The best philanthropic or community event campaign. A tie to a charity or community cause must be at the heart of the program. Judges will look for integration of causes into the experiential program and the benefits that the campaign brought to both sides (the brand and the cause).

Awarded to the most innovative brand-driven experiential program connected to a movie, celebrity,
music or television partnership/sponsorship.

Awarded to the most creative, unexpected, and bold experience that generated buzz and viral attention from the media and consumers alike.  

Awarded to the best mobile marketing campaign, where a vehicle is at the heart of the program—not the fact that a tour moves around. Judges will look at the marketing vehicle and its design, and the overall strategy, footprint, and experience. Open to b-to-c or b-to-b campaigns. 

The best event-powered campaign hatched to reach a non-Caucasian audience. Judges will focus on the idea and execution, but also the attention to detail, messaging, and ethnicity-specific elements.

Recognizes activations that best leveraged the great outdoors to create magic with attendees. Judges will weigh how the outdoors was central to the effectiveness of the campaign with creative installations and engagement.  

Awarded to the temporary storefront, in-retail, lobby, indoor or outdoor experience that turned a client’s objective into a must-attend, limited-time engagement. Judges will be looking for a clever concept, new approaches and unconventional ideas.

Awarded to the best trial-based campaign that used a live engagement to get a consumer to try a product. 

Awarded to the most innovative brand experiences leveraging a sports sponsorship (motorsports and marathons welcome). Judges will rate the programs and activations (of all sizes and length) on creativity, results, message, and method.

From night markets to bar or on-premise experiences, this category awards the brand experience that best took advantage of the after-hours for maximum engagement. 

From food and wine festivals to music festivals, we honor the brand experiences that solved
attendee pain points or offered a vital service or commanded attention in a crowded landscape
with the design and functionality.

The event, booth, activation or campaign that best connected a brand to the red-hot esports and gaming sectors with strategy, creative, reach, and results.

Awarded to the experience that knocked the socks off superfans in any category, from sports to comic-cons. (Activations or booths welcome.)

Honors the best brand experiences from the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games. Period.

Recognizes the experiential activations, installations, eye-catching engagements, photo-sharing moments and more that take place within a trade show or a trade show exhibit environment. This category focuses on the interaction with attendees rather than the design/look of the exhibit.

Small is the new big. Handed to the footprint that went beyond stoic space and used the show floor as a canvas to paint an experience. Judges will look at the overall immersion, visitor experience, functionality, creativity, materials, and use of media.

The best big exhibit. Handed to the footprint that went beyond stoic space and used the show floor
as a canvas to paint an experience. Judges will look at the overall immersion, visitor experience,
functionality, creativity, materials, and use of media.

From Detroit to Chicago, New York to L.A., and beyond, this category recognizes the automotive brands that carved out unique opportunities and in-booth engagements for consumers and the media.

Awarded to the event that best took the message out of the board room. Includes sales meetings, user groups, annual shareholder events, proprietary events, conferences, road shows, conferences, summits, and proprietary events.

Awarded to the campaign that achieves all stated objectives while adhering to a budget under $500,000. Judges will consider innovation, creativity, execution and results. 

Awarded to the best partnership that leveraged the reach and power of an influencer (or influencers) via a live and in-person or virtual event to drive interest in a brand or product.

Recognizes events that used creative tactics to get the press to show up, and then delivered on
solid messaging, thematics and an A+ presentation. Note: Journalists must be the primary target.
Virtual experiences welcome.

Awarded to b-to-c event programs that involved multiple targeted events across different markets, within a region, or as a series within a single market. (For programs that took place on a mobile vehicle, where the vehicle was central to the experience, refer to the Best Mobile Marketing Tour category.)

Behind the scenes and way in the back of the backstage, there is a helluva lot going on. This category’s Ex considers the lighting, the music, the script… the entire ensemble. Judges will look for you to take them through the actual production with insights into the long process between idea and execution.

This category’s Ex will go to the most creative, extensive, outrageous, ambitious and delicious production of a consumer event. Judges will look for you to take them through the actual production with insights into the long process between idea and execution.

Awarded to the event program that connected with audiences in different markets and venues. Think: Multiple targeted events across different markets, within a region, or as a series within a single market. 

Awarded to the most strategic, most creative, best-performing single-market event program. Did you make it memorable? Will the attendee ever forget?

From projection to touchscreens to virtual platforms, some of the most innovative technologies, and uses of technologies, are coming out of the event industry. Awarded to the consumer event, b-to-b show or trade show program that effectively leveraged technologies to take the experience to the next level.

Awarded to the best event campaign that served as a platform for content creation. From events used for YouTube videos to events used for TV spots to events used for social media content… and beyond. Open to both b-to-c and b-to-b programs.

Honors the big ideas, big creative, and big thinking, shared by b-to-b events bringing together 5,000 attendees or fewer.