WINNERS AT EEAA 2016 AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE REFLECT DIVERSITY IN EXHIBITION AND EVENTS SECTOR

By Exhibition and Event Association of Australasia, 1 December, 2016

The Exhibition and Event Association of Australasia (EEAA) has celebrated the industry’s highest achievers at the 2016 Awards for Excellence held at the new International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney). The awards ceremony was an official pre-opening test event.

The event was attended by over 300 people representing Organisers, Association Organisers, Venues and Suppliers from across Australia and New Zealand who helped test the new venue under event conditions.

EEAA Chief Executive, Joyce DiMascio, said the diversity in submissions for the Awards reflects the broad range of events, venues and services in our industry.

“Entries were assessed by 32 independent judges from across Australia and covered over 20 industry categories from pop culture, energy & resources, IT and health.” Ms DiMascio said.

“Thank you to the judges for supporting the EEAA in its mission to recognise excellence, and to our Association Members for submitting their work to be reviewed by industry peers. We hope the winners will display their trophies and the winner seal with pride.”

Chair of Judges, John Trevillian, said it was an honour to oversee the judging for a second year in a row.

“The increase in awards this year is a testament to the regard with which these awards are held.” Mr Trevillian said.

“The quality of submissions continues to improve. This year there was an almost 20% increase in award entries and this meant the competition in some categories was very tough.

“For this reason seven categories have a highly commended as well as a winner. It is unusual for the judging to be so close.”

Among those honoured were the two winners of the Richard Geddes Young Achiever Award – Anne-Marie Mina of Exhibitions and Trade Fairs and James Kennedy of Exhibit Systems.

The Best Show for 2016 was awarded to Hair Expo Australia 2016, organised by Reed Exhibitions Australia.

This year’s newest award, Best Association Event, recognises Association events and the role these events play in growing their Association and the industry sector they serve. The award was open to either an Association Member, or a commercial organiser who was engaged to deliver an association client’s event. Reed Exhibitions Australia and their association partner Interactive Games & Entertainment Association took out the award for PAX Australia.

President of EEAA, Spiro Anemogiannis also presented the Trevor Riddell President’s Award to Domenic Genua for his service to the Association.

Mr Anemogiannis said Domenic Genua is a passionate individual who has given 13 years of service to the EEAA and its board – sharing selflessly for the benefit of the whole industry.

“The President’s award this year is being presented to someone who embodies the essence of the exhibition and events industry, and importantly, the value that associations play in building a community of professionals.” Mr Anemogiannis said.

Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Steve Ciobo, congratulated the award winners and finalists via video message.

“The business events sector is a major economic driver, not only for the visitor economy but also in the generation of trade, investment and employment.” Minister Ciobo said.

“If we are going to meet our ambitions of growing our tourism industry – indeed, doubling the size of our tourism industry – business events is a critical component of that success.

“Thank you for being part of Australia’s business events success story, congratulations to the winners and finalists tonight.” Minister Ciobo said.

Ms DiMascio said that the Awards for Excellence recognises leadership within the industry and spotlights the achievements of our Members.

“We thank all those who entered our Awards for Excellence – congratulations to our winners and thank you to our event partners, sponsors and the ICC Sydney for making this our industry’s most celebrated night.”

“Our return to Darling Harbour, Sydney and the new ICC Sydney added a special dimension to the event. We thank ICC Sydney for including EEAA’s finale events for 2016 as official pre-opening test events.” Ms DiMascio said.

EEAA was assisted in the curation of the awards show by Australia’s leading creative director, Paul Kenny. The room was dressed by Decorative Events & Exhibitions and featured an interactive media wall by Displayground to present additional background information on finalists. The Monkey’s Cobbler created the awards show animation. The night was hosted by Maeve O’Meara and entertainment was by Quality Control Entertainment.

