Anna Maria Ruffini, founder and president of Italy’s Chapter of the Green Meeting Industry Council, has secured a prestigious World Travel Market Global Award in recognition of her work in the development of sustainable practices for the global meetings and incentive industry.

Reed Travel Exhibitions Chairman World Travel Market Fiona Jeffery presented the award to Anna Maria at today’s (Monday November 7) WTM VIP Opening & Reception Ceremony.

WTM’s Global Media Network, comprising of key travel industry media around the world, put forward organisations and individuals which have made a great contribution to their region’s travel and tourism industry. Anna Maria was nominated by L’ Agenzia di Viaggi, Italy. Its publisher, Cristina Ambrosini, jointly presented the award with Jeffery, the Right Honorable Jeremy Hunt, UK Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport and James Cracknell, OBE.
Anna Maria founded Italy’s Chapter of the Green Meeting Industry Council last year - the first to be formed outside of the United States – and it is already starting to make a difference.
She has become one of Italy’s best known organisers of meetings and incentive events and wholeheartedly believes in the creation and development of meetings and incentive events which demonstrate respect for nature and people.

Anna Maria is also among the few to be awarded the prestige status of CMP or Certified Meeting Professional in Italy. Recently, she was also appointed president of Italy’s SITE, the Society of Incentive and Travel Executives, dedicated to helping advance the meetings and incentive sector.

“We applaud Anna Maria and her tireless work in championing the environmental message within the meetings and incentive market,” Jeffery said. “For our environmental goals to be truly achieved they must permeate through all sectors of the industry and it is only through people like Anna Maria that that can happen.”

Every year, World Travel Market Global Awards are presented. The other 2011 winners are: The Travel Corporation Canada, Butlin’s, Renaissance Moscow Hotel, WILD Guanabana, Dr. Jyotsna Suri, chairperson of India’s Lalit Group, Porto Bay Hotels & Resorts, Spain’s public rail network RENFE, Caio Luis de Carvalho, president of Sao Paulo Tourism and Sandals Foundation.