The winner of the awards will be presented at ICC Sydney on 5 December. This year, the EEAA has improved its judging process to make it simpler for judges and entrants, better aligning the awards program with international standards.

EEAA chief executive Joyce DiMascio (pictured) said: “The association is committed to ensuring the awards program set a benchmark for excellence within the business events industry and the continued evolution was important to delivering on this commitment.

“Each year, we continue to refine the entry process and this year we have simplified the assessment criteria for the five ‘show’ categories and added a renewed focus on corporate social responsibility.

“We are also publishing the weighting for each criterion to provide more transparency. We want to give the industry the best opportunity to showcase their best work and people to our panel of over 35 Australian and international judges.”

The awards program offers 21 categories, providing the opportunity for show organisers, suppliers, venues, teams and companies to showcase their achievements. It also includes three categories specifically designed to recognise the personal achievements of individuals.