meetings at the American Dental Education Association. She was nominated by her colleague, who praised her custom coaching methodologies; “[Franks] caters her communication style to the person she is coaching.”

Dawnn Repp is the recipient of the Organizational Leadership Award, and Inductee into the 2017 Women in Events Hall of Fame. Repp has been an integral part of the leadership team at Freeman (the world’s largest brand experience company) since 2010. She is also a founding member of the Freeman Women's Development program, which strives to advance women as leaders. Throughout her career, Repp has made an effort to highlight the valuable contributions of women across different levels and functions within the events industry.

Katherine Stokoe is the recipient of the Emerging Leadership Award, and Inductee into the 2017 Women in Events Hall of Fame. As the Manager of Meetings and Events at Paragon Events, Inc., Stokoe has demonstrated exceptional growth and is determined to help others succeed. After earning her Cvent Management Professional Certification, she repeatedly met with colleagues to help them do the same. In 2016, Stokoe was selected by her peers to earn the Employee of the Year Award. Her nominator and colleague said that Stokoe was “an invaluable part of the Paragon Events team.”

Rose Mmbaga is the recipient of the Woman of Influence Award, and Inductee into the 2017 Women in Events Hall of Fame. As the Senior Marketing and Communication Officer at Raleigh International in Morogoro, Tanzania, her impact on young people, especially women, has had a ripple effect throughout the country. Her nominator explains that Mmbaga is a woman who empowers everyone that crosses her path. It is not only her job, “it is her passion,” she said. In 2016, Mmbaga was selected to take part in the Merit360 program, which gave her the opportunity to speak at the United Nations and encourage further representation for Tanzanian women.

AWE was thrilled to announce its Hall of Fame Recognition Program in 2017, hosted by the AWE Awards Committee. The AWE Awards Committee was formed with a vision to create an engaged group of recognized people and programs that exemplify AWE values to serve as an ongoing resource for inspiration, guidance and leadership. Find more details in our official press release here.