The International Association of Exhibitions and Events™ (IAEE) recently announced it is accepting entries for its 2013 Art of the Show competition. The competition provides a platform for defining excellence in the quality of promotional materials and setting the standards for the exhibitions and events industry. The competition awards those who demonstrate excellence in the development of promotions for their exhibitions and events.
The competition includes 15 categories for three show sizes: less than 50,000 net square feet, 50,000-150,000 net square feet and over 150,000 net square feet. A first-place winner and an honorable mention will be selected for each category. From the first-place entries, an independent panel of judges may select the top submission for the Best of Show recognition.
The categories are:
• Attendance Promotion Brochure (single piece)
• Attendance Promotion Campaign (multiple pieces)
• Brand Design/Development
• Convention/Exhibition Center Promotion
• Email Promotion
• Exhibit Sales Brochure/Prospectus (single piece)
• Green (eco-friendly) Collateral Printed Piece
• Industry Promotion
• Most Innovative Use of Technology
• Print Advertising (single piece)
• Show Daily
• Show Photography (single piece)
• Show Promotion – website
• Signage/Decoration
• Sponsorship Development Program
For promotional entries, judges will consider whether the message and creativity are impressionable on the target audience, and if the materials are effective in creating a brand association with the exhibition or event. The objective provided by the company entering the contest is also examined, and an independent panel of judges will determine if the goal for the promotion was met by the entry. The judges will give honors to those entries that are inventive and promote the exhibition or event vividly and successfully.
Judges will consider category-specific measures including creativity, clarity of message, design, layout, copy, creation of brand association and overall presentation. For the web category entries, ease of navigation and user-friendliness will also be considered.
Exhibition and event promotional materials produced between April 1, 2012 and March 31, 2013 are eligible for entry. Entries must be received by July 15. First place winners will be displayed at Expo! Expo!, IAEE’s Annual Meeting and Exhibition 2013 in Houston, Tex. Expo! Expo! will be held Dec. 10-12. The entry form and other information on the competition and its categories can be found at www.iaee.com/aos.
