Kelly Barry has been named Young Event Professional for 2014 at the New Zealand Association of Event Professionals.

The NZAEP awards recognise events that have positively impacted New Zealand, its regions or local communities. The national winners were announced at the 2014 NZAEP Event Awards dinner held in Christchurch in August.

Head judge and former Rugby World Cup 2011 chief executive, Martin Snedden said the finalists were of the highest calibre, with some ranking among the best in the world. Snedden led a panel of industry heavyweight judges, including governance expert Jane Huria, award-winning journalist Amanda Miller, director of a major event consulting firm, Chris Simpson and CreativeNZ chief executive, Stephen Wainwright.

More than 70 entries from across the country were received for nine different categories and 31 finalists were chosen.

Kelly was honoured for her innovative and philanthropic event, Rumble in the Rubble (www.rumbleintherubble.co.nz), held on Friday 4 April 2014. The win secured her a scholarship place in the 2015 Certified Festival and Event Executive programme. The CFEE is administered by the International Festivals and Events Association’s Academy of Education and is considered the global benchmark for event professionals.

Kelly Barry (right) pictured with Melissa Haberfield of Theme Productions.

Kelly Barry (right) pictured with Melissa Haberfield of Theme Productions.