 

THE 2016 AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE WINNERS ARE:

* Denotes – 2 winners or commendation

Best Show

Winner: Hair Expo Australia 2016 – Reed Exhibitions Australia

Trevor Riddell President’s Award

Winner: Domenic Genua – Boating Industry Association

Richard Geddes Young Achiever
The judges awarded two winners in this category:

*Anne-Marie Mina – Exhibitions and Trade Fairs

*James Kennedy – Exhibit Systems

Category Winners:

Best Consumer Show over 10,000M2
Winner: National 4×4 Outdoors Show, Fishing & Boating Expo – Exhibition and Trade Fairs
*Highly commended: PAX Australia – Reed Exhibitions Australia

Best Trade Show over 10,000M2
Winner: DesignBUILD – Diversified Communications Australia
*Highly commended: Fine Food Australia – Diversified Communications Australia

Best Supplier Team – Event
Winner: LNG18 – PERTH EXPO

*Highly commended: Makita 2016 Power Tool & Garden Expo – Expo Direct

Best Supplier Team – Services or Products
Winner: Harry the Hirer

Best Venue Team
Winner: AWISA 2016 – Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre

Best New Product or Service
Winner: O-Tix

*Highly commended: Excelling in Exhibitions Program – Sydney TAFE
Best Corporate Citizenship
Winner: Corporate Citizenship Program – Reed Exhibitions Australia
Best Association Event
Winner: PAX Australia for Interactive Games & Entertainment Association – Reed Exhibitions Australia
*Highly commended: ADX16 – Australian Dental Industry Association

Most Outstanding Marketing Campaign
Winner: Fine Food Australia – Diversified Communications Australia

Best Trade Show under 10,000M2
Winner: Hair Expo Australia 2016 – Reed Exhibitions Australia

Best Custom Stand
Winner: Japan National Tourism Organisation at AIME 2016 – Decorative Events & Exhibitions

*Highly commended: Hafele Australia at AWISA 2016 – DisplayWise

Best Show Team
Winner: 2016 Irrigation Australia International Conference & Exhibition – Exhibition and Trade Fairs

*Highly commended: National 4×4 Outdoors Show, Fishing & Boating Expo – Exhibition and Trade Fairs

 

 

Best Show Winner: Hair Expo Australia 2016 – Reed Exhibitions Australia.

Trevor Riddell President’s Award Winner: Domenic Genua – Boating Industry Association.

Richard Geddes Young Achiever award winners Anne-Marie Mina – Exhibitions and Trade Fairs and James Kennedy – Exhibit Systems.

All EEAA 2016 Awards for Excellence winners.

 

BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON EEAA 2016 AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE WINNERS:

* Denotes – 2 winners or commendation

Best Show

The winners of each show category were put in the running to find the best-of-the-best overall show for 2016.

Winner: Hair Expo Australia 2016 – Reed Exhibitions Australia

Hair Expo 2016 stood out for its capacity to create an extraordinary experience for its clients. It is a celebration – that aims to thrill and excite, entertain and inform. It helps drive the industry – and like the creative hair salon community that it serves – this show is filled with colour, drama and entertainment. Anything is possible at Hair Expo and for this reason it has been named Best Show for 2016. A growth of over 37% in visitors and 35% in exhibitors is an exceptional achievement in the exhibition industry. This proves how the hairdressing community has embraced Hair Expo 2016.

Trevor Riddell President’s Award

Winner: Domenic Genua – Boating Industry Association

This award is presented at the discretion of the President and is presented to honour contribution to the Association or industry.

Quotes are from EEAA President, Spiro Anemogiannis: The President’s award this year is being presented to someone who embodies the essence of the exhibition and events industry – and importantly the value that associations play in building a community of professionals. The 2016 recipient is a passionate individual – who has given many years of service to the EEAA and its Board. For over 13 years, the recipient has volunteered time in various positions on the Board – as Treasurer and also President. He has hosted EEAA events at his show many times, spoken on behalf of the Association at conferences and training colleges and given wise counsel to many. He’s assisted the staff in so many ways over many years – nurturing and mentoring – sharing selflessly for the benefit of the whole industry. He is the keeper of so much history about the EEAA and I was honoured to follow in his steps as the President of this wonderful Association.

