The winners of the Virtual Events Institute’s (VEI) first Virtual & Hybrid Event Awards were revealed at a broadcast event from ExCeL London and Anna Valley's hybrid event studio on 22 April.
Event professionals from around the world tuned in to watch the awards, which were launched by VEI to celebrate the innovation and excellence of digital and hybrid events globally.
VEI co-founder Simon Burton hosted the ceremony and presented accolades across 15 categories, kicking off with the Best Virtual & Hybrid Consumer Event and culminating with the Best Virtual & Hybrid Trade Show
The high-caliber award entries were judged by an expert panel of 47 industry leaders, a diverse mix of corporates, associations, exhibition organizers, and agencies, who came together for a combined total of 200-plus hours to determine the winners, runners-up, and those deserving of special merit.
The ceremony featured magician Peter Wardell, a photo booth, prizes, and networking opportunities.
Cvent was the exclusive registration and virtual event platform provider and headline sponsor. Event production partners were Anna Valley, Award Force, ExCeL London, and Pond Ripple Media.
Sophie Ahmed, CEO and Co-founder of VEI said: “We have been overwhelmed by the number of exceptional entries we received for our first VEI Awards. The inspirational and purposeful work that comprises this year's winners and shortlist is a testament to the adaptability, talent, and teamwork of event organizers and technology providers.
“As virtual and hybrid experiences became an integral and established part of events, it has never been more important to recognize and celebrate outstanding talent, create a forum for education, and showcase leading event technology.”
Jeremy Rees, CEO of ExCeL London, added: “We have continued to invest in
the expectation that there will be more technology-driven requirements from our customers in the future. As a result, we’ve opened a fully immersive, state-of-the-art hybrid event studio and we are delighted to have been chosen to host the VEI Virtual & Hybrid Event Awards.”
The hybrid studio at ExCeL London was developed in partnership with audio visual and
entertainment technology company, Anna Valley, which provided technical support for the
award ceremony. Nick Hart, Commercial Director at Anna Valley, commented: “It seems
fitting that an event designed to celebrate hybrid and virtual event excellence is hosted from
a technologically advanced studio set up at a world-leading venue. We’re proud to have
partnered with ExCeL London and VEI to deliver these awards.”
Patrick Smith, Cvent senior vice president and CMO, added: “The team at VEI recognizes that the future of events is a blend of virtual, in-person, and hybrid experiences. We are proud to support their mission to educate and support industry professionals as they navigate this new environment where we expect events will be more numerous and more impactful than ever before.”
The winners of the VEI Virtual & Hybrid Event Awards 2021 are:
Best Virtual & Hybrid Consumer Event: Hub Exhibitions for Women in Business Expo Virtual
Best Virtual & Hybrid Association Event: National Council of Teachers of English for NCTE 2020 Annual Convention
Best Virtual & Hybrid Employee Engagement Event: Live Union for Arm 30 House Party
Special Merits: Employee Engagement Event for Marks & Spencer 'Unique Peak'
Best Virtual & Hybrid Business Festival: INVNT for Effect 2020 by SAP ANZ
Best Virtual & Hybrid Marketing Campaign: Pageant Media for EGR Operator Awards 2020
Best Virtual & Hybrid Brand Activation: SharpEnd for Fly Campari Group
Best Virtual & Hybrid Sales Team: Pageant Media for Pageant Media Commercial Team
Best Virtual & Hybrid Organizer Team: Vitafoods for Vitafoods Virtual Expo & Summit
Best Virtual & Hybrid Awards: Pageant Media for EGR Operator Awards 2020
Best Virtual & Hybrid Specialist Event: Matrix Events for Oktoberfest Bash
Special Merits: University of the Pacific for Women's Rights are Human Rights Exhibition
Best Virtual & Hybrid Event Start-Up: The Carrot Collective
Best Virtual & Hybrid Event Technology: Kudo
Best Virtual & Hybrid Event Platform: Glisser
Special Merits: SURREAL and ExpoPlatform
Best Virtual & Hybrid Conference: DRPG for DRPGBIGtalk World
Special Merits: JMB Consulting / Fundraising Everywhere for BAME Online 2020
Best Virtual & Hybrid Trade Show: Informa for Spark Change 2020: Powered by Natural Products Expo
