The Experiential Design Authority (TEDA) has announced the finalists for the 2026 ExSys Awards, setting the stage for a July 28 awards ceremony hosted by Exhibit City News (ECN) at Moss Inc. headquarters in Franklin Park, Illinois.
This year’s competition received more than 200 entries from exhibit designers, producers, and manufacturers. That marks a 54 percent increase over the inaugural 2025 program. It also reflects continued industry interest in modular, system-based, and experiential exhibit design.
“The enthusiasm behind this program has been absolutely astounding,” says Travis Stanton, executive director of The Experiential Design Authority. “Both the quantity and quality of entries exceeded our expectations, and we couldn’t be more excited to showcase the finalists who received the highest scores from our judges.”
How Winners Are Selected
The ExSys Awards honor tradeshow exhibits and experiential environments that were designed, built, or both within the past three years using system components.
An expert panel of judges evaluated finalists using criteria that included Concept & Design, Graphics & Messaging, Lighting & Multimedia, Execution & Fabrication, and Overall Impact. From there, the top three scores in each category will receive gold, silver, and bronze awards.
In addition, the highest-scoring entry across all categories will receive the 2026 ExSys Exhibit of the Year award. The program will also recognize the 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient during the ceremony.
Awards Ceremony Set for July 28
The 2026 ExSys Awards ceremony will take place July 28 at Moss Inc. headquarters in Franklin Park, Illinois. ECN will host the event, led by Marlena Sullivan, managing editor of ECN, and Stanton. The evening will bring together exhibit designers, producers, manufacturers, students, and tradeshow professionals for networking, recognition, and industry celebration.
“We are so excited for this year’s show,” says Sullivan. “Last year’s awards were a huge success, and we are looking forward to making this year’s show even better.”
Tickets for the 2026 ExSys Awards will be available at https://gc2e4j9b1f.mirabelpages.com/exsys-awards-checkout-page.
Tickets are available from May 18 to June 18 at Early Bird prices of $45/ticket. Starting June 19th tickets will be $55. Tickets for this exclusive event are limited to 125. Reserve early, so you won’t miss the live awards reveal!
To inquire about being a table sponsor contact at DonS@exhibitcitynews.com or (702) 488-1259.
People’s Choice Voting Opens May 18
All finalists, excluding those in the Best Student Design and Best Design Proposal categories, are also eligible for the People’s Choice Award. Public voting opens May 18 and runs through June 8 at exhibitcitynews.com/exsys-awards. After voting closes, the top three vote-getters will receive gold, silver, and bronze People’s Choice Awards.
Student Designers Take Part
Student participation remains a key part of the program. This year, students from Bemidji State University’s Exhibit & Experience Design undergraduate program and the Fashion Institute of Technology’s Exhibition & Experience Design master’s program received complimentary entries into the Best Student Design category. Finalists in that category will be announced later this month.
“Part of TEDA’s mission is to support the next generation of experiential design professionals through scholarships, internship stipends, and student competitions like the ExSys Awards,” says Stanton. “This year’s student entrants truly impressed judges with their creativity, innovation, and unique perspective on the future of our industry.”
To support those students, Best Student Design finalists will each receive a $250 travel stipend to attend the Chicago ceremony. Gold, silver, and bronze winners in the student category will also receive cash prizes of $1,000, $500, and $250, respectively, courtesy of The Experiential Design Authority.
2026 Finalist Categories
The 2026 finalist categories include Best Small In-Line Exhibit, Best Large In-Line Exhibit, Best Small Island Exhibit, Best Medium Island Exhibit, Best Large Island Exhibit, Best XL Island Exhibit, Best International Design, Best Small Rental Exhibit, Best Medium Rental Exhibit, Best Large Rental Exhibit, Best Double-Deck Exhibit, Best Self-Promoting Exhibit, Best Fabric Exhibit, Best Experiential Design, Best Modular Design, Best Tech Integration, Best Sustainable Design, Best Design Concept, Best Design Proposal, Best Overhead Element, Best Event Design, Best Graphics, and Best Design Detail.
The full list of 2026 ExSys Awards finalists is available at www.experientialdesignauthority.com. People’s Choice voting opens May 18 at www.exhibitcitynews.com/exsys-awards.
