At Miller Tanner Associates’ (MTA) 2026 Annual Global Workshop, we recognize the distinguished associates who have gone above and beyond for our customers and for each other throughout 2025. These annual awards include:
- Gift of Service Award
- Saver Award
- Theme of the Year Award – Actualize
- Story of the Year Award
- Marnie Award
MARNIE AWARD: Conor Barry, Vice President, Global Experiences
MTA’s Marnie Award, a special award given by CEO Marnie Miller Battistini, recognizes the person she believes has impacted MTA the most during the year. The Marnie Award recipient embodies the best of what MTA values and exemplifies. It’s a personal award seen from the CEO’s vantage point each year.
We are pleased to announce Conor Barry, Vice President, Global Experiences, as this year’s Marnie Award recipient. Conor’s relentless drive and broad skill set have delivered measurable impact across MTA. Consistently tackling the toughest challenges, he proactively identifies what needs to change for MTA to succeed and then gets it done — from crafting winning proposals and managing customer success to redesigning departmental processes.
What sets Conor apart is the rare combination of strategic thinking and flawless execution. He has led every hiring committee for his team, launched a hackathon to accelerate PI/PM projects, and navigated difficult challenges with accountability and tact. His output is prolific, fast, and consistently excellent, inspiring the team through ruthless prioritization and steady leadership. We’re proud to honor Conor’s sustained excellence and look forward to what he does next.
STORY OF THE YEAR AWARD: Deyanira Blanco Sanchez, Senior Global Experience Designer
Miller Tanner Associates are storytellers. We tell stories through our events, through our products, and through the various acts of kindness the MTA global team performs each day. Every year, we ask the MTA team to share their stories of the past year’s challenges, successes, and accomplishments.
Congratulations to Story of the Year award recipient, Deyanira Blanco Sanchez, Senior Global Experience Designer, who was nominated four separate times by four different associates in different roles — the most nominations any individual has ever received for this award at MTA. That unanimity says everything: Deya is someone who walks into the unknown and walks out with a clear, calm plan.
Time and again, Deya stepped into gaps without drama, shifting from directing from outside the room to running the show from the production desk with rehearsals, speakers, lighting, sound cues, and content all ready when it mattered. Her extraordinary, multi‑talented skill set is matched by her willingness to hand the plan to others and trust it will be executed. Across continents and time zones, she was the steady driver of confidence, and when plans changed, she delivered with impeccable finesse.
“ACTUALIZE” THEME OF THE YEAR AWARD: Lauren Scutella, Customer Success Specialist
Each year, MTA creates a theme for the year. We believe that a theme sets the tone, provides the direction, and allows the team to focus on a central theme for one calendar year. This year’s theme was “Actualize”. Congratulations to this year’s award recipient, Lauren Scutella, Customer Success Specialist!
Consistently professional and growth-oriented, Lauren advocates for customers and MTA, acting as a trusted consultant who guides and prepares customers for success. She reliably delivers informed, tailored support and brings energy, positivity, and collaboration to every challenge. Her work has been instrumental in bringing her group’s vision to life and driving measurable value for both customers and MTA, making her a cornerstone of our growth strategy.
MTA SAVER AWARD: AP and Hotel Billing Associate Ebony Williams; Accounts Payable Manager Lakin Rupiper; Staff Accountant Lexus Mac Dannald; and Controller Emily Hise
The MTA Saver Award recognizes the MTA team member/s for their exceptional ability to save time, effort, and resources for our customers and the MTA Team.
Congratulations to our Finance team members, AP and Hotel Billing Associate Ebony Williams; Accounts Payable Manager Lakin Rupiper; Staff Accountant Lexus Mac Dannald; and Controller Emily Hise! These associates worked steadily behind the scenes to keep our organization moving forward. They managed vendor and customer relationships, processed invoicing, handled approvals, and tracked event expenses and receipts. By maintaining clear records and timely transactions, they ensured operational continuity and minimized disruptions to day-to-day activities. Beyond routine transactions, the team proactively supported departments by improving workflows. Their attention to detail and consistent follow-through strengthened vendor and customer partnerships and provided reliable financial information used to make informed decisions, earning each member the title of Saver Award recipient!
MTA GIFT OF SERVICE AWARD: Sofie Woods, Senior Product Manager
The Gift of Service Award recognizes associates who exemplify MTA’s core values by providing exceptional service to both customers and to their fellow team members.
Congratulations to Senior Product Manager Sofie Woods, this year’s MTA Gift of Service Award recipient, whose service exemplifies curiosity, flexibility, and genuine care. Sofie consistently asks the clarifying questions that improve the experience for everyone, adapts seamlessly to different working styles across every team at MTA, and prioritizes the changes that will have the greatest impact.
When we needed to change our process earlier this year, Sofie welcomed the feedback, redesigned the approach, checked in, and quickly implemented a new way of working. The result: projects moved faster, finished more efficiently, and delivered greater impact. Her ability to listen, integrate feedback, and build better ways of working defines truly exceptional service.