Richard Geddes Young Achiever Nominees
The judges awarded two winners in this category:

*Anne-Marie Mina – Exhibitions and Trade Fairs

*James Kennedy – Exhibit Systems

Anne-Marie Mina – Exhibitions and Trade Fairs

Anne-Marie Mina is one of Exhibitions and Trade Fairs’ (ETF) most capable Event and Marketing Executives. Anne-Marie, has shown exceptional capability and drive – marketing and organising nine of ETF’s largest and most complex events including:

  • AUSPACK
  • Irrigation Australia Conference and Exhibition
  • AgriTech
  • Australian Energy Storage Conference and Exhibition
  • Renewable Cities Australia Forum
  • Australian Construction Equipment Expo

Anne-Marie performed outstandingly in the personal interview with Judges – commenting on her intellect, strategic thinking and the freshness of her insights. She is 25 and has a Bachelor of Business from University of Technology Sydney – majoring in events and leisure. She is an outstanding ambassador for our industry and demonstrates a capacity to look at the big picture for the expo industry and the pressures and challenges we face. She is an inspirational young leader most deserving of this award.

James Kennedy – Exhibit Systems

James Kennedy is only 22 and already his leadership qualities stand-out. In his interview with the judges, James’ maturity and passion were clear – especially in his approach to working with builders and tradies on-site. The judges commended his passion for finding environmentally responsible solutions and minimising the use of “MDF”. James has the potential to be a leader and a champion for developing design and building solutions that are ecologically sound. His commitment to this was compelling and the judges felt this should be encouraged and recognised. James joined Exhibit Systems after completing industrial design at the University of Western Sydney.

Best Consumer Show over 10,000M2
Winner: National 4×4 Outdoors Show, Fishing & Boating Expo – Exhibition and Trade Fairs

After facing aggressive competition the National 4×4 Outdoors Show, Fishing and Boating Expo 2016 emerged with its strongest recorded revenue result and highest rate of attendance since 2012. Bringing together a mix of entertainment, action, information and more than 200 exhibitors, this event continues to attract a loyal following of over 30,000 visitors annually. The show was a success in terms of both attendance and exhibitor satisfaction.

*Highly commended: PAX Australia – Reed Exhibitions Australia

Best Trade Show over 10,000M2
Winner: DesignBUILD – Diversified Communications Australia

DesignBUILD 2016 is the leading event for the Architecture, Building, Construction and Design industries. In 2016, the show was a financial success, with visitors increasing by 13% and the show floor by 75%. The judges remarked that the submission addressed the criteria thoroughly and showcased how an event can grow year-to-year.

*Highly commended: Fine Food Australia – Diversified Communications Australia

Best Supplier Team – Event
Winner: LNG18 – PERTH EXPO

PERTH EXPO was the lead supplier for the 18th International Conference and Exhibition on Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG18) – staged in April this year. LNG18 is one of the largest events held in Perth – It attracted the biggest players in the LNG sector from around the world. What a mighty achievement for Perth to host this event and what a mighty achievement for PERTH EXPO to take out this award.

*Highly commended: Makita 2016 Power Tool & Garden Expo – Expo Direct

Best Supplier – Services or Products
Winner: Harry the Hirer

For 35 years, Harry the Hirer has been providing products and services to the exhibition industry. The Judges commented that Harry’s demonstrated a strong commitment to investing in the industry, the business, systems and staff. Their success over three and a half decades shows they clearly understand how to service and grow with the exhibition and events industry.

Best Venue Team
Winner: AWISA 2016 – Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre

Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) hosted the bi-annual Australian Woodworking Industry Suppliers Association (AWISA) trade show, in July this year. The centre accommodated 140 exhibitors over 19,500m². The event was attended by a record 8,692 people. The client testimonial was exceptional. It highlighted the team’s dedication and adaptability to this event which had many operational and logistics challenges.

Best New Product or Service
Winner: O-tix

O-tix was designed from the “ground-up” to disrupt the status quo in the events technology market. It has brought low-cost, state-of-the-art event technology – and high volume “data capture” to events that previously could not afford it. The significant uptake of O-tix has demonstrated its success launching into the market. The judges commended the inclusion of a detailed cost benefit analysis and data in the submission.

