The Exhibition and Event Association of Australasia (EEAA) is broadening the opportunities to recognise the high achievers and unsung heroes of the business event industry with the introduction of four new awards to its prestigious Awards for Excellence program this year.

The new awards recognise the changing profile of the industry and the importance of technology on the delivery of successful events. They are also out to uncover the industry’s unsung heroes – those who fly under the radar, but whose contributions have a profound impact on the industry.

In addition to the new award categories, the Association is proud to announce that this year’s program will be administered entirely online – from submission through to judging.

EEAA Chief Executive, Joyce DiMascio, said this was the next step in the Association’s digital transformation, which kicked off earlier this year with a new website that boasts enhanced user functionality on both the front and backend of the site.

“The EEAA 2017 Awards for Excellence are now open and we’re completely online for the very first time. In our 25^th year, we are pleased to roll out changes that show we are growing and evolving with our members and our industry,” DiMascio said.

“We are also very excited to offer four new award categories. In developing these new categories, we have consulted widely both within and outside the Membership and now have 21 categories that will appeal to a wider cross-section of the EEAA Membership.

“The new categories recognise the unsung heroes, the innovation champions, the leaders in “experience” delivery, and those working in the transformative area of event tech.”

New in 2017 are:

• Unsung Hero Award
• Innovation Champion Award
• Most Creative Innovation in Event “Experience” Delivery
• Best Innovation in Event Tech

“We hope expanding our list of categories will open up opportunities for more people and more achievements to be showcased on our Awards night in Melbourne on Wednesday, 29 November.

“On that night, we will also celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Association, an added dimension to our special night,” DiMascio said.

The EEAA Awards for Excellence are a highlight of the business event industry calendar. Each year, they shine a light on the achievements of EEAA members and honour the existing and future leaders of our industry – the shows, venues, suppliers, teams and individuals that have excelled in their field and are beacons of innovation, passion, leadership and commitment.

“They also provide a benchmark for excellence, rewarding and celebrating best practice, leadership and outstanding achievements, and challenging others to aspire to high industry standards,” DiMascio said.

Past winners added that the award win was also important for reasons such as boosting the credibility of their product/service, providing reassurances to customers/clients that they are in safe hands, and acknowledging the hard work, commitment and passion of the teams – the behind-the-scenes work that goes into delivering the industry’s best shows and experiences.

The Association has also made minor changes to the two Best New Initiative – Venue categories that recognises changes in the venue spaces that now constitute the EEAA member community and opens the category up to a larger number of hospitality events.

For a full list of award categories and for more information on the awards, please take a look at EEAA 2017 Awards for Excellence entry kit.

Entries will be judged by a panel of over 30 independent industry experts, including representatives of the international events community. The Association is pleased to welcome John Trevillian back as Chair of Judges.

Get the recognition you, your colleagues or your company deserves. Go online to submit your winning entry today and celebrate with us on the business event industry’s night-of-nights. Entries close 5pm, Friday 22 September 2017.

Here’s what some past winners had to say:

“Reed Exhibitions prides itself on delivering the best exhibitions and events in Australia. The ReedPOP team works tirelessly to provide unique and authentic experiences for fans around Australia, and so winning our industry’s top award acknowledges their hard work, passion and dedication.”

• Paul Baker, Reed Exhibitions, winner Best Association Show and recognition for Best Consumer Show over 10,000m² 2016

“The EEAA Awards for Excellence are a great opportunity to celebrate our success with the rest of the industry, and showcase those teams and shows which have led the industry forward during the year.  Winning an award is a great testament to the hard work that goes on behind the scenes and reassures our customers that they are investing in the best people in the business.

• Paul Mathers, Exhibitions and Trade Fairs, winner Best Show Team 2016 and Best Consumer Show Over 10,000m²

“Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) has been an active participant in the EEAA awards for many years. We have long seen the value in benchmarking our venue against the best in the industry, and this award was a testament to the customer-centric approach we have taken over the last few years. Not only did this win provide great recognition for our employees, it also builds our profile as a leader in the business events industry and allows us to attract new business to MCEC.

• Nicole Oliver, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, winner Best Venue Team 2016

“We decided to enter the Awards for Excellence in an effort to test our belief that the product we had built was both novel and relevant for the industry, and by becoming the Best New Product we were pleased to have this confirmed by the judging panel.  As a winner, we have found the credibility that has been added to our proposition has benefited us.  I would highly recommend that anyone wanting to build credibility and recognition for their new product, enter the awards.”

• Stewart Buchanan, O-Tix, winner Best New Product 2016

“We were extremely honoured to win the EEAA award for Best Custom Stand 2015. We believe this award has given us exposure to a range of new clients who will be safe in the knowledge that our company has been recognised and rewarded by the industry’s peak member-based Association.”

• Paul Hicks, Exhibit Systems, winner Best Custom Stand 2015