Best Marketing Award Site

Best Marketing Award - Goals

The ICCA Best Marketing Award, established in 1997, recognises the excellence and outstanding achievements of organisations in their effort to market their destination or product. Entries can range from full-scale campaigns and branding exercises to individual promotions and events. The ICCA Best Marketing Award is open to all ICCA members, regardless of their sector.

Finalists present on Tuesday at the ICCA Congress and the winner is chosen by judges and delegates on a 50:50 basis. The winner is announced at the Closing session of the Congress (Wednesday). Submission components consist of: innovation and creativity, research and rationale, return on investment, success in meeting the objectives, and communication.

Current Winner:
2018 VisitScotland

Past Winners:
2017 Flanders Meeting and Convention Center Antwerp
2016 London & Partners
2015 Halifax Convention Centre
2014 Monaco Convention Bureau
2013 Gdansk Convention Bureau, Poland
2012 Bureau of Foreign Trade Ministry of Economic Affairs, Chinese Taipei
2011 Glasgow City Marketing Bureau and Scottish Exhibition & Conference Centre, U.K.
2010 Iceland Convention and Incentive Bureau, Iceland
2009 Norway Convention Bureau, Norway
2008 Sarawak Convention Bureau, Malaysia
2007 Promo Leader Service, Italy
2006 Glasgow City Marketing Bureau Ltd., U.K.
2005 Grazer Congress, Austria
2004 Perth Convention Bureau, Australia
2003 Kursaal Centre, Spain
2002 Ovation Group, Ireland
2001 Perth Convention Bureau, Australia
2000 Palais des Congres de Montreal, Canada
1999 Edinburgh International Conference Centre, U.K.
1998 International Convention Centre Durban, South Africa
1997 Boston, America's Walking City, U.S.A.

Judging Panel

The judging panel consists of the following members:

Aileen Crawford, Glasgow Convention Bureau, Board representative
Mathijs Vleeming, ICCA HO representative
Rory Archibald, VisitScotland, winner 2018
Patrick Delaney, SoolNua, BMA chairman
David Chapple, The Meetings Show, official BMA sponsor
Tracy Halliwell, London & Partners, winner 2016
Anja Stas, Flanders Meeting and Convention Center Antwerp, winner 2017

Prizes & ROI

For the finalists

A free registration (1 person per company) to come to the ICCA Congress the following year
Acknowledgement on the ICCA Website
Acknowledgement in Members Update Online

For the winner

A complimentary full page advertisement in the ICCA Membership Directory, worth approx. EUR 2,795.
A complimentary 9sqm stand (shell scheme with one furniture package or space only) at The Meetings Show, worth approx. £7,794.
A personalised award to display in their office.
A personalised logo to use on their website, emails or promotional literature.
Acknowledgement on the ICCA Website.
Acknowledgement in Members Update Online.

Should a competing show win the Best Marketing Award, ICCA will offer an alternative prize.

If you have any questions about the Best Marketing Award, please contact Mieke van Loenen, mieke.l@iccaworld.org.

How to submit

The competition is open to all ICCA Members (individual ICCA members, or groups of ICCA members working together). Members may submit any marketing campaign or project which is related to the international meetings market, which demonstrates excellence in marketing, and which was undertaken at least partially during the 18 months prior to the Congress at which the BMA entry will be presented.

Entries should be submitted in digital format, no more than 12 pages in length. Links to videos must be included in the digital format. No printed materials are required. The entry must cover the following:

- What were the marketing challenges being addressed?
- What is innovative and creative about the campaign/project; what lessons can other ICCA members learn from your ideas?
- How was the campaign/project undertaken - demonstrate the professionalism involved by setting out all the key steps.
- Set out detailed objectives/targets and explain how well these were met, covering both financial and non-financial issues.
- All submissions must be received by ICCA Head Office by 13 September 2019.

You can send your submission to Mieke van Loenen, Director Events: mieke.l@iccaworld.org

Examples of marketing that can be submitted:

- Innovative marketing to boost attendance or sponsorship for individual events (either established or brand new).
- Integrated marketing campaign covering all areas of the marketing mix by a venue or meetings management company.
- Rebranding of a city or country destination.
- Successful collaborative promotional event by a consortium of ICCA members.
- Tactical marketing campaign to overcome a negative business environment.
- Creative use of limited marketing budget to generate excellent return on investment.
- Launch campaign of a new meetings industry product or service.

BMA Presentations

- Announcements of finalists: End of September 2019
- Best Marketing Award 2019 Plenary Session - finalists' presentations: Tuesday 29 October 2019 at the ICCA Congress in Houston, U.S.A.
- Announcement of the winner and BMA 2019 Award giving: Wednesday 30 October 2019, during the Closing Ceremony.

Submissions from past winners

To view the entries from past Best Marketing Award winners, please click on the Finalists tab.

Voting

The following elements will be looked at when determining the finalists:

Creativity and innovation
Quality of execution/professionalism in how the marketing was carried out
Achievement of ambitious, clearly defined targets and objectives
Return on Investment
Quality and effectiveness of communication

The same elements will be used for determining the winner. Both the judges and audience will be voting on each entry, with the balance of the votes split 50-50 between the audience and judging panel.

The Meetings Show

The Meetings Show is the premier event for the inbound and outbound meetings and event industry in the UK, taking place on 26-27 June 2019 at Olympia London.

Whether you spend all your time planning events, or it’s something you do as part of a wider role, The Meetings Show will provide you with the skills and inspiration you need to outdo yourself and produce more innovative and valuable meetings and events.

The show welcomes more than 4,500 industry professionals who gather for two focused days of meetings, education and networking opportunities.

The hosted buyer programme enables more than 900 association, agency, and corporate buyers to attend the show in the most efficient way possible and includes a pre-show conference and networking reception on Tuesday 25 June. To register for free, simply head to www.themeetingsshow.com/register.

Press releases

Please find below ICCA Best Marketing Award press releases:

14 November 2018

VisitScotland Business Events wins ICCA Best Marketing Award at 57th ICCA Congress

10 October 2018

ICCA Best Marketing Award finalists link destination marketing to intellectual capital

15 November 2017

Flanders Meeting & Convention Center Antwerp Wins ICCA Best Marketing Award

26 September 2017

Best Marketing Award finalists announced for “biggest ICCA Congress ever”

16 November 2016

#LondonisOpen wins ICCA Best Marketing Award