BCD Meetings & Events has welcomed the recipient of MPI’s 2025 Vanessa Cotton Scholarship agency internship.
The scolarship was created in 2011, by MPI UK & Ireland in honour of UK event industry veteran Vanessa Cotton.
Cotton was a champion of young meeting professionals. She had a long and distinguished career in the UK meetings & events industry and passed away in 2010 after a battle with cancer.
Each year the scholarship is open to final year students, who will complete an event management or meetings industry-related degree or diploma in the UK or Ireland.
The winner of this year’s Vanessa Cotton Scholarship agency internship is Levi Devine, who has graduated from Leeds Beckett University.
Devine was presented with his award at a drinks reception on 15 July, sponsored by The Langham and held at BCD Meetings & Events offices in London.
Devine said: “I’m honoured to have been awarded the Vanessa Cotton Scholarship and to be joining BCD Meetings & Events. I’m thrilled by this opportunity and even more excited to see what the future holds.”
The Graduate Event Coordinator (salaried) role will commence from early September and for the next 18 months Devine will complete a rotation programme across key lines of the business within BCD Meetings & Events.
A spokesperson for BCD Meetings & Events said: “Levi made a strong impression throughout the assessment day. His friendly and personable demeanour showcased his enthusiasm for the events industry.”
The spokesperson added: “His ability to lead the team during the group activity and encourage participation from all members reflects both his knowledge and teamwork skills. His event knowledge and passion during the individual interviews further reinforced his experience both in events and different situations and strives to do a good job. The decision to offer Levi the place was unanimous, and we cannot wait for him to join us in September.”
Each applicant that wishes to apply for the scholarship must complete a rigorous application form, followed by a 30–40-minute telephone interview.
The finalists are chosen from those interviews. They are then invited to a networking event where the winners are announced each year.
