Best Association/Corporate Meeting

This award is designed to recognise the effort that is required to successfully plan, organise and manage a meeting, conference or congress. A meeting is considered the assembly of people with the purpose of exchanging information, debate or discussion, education and relationship building, which is scheduled alone or in conjunction with other events. Entrants must provide accurate descriptions of the meeting for the judges to study supported by visual evidence.

Eligible entries: Middle East company or event in the Middle East.

Best Community Event

This award is designed to recognise the effort that is required to successfully plan, organise and manage a charity, not-for-profit or corporate social responsibility event. Entrants must provide accurate descriptions of the event for the judges to study, supported by factual evidence (that is, funds raised versus funds spent). Events eligible for this award include: any type of charity, fundraising galas, environmental efforts, CSR/NFP events. Commercial conferences and exhibitions are not eligible for this award.

Eligible events: Middle East company or event in the Middle East.

Best Consumer Exhibition

This award recognises consumer exhibition organisers that have excelled in organising and delivering a successful show. They must demonstrate how they exceeded expectations in terms of visitor numbers, exhibition sales, promotional campaigns, results to budget, innovation and marketing techniques, which led to growth and enhanced service excellence of the event.

Eligible entries: Middle East company or event in the Middle East.

Best Employer of the Year

This award is designed to recognise an employer in the events industry that has created a stimulating and supportive workplace with well-motivated, well trained employees. As such, the Employer of the Year will be seen as an “Employer of Choice.”

Note: Be sure to include the Employer Name for this category; it is not anonymous.

Eligible entrants: Company based in the Middle East.

Best Entertainment Production

This award rewards innovative ideas in entertainment to enhance the attendee experience at an event. The performances must be brand/event theme aligned with the appropriate selection of music, type of performance, costume, design of costume and props, choreography, and working with special effects. The judges will look at innovation and appropriateness of the act for the event communication as the deciding factors. Entrants must provide accurate descriptions of the entertainment for the judges to study supported by visual evidence. A submission can be made for all types of entertainment, and be made from solo performers, groups of performers, entertainment agencies or producers who managed the entertainment element of an event.

Eligible entrants: Middle East company or event in the Middle East.

Best Event Marketing Campaign of the Year

This award is designed to recognise an outstanding marketing campaign created specifically for an event (single event or series). A campaign that created effective awareness, increased the relevance on all social media channels and reached the full potential of consumers/attendees.

Eligible entrants: Middle East company or event in the Middle East.

Best Event on a Budget

This award is designed to recognise the effort that is required to successfully plan, organise and manage an event on a limited budget. Entrants must provide accurate descriptions of the event for the judges to study, supported by visual evidence. Events eligible for this award must be open to the public and could include music events, sporting events, arts/cultural events, corporate product launches and brand activations/promotions. Please note: Commercial conferences/exhibitions are not eligible. Events submitted in this category must have been delivered under a budget of US$ 100,000.

Eligible entrants: Middle East company or event in the Middle East.

Best Event Space Design & Décor

This award recognises outstanding event space design. The judges will look at innovation and appropriateness of the décor - including lighting, props, table design and other décor elements - for the event communication as the deciding factors. Entrants must provide accurate descriptions of the design and decoration for the judges to study, supported by visual evidence. Proof of meeting the client's objectives and surpassing their expectations must also be provided.

Eligible events: Middle East company or event in the Middle East.

Best Event Video Solution

This award will recognise an AV company that has provided an excellent and innovative video production solution for an event. Both public and corporate events are eligible. The award category judging criteria focuses on the technical expertise and technology solution applied that created an outstanding experience.

Eligible entrants: Middle East company or event in the Middle East.

Best Light & Sound Production

This award will recognise a company that has provided an excellent and innovative technical solution for an event: AV, video, lighting, power, logistics, etc. It can be live or pre-produced, and both public and corporate events are eligible. The category criteria focus on the creativity of the designers or producers, and the technical focus is on how the technical supplier merged technical and innovative aspects to create an outstanding experience. Video specific entries should apply for the “Best Event Video Solution” category.

Eligible entrants: Middle East company or event in the Middle East.

Best Music Event

This award recognises an outstanding event, or set of events in terms of organisation, creativity, and entertainment value that has been branded as a music event or concert. All music events must have been open to the public to attend and can be a one-day event or a series of events organised under one main event title spread over a number of days. Entrants must provide accurate descriptions of the event for the judges to study, supported by visual evidence.

Eligible events: Middle East company or event in the Middle East.

