EXHIBITOR Magazine Announces International Judging Panel for Expo 2020 Awards

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by Expo Events Consulting
by Expo Events Consulting Expo Events Consulting

EXHIBITOR Magazine has selected the following panel of internationally acclaimed architects, experiential designers, expo and event experts, and exhibit marketers to jury its Expo 2020 Awards. The jurors represent a dozen different countries and five continents.

“This is, perhaps, one of the most exceptional panels we’ve ever assembled — which is fitting for the history-making Expo2020, the first world expo to ever take place in the Middle East. We are honored to have a dozen different countries and five continents represented among our panelists,” said Travis Stanton, editor of EXHIBITOR. “Each of the panelists brings a unique experience and perspective to the table, and I cannot wait to work with them to identify the winners of these prestigious awards.”

  • Shahad Alazzaz, founder, Azaz Architects, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  • Javier Cardona, director, Indigo One, Bogota, Colombia
  • Michael Chrystal, CEO and owner, Forum Your Brand Builder GmbH, Solingen, Germany
  • Paco Collazo, owner and CEO, Happy Projects LATAM, Mexico City, Mexico
  • Carla Conte, founder and creative director, Brand Creative, Dubai, UAE
  • Dana Esposito, vice president of brand strategy and experience, Sacks Exhibits, Andover, MA, USA
  • Chris Fredericksen, chief creative officer, Pinnacle Exhibits, Hillsboro, OR, USA
  • Peter Jung, executive director, Milton Exhibits Group, Kowloon, Hong Kong
  • Monica Kalman, architect, Modular Arquitetura Sustentavel, Sao Paulo, Brazil
  • Christian Lachel, chief creative officer, BRC Imagination Arts, Burbank, CA, USA
  • Marcela Medrano, president, Dodecaedro S.A., Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • Mpethi Morojele, managing director, MMA Design Studio, Johannesburg, South Africa
  • Jim Ogul, world’s fair editor, InPark Magazine, Washington, DC, USA
  • Andy Sexton, executive creative director and partner, 2LK Design Ltd., Farnham, United Kingdom
  • Victor Torregroza, experiences program manager, global events marketing, Intel Corp., Santa Clara, CA, USA
  • Satoru Utashiro, creative director, experiential designer, Hakuten Corp., Tokyo, Japan

Offering nine categories, the competition is open to pavilions, presentations, and pavilion elements appearing at Expo 2020 (the world’s fair in Dubai). All entrants in the Best Pavilion and Best Small Pavilion categories that provide appropriate photos will be eligible for the People’s Choice Award, and all entrants are eligible for the Editor’s Choice Award. Expo 2020 Award winners and Honorable Mentions will be selected at the judges’ discretion. Winners will receive a custom trophy and will be featured in an upcoming issue of EXHIBITOR magazine.

The early-bird deadline ($250) is December 17, 2021, and the final deadline ($400) is January 28, 2022.

For more information about the Expo 2020 awards, to go www.ExhibitorOnline.com/Awards/Expo/.

Categories

Projects may be entered in multiple categories, but each category submission will require an additional fee.

• Best Pavilion: All pavilions that are part of Expo 2020 are eligible to enter this category, including corporate pavilions, country pavilions, theme pavilions, nongovernmental organization (NGO) pavilions, etc. Judges will consider all elements of the pavilion, from exterior design to interior design to the overall attendee experience (including any activities, interactives, presentations, etc.). All entries in the Best Pavilion category are automatically eligible for the People’s Choice Award (which will be determined via online vote).

• Best Small Pavilion: Any pavilion 2,500 square meters or fewer is eligible. Judges will consider the design of the pavilion, as well as any activities, interactives, etc. All entries in the Best Small Pavilion category are automatically eligible for the People’s Choice Award (which will be determined via online vote).

• Best Exterior Design: All pavilions that are part of Expo 2020 are eligible to enter this category, including corporate pavilions, country pavilions, theme pavilions, nongovernmental organization (NGO) pavilions, etc. Judges will consider only the entries’ exterior designs, along with information regarding the inspirations behind the designs.

• Best Sustainable Design: All pavilions that are part of Expo 2020 are eligible to enter this category, including corporate pavilions, country pavilions, theme pavilions, nongovernmental organization (NGO) pavilions, etc. Judges will consider how the pavilion minimizes and/or offsets its environmental impact, including such elements as eco-friendly materials, energy-efficient features, sustainability solutions, reusage plans, etc.

• Best Activity/Interactive: This category is open to any activity or interactive experience within a pavilion. Entries may include hands-on or virtual experiences where attendees interact with a staffer, a kiosk, a touchscreen, or any other element within the pavilion. An interactive that employs technology is eligible for both the Best Activity/Interactive and Best Use of Technology categories. Entries may include up to three different activities/interactives per entry in this category.

• Best Interpretation of Theme: Entries must explain how the pavilion and/or presentation interpreted the theme “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future” and/or related subthemes (e.g., sustainability, mobility, opportunity).

• Best Presentation: Entries can include live, multimedia, or prerecorded video presentations. Judges can consider everything from the effectiveness of the presentation medium to the impact of key messaging to the memorability of the presentation as a whole (including the design of the presentation space, if applicable).

• Best Use of Technology: This category is open to any application of technology within a pavilion. Entries may include anything from immersive large-scale projection to augmented-reality applications to hand-held interactive devices to robotics and more. Judges will look for innovation, evaluating entries based on the uniqueness of the application and how the technology enhances the attendee experience.

• Best Exhibit/Display: This category is open to any individual exhibits and/or displays housed within an Expo 2020 pavilion, including corporate pavilions, country pavilions, theme pavilions, nongovernmental organization (NGO) pavilions, etc. Entries may include a specific segment of a pavilion, a unique room or display within a pavilion, an individual exhibit within a pavilion, etc.

• Elements and Details: Entries may include any innovative elements or materials that are part of a larger exhibit or pavilion, or an individual exhibit that doesn’t function as a pavilion. Entries can include anything from a unique stairway, lounge, or reception desk to an eye-catching display, light fixture, seating ensemble, presentation stage, individual segment of a pavilion. A culturally significant conference room, ceiling element, wall, etc. are also eligible. Judges will consider the aesthetics, appropriateness, and overall impact of each entry. Entrants can submit photos and textual descriptions of up to three individual elements per entry fee in this category.

• All-Access Entry: For one flat entry fee of $1,000 (by the early deadline of December 17), $1,250 (by the regular deadline of January 7), or $1,500 (by the late deadline of January 28), your pavilion will be considered in seven categories (Best Pavilion/Best Small Pavilion, Best Exterior Design, Best Sustainable Design, Best Activity/Interactive, Best Interpretation of Theme, Best Presentation, Best Use of Technology, Best Exhibit/Display, and Elements and Details). Additionally, All-Access entries will also be eligible for the Editor’s Choice Award, selected by members of the EXHIBITOR editorial team, and the People’s Choice Award, selected by popular vote on ExhibitorOnline.com.