IWSC Emerging Talent Awards: Narmeen Kamran named the inaugural No & Low Winner 2026

The IWSC is proud to announce Narmeen Kamran, founder of Temperance AF and Desert Island Events, as the winner of the 2026 Emerging Talent in No & Low Award, the first year this category has been introduced. 

In a field of exceptional applicants spanning advocacy, product development, community building and global category leadership, Narmeen stood out for her clarity of purpose, structural impact, and the way she has reframed what inclusive hospitality can look like. 

This year’s judging panel, Laura Willoughby MBE (Co-founder, Club Soda), Millie Gooch (Founder, Sober Girl Society), Camille Vidal (Founder, La Maison Wellness) and İrem Eren (Global Beverage Strategy Consultant), praised the strength and diversity of entries. But Narmeen’s work, influence and momentum placed her firmly at the top.

A category shaped by lived experience 

Narmeen’s journey into Low & No began with her own sobriety. Working in events, she became acutely aware of how alcohol‑centric the industry was - and how exclusionary that could feel for guests who don’t drink.

Rather than simply highlighting the problem, she began building solutions from within the industry. Through her agency, Desert Island Events, she embedded inclusive drink strategies into client proposals long before “sober inclusion” became a mainstream conversation. Her advocacy led to co‑authoring a white paper on alcohol and events, exploring the commercial, cultural and DEI implications of alcohol‑dominant environments.

The judges felt this grounding in lived experience gave her work authenticity, urgency and a rare level of conceptual clarity.

“She has literally shifted the events industry. Her work has led to visible, structural change, not just conversation.” - Laura Willoughby MBE, Co‑founder, Club Soda

Turning advocacy into action 

In 2025, Narmeen launched Temperance AF, a mobile, cocktail‑led alcohol‑free bar designed to demonstrate what inclusive hospitality looks like in practice. Rather than relying on 'mocktails' or token alternatives, Temperance AF delivers premium, intentional, alcohol‑free menus that stand independently of alcohol.

The judges admired how she translated thought leadership into real‑world delivery, and how she uses her platform to challenge the industry’s language, assumptions and design principles.

“She’s not just hosting events - she’s changing the way events are designed. Alcohol‑free isn’t an add‑on for her; it’s a structural principle.” - Camille Vidal, Founder, La Maison Wellness

A voice influencing both trade and consumers 

One of the strongest themes in the judging discussion was Narmeen’s ability to operate across multiple layers of the category. She is active in consumer‑facing sober communities, visible in trade spaces, and influential in event‑industry circles, a rare combination in a category often split between advocacy and commercial delivery.

Her work includes:

• co‑authoring a widely shared white paper on alcohol & events 

• speaking at industry conferences 

• writing for trade press 

• judging the IWSC Alternative Drink Awards 

• delivering premium alcohol‑free bar experiences at weddings, corporate events and industry showcases

This breadth of influence was a key factor in the panel’s decision.

“She sits across consumer, community and trade, and she’s impactful in all three. That’s incredibly valuable for a category still defining itself.” - Millie Gooch, Founder, Sober Girl Society

Shaping the future of inclusive hospitality

The judges also highlighted Narmeen’s ability to articulate the structural challenges facing Low & No, and her determination to address them. Her work reframes alcohol‑free not as a substitute, but as a design choice that can elevate guest experience, widen inclusion and strengthen commercial outcomes.  

Her approach resonated strongly with the panel.

“She brings a fresh perspective and helps reframe the category. Her mission is clear, and she’s already making measurable change.” - İrem Eren, Global Beverage Strategy Consultant

A deserving winner for a landmark year 

As the first winner of the IWSC’s Low & No Emerging Talent Award, Narmeen represents exactly what this new category was created to celebrate: innovation, leadership, cultural impact and a commitment to reshaping how we think about drinking - and not drinking.

Her work is already influencing event design, hospitality standards and consumer expectations. With the support of the IWSC travel bursary, she plans to deepen her research into European Low & No production and translate those insights into practical tools for the UK events industry.

The IWSC congratulates Narmeen Kamran, the inaugural winner of the 2026 Emerging Talent in No & Low Award, and looks forward to supporting her continued impact on this rapidly evolving category.