New Australian Event Awards program to unite events industry

Australia’s reputation for excellence and innovation in events will be nationally recognised this year, with the launch of the 2009 Australian Event Awards - a new national awards program designed to reward performance and unite the entire Australian Events industry.

The Australian Event Awards, to be staged in October this year, will encompass business, cultural, sporting and community events, as well as achievements in sustainability, Australian excellence in event exports and outstanding individuals.

A panel of highly skilled industry experts will judge The Awards, co-chaired by John Allen, Foundation Director of the Australian Centre for Event Management, and Sandy Hollway, formerly CEO of the Sydney Organising Committee for the 2000 Olympic Games.

"Until now, there has never been an overarching awards program recognising the full scope of excellence in Australian events. The Australian Event Awards marks an important program in spelling out the achievements of our thriving industry to the wider community,”Mr Allen said.

“With spending on events increasing each year and tertiary education in event management at its best, there has never been a more important time for the events industry to come together, recognise excellence and work towards outcomes that are beneficial for audiences.”

According to Sandy Hollway, the creation of a national event awards program is crucial not only for the confidence and professional development of the Australian Events Industry, but also for promoting the export of Australia’s world-class skills in the sector.

“Major events in Australia have recently been the breeding ground for a new export industry, with Australian companies and experts sought after by major events throughout the world,” Mr Hollway said.

“These days there is barely an event around the world that doesn’t have some level of Australian expertise involved – nobody can do it better than Australia, and it is time we as an industry recognised that.”

“For the industry to start ‘hunting as a pack’ and making strategic global connections, it is imperative we start to acknowledge and reward excellence in all aspects of the industry, from the major events to the smaller, community events.”

“Awards are a very visible and clear way of asserting there is an identity to the sector and will provide a value for the whole industry, not just those who win it,” Mr Hollway said.

Judges will be looking for events that connect well with their audiences, possess a level of authenticity or have come out of a genuine community desire, and have been executed with a high level of professionalism, skill and creativity.

“From regional and community events to multi-million dollar conferences and festivals, anyone involved in production and supply of Australian events is encouraged to enter,” said Jeremy Miller, Executive Producer, Australian Event Awards.

“We hope that a structured, national awards program like this will begin to identify our thriving events industry in such a way that will eventually have better outcomes for audiences, including better concepts around business development and investment.”

Award criteria for the 2009 Australian Event Awards will be available online from Monday 4 May 2009. There are 24 categories of awards spanning all sections of the industry and entries are open to any event staged between 1 July 2008 - 30 June 2009.

For more information about the Australian Event Awards and to register for updates, visit www.eventawards.com.au

Award criteria available – 4 May 2009
Award Entries Open – 1 June to 27 July 2009
Gala Dinner – 8 October 2009