The Awards
The is the 29th year that we recognised the achievements of individuals working across the hospitality, leisure and tourism profession. The Awards provide a platform to celebrate those very special individuals who have made a recognisable contribution to their place of work and to the sector in general.
It is an exciting time to be involved in hospitality. The sector continues to demonstrate its ability to be resilient and progressive. Our message that the sector is one of opportunity, real career options and to grow and develop has been further supported by the Tourism NI ‘Make It Here’ campaign that is dedicated to changing the perceptions of working in our sector and to retain more great people. Our profession has a powerful voice and we must come together to shout about the vibrant, rewarding careers in our sector.
The deadline for entries is Friday 22nd May 2026 and judging will take place on Wednesday 17th and Thursday 18th June 2026 in Crowne Plaza, Belfast. The Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony will be held at the Culloden Estate & Spa, Belfast on Friday 11th September 2026
Don’t forget the awards are open to any eligible candidate who fits the criteria. You don’t have to be a member to take part.
I wish everyone taking part in this year’s competition every success.
Aaron Logan FIH IS
Chair, Institute of Hospitality NI Region
Entry Deadline:
Friday 23rd May 2026
Judging:
Wednesday 17th & Thursday 18th June 2026
Crowne Plaza, Belfast
Gala Dinner & Awards Ceremony:
Friday 11th September 2026
Culloden Estate & Spa, Belfast
WELCOME
AARON LOGAN FIH, NI REGIONAL CHAIR
The Institute of Hospitality is leading the way in hospitality as the global professional body for the sector, helping to grow talent and accelerate professional development since 1938. As we continue our journey this year to achieve Chartered status, we work to unite professionals, to promote best practice, enhance skills, promote networking and raise the profile of the hospitality, leisure and tourism sector.
We want to inspire the existing and next generation of sector
professionals. The hospitality sector is critical to our economy, both within the UK and internationally, and offers career opportunities like no other sector.
As a registered charity, we are committed to delivering continuing professional development
and lifelong learning across our diverse hospitality family. Our people are our biggest asset
and continue to be our inspiration. As an Institute, we are passionate about supporting them
to be the best they can be. The Northern Ireland Region has a team of professionals who
have hospitality at their core and are dedicated to delivering excellence, committing their
time, experience, passion and expertise on a voluntary basis.
Award Process 2026
An Institute of Hospitality Award is a much sought-after accolade and often quoted as the highlight of many winners’ careers.
To ensure impartiality, the judging process is independently developed, and robust interview questions are designed for each category, based on the criteria provided.
We are indebted to a large panel of judges, who give their time and expertise freely to assess many entrants over a two-day judging process. Our judges are purposefully selected from a wide variety of non-hospitality sectors which ensures total industry impartiality and maintains the integrity of the judging process. Each judge is a senior manager or business owner within their own field, and they use their many years of business and professional experience to ensure that impartiality is maintained by following the robust and rigorous judging and scoring process overseen by a head judge.
Judging Process;
- Candidates self-nominate or are nominated before 22nd May 2026
- Candidates are short-listed and invited to attend an interview with a panel of judges.
- Candidates are invited to attend a workshop to help prepare them for their interview on 8th June 2026 via conference call.
- Candidates prepare an A4 page based around the criteria for the relevant category which will be left with the judges following the interview.
- Candidates attend an interview on Wednesday 17th or Thursday 18th June 2026 at Crowne Plaza Belfast.
- This interview lasts for half an hour – the candidate will spend approximately seven minutes presenting on their pre-prepared page, followed by an interview with the panel.
- Decisions are made by each panel and the finalists and overall winner is agreed.
Eligibility
All nominated candidates must have been operating in their position for 6 months prior to interview and must be willing to be entered for the award. Candidates will be notified two weeks prior to their interview date and must be available to attend a half hour interview with a panel of judges on Wednesday 17th or Thursday 18th June 2026.
Event Details
Gala Awards Ceremony & Dinner
Friday 11th September 2026, Culloden Estate & Spa, Belfast
Book now to attend the awards ceremoney
Finalist Disciout rate: £100
Individual TIcket: £130
*Rates are exclusive of VAT at 20%
OUR PARTNER SPONSORS
We are grateful to our sponsors of the 29th Institute of Hospitality Awards, without their support it would not be possible to run this prestigious annual awards event.