*Highly commended: Excelling in Exhibitions Program – Sydney TAFE

Best Corporate Citizenship
Winner: Corporate Citizenship Program – Reed Exhibitions Australia
The judges remarked that Reed Exhibitions Corporate Citizenship Program was at the front of the field for its overall, strategic and systematic approach to CSR. “Responsible business practice” is at the heart of their business – they take responsibility and commit to making a positive difference to the environment and the community. They track their progress year-on-year and adapt their strategies in order to achieve their objectives through continual improvement.

Best Association Event
Winner: PAX Australia for Interactive Games & Entertainment Association – Reed Exhibitions Australia

In 2012, the Interactive Games and Entertainment Association (IGEA) approached Reed Exhibitions Australia to discuss the potential of launching a video gaming event on behalf of their members. In a short period of time, PAX has become a major drawcard of Melbourne International Games Week and the largest community gaming event in the southern hemisphere. Reed has worked closely with the Association to develop a globally recognised event on the international gaming industry calendar. PAX has supported the growth of the industry. The number of independent developers exhibiting at the show has doubled. It also attracts a large number of international buyers. These two factors have a direct impact on the growth of the industry.

*Highly commended: ADX16 – Australian Dental Industry Association

Most Outstanding Marketing Campaign
Winner: Fine Food Australia – Diversified Communications Australia
Fine Food Australia is a wonderful trade show that showcases all things food to buyers from Australia and all around the world. Now in its 32 year, Diversified worked through the limitations of a mature event and developed a marketing campaign that successfully re-energised Fine Food Australia. The marketing strategy re-engaged its audiences with clever and creative “content”. It delivered results that the team should be extremely proud of.

Best Trade Show under 10,000M2
Winner: Hair Expo Australia 2016 – Reed Exhibitions Australia

Hair Expo has become a wonderful festival celebrating everything to do with “hair”. The show which moved from Sydney to Melbourne has embraced another part of the hairdressing community and allowed the festival to reach a previously untapped audience. This provided more value for exhibitors and sponsors. The Judges agreed this submission was the most engaging and demonstrated the passion and energy of its organising team.

Best Custom Stand
Winner: Japan National Tourism Organisation at AIME 2016 – Decorative Events & Exhibitions

Japan National Tourism Organisation engaged Decorative Events and Exhibitions to create a stand for AIME 2016. The design of the Japan stand was to juxtapose tradition with technology. The team captured the cultural and regional diversity of Japan, incorporating the modern city as well as the tranquillity and tradition of the regions. The change overnight – from Spring to Autumn – in the stand design created a real WOW factor at the exhibition and was an incredible feat of client servicing.

*Highly commended: Hafele Australia at AWISA 2016 – DisplayWise

Best Show Team
Winner: 2016 Irrigation Australia International Conference & Exhibition – Exhibition and Trade Fairs

The 2016 Exhibition and Trade Fairs show team for the Irrigation Australia International Conference & Exhibition did an outstanding job. The event has been going for 24 years and continues to flourish. In 2016, the show attracted 59% more visitors and exhibition sales revenue exceeded targets by 40%. It delivered the biggest educational program in decades. The team and event exceeded all expectations across planning, marketing, sales, sponsorship and event delivery.

*Highly commended: National 4×4 Outdoors Show, Fishing & Boating Expo – Exhibition and Trade Fairs

 

WE THANK OUR PARTNERS

MAJOR AWARDS PARTNER

FABframe

MAJOR VENUE PARTNER

International Convention Centre Sydney

MAJOR ENTERTAINMENT PARTNERS

Australian Technology Park

Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre

REGISTRATION PARTNER

Tradevent Solutions

PROGRAM PARTNER

Sydney Showground

OUR SUPPORTING PARTNERS

Agility

Expo Direct

Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre

The Monkey’s Cobbler

Zadro

Displayground

Gaffneys

Royale Limousines

The Star

Decorative Events & Exhibitions

Harry the Hirer

SkillsIQ

Ungerboeck Software International

# Ends

CONTACTS

For more information contact

Joyce DiMascio, EEAA Chief Executive: 02 9413 9520 or 0412 869 229

Rebecca Ius, Events and Marketing Executive: 02 9413 9520

Source: EEAA