Arabian Travel Market launches Best Stand Awards
Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2015 will launch its Best Stand Awards to recognise the creativity of exhibitors at the show.
The Awards will comprise five categories: Best Stand Design, Best Stand for Doing Business, Best Stand Personnel, Best Stand Feature and Most Innovative Stand within the Travel Tech Show at ATM.
Arabian Travel Market exhibition manager Nadege Noblet commented: “This is the first year that we have publicly recognised the effort, investment and sheer creativity that goes into developing and manning exhibition stands.
“Our industry is a hugely ‘visible’ one and over the last two decades we have seen exhibitor presence evolve from simple shell and core schemes to full experiential destinations in their own right.”
“With more than 400 stands throughout the nine exhibition halls and running the industry gamut from destinations, hotels and airlines to cruise operators and car rental companies, competition is sure to be fierce, the judges will definitely have a tough task on their hands and biggest doesn't necessarily mean best.”
Judging will take place on Tuesday 5 May, with the winners revealed at a photo opportunity on the show floor the following day.
ATM organizer Reed Travel Exhibitions has partnered with industry experts and design professionals who will comprise the judging panel.
The line-up includes Leo Fewtrell, Dubai Travel and Tour Agents Group (DTTAG); Fiona McAndrew-Sharp, TTN; Nick Hall, Digital Think Tank; Michael Hodson, travel blogger; Bruce Martin, Ginger Juice and Diane Thorsen, Perkins+Will.
The judging criteria for the Best Stand Design award will focus on identifying an eye-catching stand that has an unusual/creative design.
The winner of the Best Stand for Doing Business will need to create a busy B2B atmosphere
For Best Stand Personnel, the stands with the most attentive, enthusiastic and well-presented staff will go head to head.
Standout design will also be recognised with the Best Stand Feature award, which will recognise the stand with the most visual impact and the final award, Most Innovative stand will reward those exhibitors with a tech focus.
“We also felt that it was important to involve visitors to ATM 2015 so we will also have a whereby we will vote for explained Noblet.
A separate People’s Choice Award, will be allocated to the favourite stand of visitors to the show. Their votes will be cast using ATM’s social media platforms, after which an overall winner out of the five category winners will be decided.
Last year ATM saw total attendance increase by 12% with 33,000 participants, from more than 131 countries and business deals signed worth more than US$ 2.1 billion over the four days.
The 2015 edition of the event will take place at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre, on May 4-7.