International Collective to Oversee Competitions for Exhibits, Events, and More
Travis Stanton, Director of Strategy at Storylink Creative and former Editor in Chief of Exhibitor magazine, is thrilled to announce the formation of The Experiential Design Authority, a governing body that will oversee a number of awards and recognition programs honoring experiential design excellence. Backed by a domestic advisory board of more than 12 industry leaders, as well as a burgeoning international board with representatives from nearly 30 countries, The Experiential Design Authority seeks to provide fully transparent, unbiased, low-cost, wholly objective competitions that spotlight the best experiential design in the world while contributing to the education of the next generation of designers.
“I am extremely proud of this endeavor,” said Stanton, who will serve as Executive Director. “I believe in the power of competition and the efficacy of awards programs to recognize excellence, elevate the industry, generate inspiration for future projects, and illustrate what great experiential design really looks like. These programs will enable education, fuel aspiration, and invite a little friendly competition for global visibility.”
The Experiential Design Authority will spotlight experiential design in all its forms, including exhibits, events, expos, and other experiential spaces (such as retail stores, brand activations, museums, and more). The organization is dedicated to ensuring the most inspiring and deserving work is highlighted, regardless of its source. With that goal in mind, the Experiential Design Authority will not accept any advertising, membership fees, or sponsorship dollars associated with any adjudicated awards (People’s Choice Awards may be sponsored at the discretion of U.S. media partner Exhibit City News, but The Experiential Design Authority will not benefit from any such transactions, and Exhibit City News will have no input on scores or winners). Winners in each program will be recognized on The Experiential Design Awards’ website and social channels, as well as in Exhibit City News print editions and/or online channels.
“Exhibit City News has been serving the industry for 30 years, and I’m proud to have their promotional support,” said Stanton. “They will help raise awareness of The Experiential Design Authority and our respective competitions, feature winners, and publish what will essentially become lookbooks for the experiential design industry.”
“We’re excited to be a part of this industry building initiative,” said Don Svehla, Publisher and Owner of Exhibit City News. “We’re enthusiastic to elevate up-and-coming leaders within our industry and share innovative and creative work that effectively uplifts the entire industry by inspiring current and future designers and introducing emerging best practices.”
Standard practices of The Experiential Design Authority have been crafted to ensure equity in representation, and to open a constant feedback loop to encourage continuous growth for participants. Entry fees will run approximately 30 percent less than comparable programs, and judges’ scores (as well as applicable feedback) will be provided to all competitors to ensure transparency and offer key takeaways. Judges, who will be required to complete an affidavit regarding potential conflicts of interest and fair evaluations, will be selected at random from a pool of eligible, vetted panelists. No individual juror will serve on the same panel in back-to-back years, and the highest and lowest scores for each entry will be dropped to further ensure objectivity and fairness.
Additionally, proceeds from competition entry fees will contribute to strengthening educational opportunities and participation for new designers and non-profit entities. Funds will be directed toward hosting student design competitions, providing scholarships to aspiring designers, and offering grants to cover housing and other expenses incurred by university students completing summer internships at exhibit houses and experiential agencies. The Experiential Design Authority is also collaborating with industry associations to provide complimentary entries to members, ensuring the best and broadest representation of work the industry has to offer.
Further details about The Experiential Design Authority can be found at www.theexperientialdesignauthority.com. Professionals interested in serving on a judging committee or being considered for membership on U.S. or international advisory boards may send their bios to info@experientialdesignauthority.com.
About The Experiential Design Authority
Comprising a collective of industry leaders and champions of experiential marketing and design, The Experiential Design Authority serves as a governing body overseeing a number of international competitions, including the BOSS Awards, ExSys Awards, and World Expolympics. The organization is committed to fairness and transparency, as well as the value of professional competition and the goal of giving back to the next generation of experiential design professionals. For more information, visit www.theexperientialdesignauthority.com.
About Exhibit City News
Founded in 1994, Exhibit City News is a premier print and digital news resource for the one million industry professionals who produce tradeshows and events year-round. Based in Las Vegas, Nevada, Exhibit City News works with companies across the United States and the globe. For more information and the latest news, please visit www.exhibitcitynews.com. To be added to the distribution list for the quarterly print magazine, please email newsdesk@exhibitcitynews.com.
