awards
EXHIBITOR Magazine's 22nd Annual Corporate Event Awards
Honoring Excellence in Event-Marketing Strategy and Execution
In 2024, corporate events were expected to be more and do more — sound familiar? Planners were tasked with building communities, generating excitement, driving ROI, meeting corporate objectives, and leaving a lasting impression. And the keen minds behind these events did all that and more, responding to lofty expectations with boldness, theatrical flair, and some sweet experiences. Beyond simply hosting events, the three winners and four honorable mentions in EXHIBITOR Magazine's 22nd Annual Corporate Event Awards engineered unforgettable moments of connection by crafting engaging, interactive, and sophisticated experiences our judges called “striking,” “ambitious,” “powerful,” and “next-level.” These events prove that when strategy, storytelling, and spectacle align, the impact is not only measurable, but transformative and impossible to ignore.
THE WINNERS
Backstage PassThe Freeman Co. LLC
Immersion in Innovation
SAP
True StoryKenvue Inc.
Honorable Mentions
THE 2025 JUDGES
Valerie Bihet,
founder, Vibe Agency, Miami; Bihet has produced more than 1,100 events throughout the U.S., Europe, Mexico, East Asia, and South America.
ANDREW CHILDERS, director of business development, Steelhead Productions, Las Vegas; Childers specializes in event marketing and trade show activations.
JENNY EWING, freelance strategist and event producer, Anaheim, CA; Ewing has worked in multiple industries and has won several in-house corporate awards.
CHETAN FERNANDES, global project director for Expo Riyadh 2030 at Hopscotch Groupe, Paris; Fernandes is an award-winning communications strategist and creative leader.
MATT JONES, former marketing executive, GE Appliances, Louisville, KY; Jones specializes in developing award-winning engagements and experiences.
JAY MENASHE, CTSM Diamond, senior director, business development, Exhibitus, Tucker, GA; Menashe is a 20-year experiential marketing veteran, responsible for multiple successes.
KRISTIN VEACH, integrated event marketer, Trio Creative Communications LLC, Chicago; Veach is an accomplished marketer with proven success in building brand awareness.
Valerie Bihet,
founder, Vibe Agency, Miami; Bihet has produced more than 1,100 events throughout the U.S., Europe, Mexico, East Asia, and South America.
ANDREW CHILDERS, director of business development, Steelhead Productions, Las Vegas; Childers specializes in event marketing and trade show activations.
JENNY EWING, freelance strategist and event producer, Anaheim, CA; Ewing has worked in multiple industries and has won several in-house corporate awards.
CHETAN FERNANDES, global project director for Expo Riyadh 2030 at Hopscotch Groupe, Paris; Fernandes is an award-winning communications strategist and creative leader.
MATT JONES, former marketing executive, GE Appliances, Louisville, KY; Jones specializes in developing award-winning engagements and experiences.
JAY MENASHE, CTSM Diamond, senior director, business development, Exhibitus, Tucker, GA; Menashe is a 20-year experiential marketing veteran, responsible for multiple successes.
KRISTIN VEACH, integrated event marketer, Trio Creative Communications LLC, Chicago; Veach is an accomplished marketer with proven success in building brand awareness.
Editorial
High Stakes, Small Plates
No one understands the emotional, logistical, and psychological quagmire change brings like those who lead it.
Exhibitor Q & A
Tech-Centric Sustainability
Can you describe some of the tools and best practices I can use to make my exhibits and events even more sustainable?
Ask Dan
Get SMART
What can I do in order to help my staff members better manage their limited time?
Exhibiting 101
Fold the Folding Chair
Furniture and decor won't close a deal, but they do influence attendee perception.
Fuel
Ideas That Work
New Orleans Charm, Custom Gum, and Midway Marvels
Products
New Tools
Three Can't-Miss Product Launches
Fixing Snafus
Rolling with It
Even the most well-oiled machines can lose their marbles under the high pressure of trade show setup.
Archive
The House that George Built
1931: Mount Vernon replica at the Colonial Exposition in Paris
Quiz
Werk that Network
Test your knowledge of networking with this quick quiz.
Event Awards
EXHIBITOR Magazine's 22nd Annual Corporate Event Awards
Honoring Excellence in Event-Marketing Strategy and Execution
Event Awards
Backstage Pass
Freeman's event-within-an-event approach to its client conference rewrote the playbook on client engagement.
Event Awards
Immersion in Innovation
As a backbone for global enterprise operations, SAP went big with its flagship Sapphire 2024 conferences.
Event Awards
True Story
Kenvue Inc. raised its media profile with an event that told its story with the verve of a bestseller.
Event Awards
Honorable Mentions 2025
The four events that received Corporate Event Awards honorable mention nods from our panel of design experts.
Insight
Belonging by Design
Storycraft Lab Founder and CEO Naomi Clare Crellin says storytelling is essential to our identities.
Photo Gallery
Under the Big Top
The European Union's exhibit for the largest literary event in Latin America needed to represent the EU as a whole.
Research
Budget Breakdown
How the Exhibiting Dollar Is Spent