Best Social Event

This award is designed to recognise the effort that is required to successfully plan, organise and manage a social event, including weddings, milestone events such as birthday and anniversary parties, celebrational corporate/networking events and private events. Entrants must provide accurate descriptions of the event for the judges to study, supported by visual evidence. Events eligible for this award include; awards ceremonies, gala dinners, celebrations, wedding events and balls. Commercial conferences and exhibitions are not eligible for this award.

Eligible entrants: Middle East company or event in the Middle East.

Best Sporting Event

This award recognises an outstanding sporting event or set of sporting events in terms of organisation, creativity and sporting value. The event must have been open to the public to attend and can be a one-day event or a series of events organised under one main event title. Private events are not eligible. Entrants must provide accurate descriptions of the event for the judges to study supported by visual evidence.

Eligible entrants: Middle East company or event in the Middle East.

Best Stand Design & Build

This award recognises organisations that have designed and built a high-quality stand, which met their client's objectives and surpassed their expectations.

Eligible entrants: Middle East company or event in the Middle East.

Best Supplier of the Year

This award is designed to recognise the impact a supplier to the industry has had on the region’s exhibition and event landscape by providing an excellent product or excellent service delivery.

Note: This category requires the company name; it is not anonymous.

Eligible entrants: Middle East company.

Best Sustainability Initiative

This award goes to the organiser, agency or corporate that created the most environmentally conscious event. The nominated company must be able to demonstrate the efforts made to create a sustainable event taking into consideration the environmental impacts from the planning stage through to the deconstruction and post-event clearance. Nominations will have to explain the demonstrated results and give factual evidence to support their entry.

Eligible entrants: Middle East company or event in the Middle East.

Best Temporary Venue or Structure

This award recognises an innovative and creative temporary venue or structure installation used to deliver a unique event experience. Entries must provide specific details of the space, location and temporary build solutions employed, as well as the objectives of the project. Entrants must provide accurate descriptions of the event for the judges to study, supported by visual evidence.

Eligible entrants: Middle East company or event in the Middle East.

Best Trade Exhibition

This award recognises trade exhibition organisers that have excelled in organising and delivering a successful trade exhibition. They must demonstrate how they exceeded expectations in terms of visitor numbers, exhibition sales, promotional campaigns, results to budget, innovation and marketing techniques, which led to growth and enhanced service excellence of the event and its industry sector. This category applies to existing and newly launched exhibitions.

Eligible entrants: Middle East company or event in the Middle East.

Best Use of New Technology at an Event

This award recognises the best use of new technology (that is, technology launched within the last 12 months, from January 2019 through January 2020) in any type of event or exhibition in the Middle East. These products need to be tangible and have a direct impact on the event. Full details on how they were deployed also need to be provided.

Eligible entrants: Middle East event.

Best Venue

This award recognises permanent structures that are used as event venues. These permanent structures can be purpose-built venues and/or physical venues within an existing facility (for example, a hotel or leisure development). The venue will be judged on flexibility to host a range of meetings and event functions. Criteria include facilities and service information such as: break-out facilities, meeting and event areas (both indoor and outdoor), AV capabilities, catering and support services, and logistical functionality, plus the quality of the venue itself. Entrants must provide accurate descriptions of the venue for the judges to study, supported by visual evidence.

Note: The name of the venue should be included; this category is not anonymous.

Eligible entrants: Venue in the Middle East.

Industry Icon

This award will acknowledge and recognise an exhibition/event professional in the Middle East who has reached outstanding achievements and contributed greatly to the growth of the industry, success of their business and the events they worked for.

Nominations can be made by anyone who wants to recommend an event professional. Please provide full details of the achievements the Industry Icon has made.

The candidate:

• Must have at least 10 years' experience in the Exhibitions and Event Industry.
• Can be an employed person, company owner / a freelancer.
• Must have been working in the Middle East for at least 5 years.

Note: Include the professional's name; these entries are not anonymous.

Eligible entrants: Based in Middle East.

Outstanding Brand Activation Event

This award is designed to recognise an outstanding brand activation event (single event or series) that created effective touchpoints between the brand and (potential) consumers. Entries must demonstrate how the event achieved the aims of the brand.

Eligible entrants: Middle East company or event in the Middle East.

Young Achiever of the Year

The Young Achiever Award will acknowledge, encourage and reward an event professional in the Middle East who has reached outstanding achievements and contributed greatly to the success of their business, the company they work for, or a specific event or series of events. Nominations can be made by anyone. Please provide full details of the achievements the Young Achiever has made.

Note: Include the nominee's name; these entries are not anonymous.

Eligible entrants: Middle East-based event professional.