These categories recognize excellence in events staged since 1 January 2024. Live, virtual, and hybrid events may be nominated.

Nominations that won in The 2025 International Business Awards® may be resubmitted for consideration in the 2026 awards. If they have been updated with recent achievements, they may be submitted to the same categories in which they won. If they have not been updated, they must be submitted to categories different from those in which they won.

Information to be submitted online for entries in these categories in the 2026 competition include:

1. A written essay of up to 4,900 characters to the following questions, describing the nominated achievements since 1 January 2024, OR a video of up to five (5) minutes in length that answers all of the same questions:
a. Describe the event: its genesis, goals, development, and results (up to 4,900 characters). Required
b. List creative and production credits for your event - a list of the people and organizations that contributed to its development (up to 1,500 characters). Optional
c. Reference any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 1,500 characters). Optional

2. Optional (but highly recommended), add to your entry up to 10 webpage links and up to 10 document uploads to support your case to the judges. These might be press articles, press releases, videos, work samples, internal or external reviews, or employee feedback, for example.

R01. Art, Entertainment & Public

a. Art Event
Dance, music, literature, street art, exhibitions, installations, performances, etc.

b. Celebration Event
For events created to celebrate an occasion, anniversary, milestone or anything that is important to an organization, community, or brand.

c. Cultural Event
All events that promote culture or cultural sensitivity including parades, shows, art events or exhibitions, music or dance events, festivals, fairs, theaters etc.

d. Entertainment Event
All events intended to entertain or bring joy are eligible to be nominated here.

e. ESports Event:
Gaming events, championships, tournaments, competitions or contests either played in front of an audience or live-streamed.

f. Event Series (New for 2026)
A set of recurring or connected events designed to engage audiences over time, build community, and/or create sustained impact around a brand, theme, or purpose.

g. Fashion Event
Fashion shows, fairs, pop ups, parties and other fashion events.

h. Festival
Music, film, art, food, dance or any other public or community festival that celebrates a specific theme can compete in this category.

i. Live Event
Events that take place in front of a live audience, including live performances and shows, fashion shows, competitions, games, comedy, theater, circus, concerts, live TV and radio broadcasts, etc.

j. Municipal Event
All public events organized for/by a specific municipality including celebrations, concerts, festivals, shows, parades, art events etc.

k. Music Event
All events where music is the focal point belong here including concerts, music festivals, live vocal or instrumental performances and shows, etc.

l. Pop-Up Event
Impromptu gatherings, spontaneous celebrations, and anticipated yet unexpected happenings or experiences that ultimately impress audiences and draw new crowds.

m. Public Event
All events open to the general public including all kinds of entertainment events, art exhibitions or installations, cultural or leisure events, fairs, festivals, sporting events, etc.

n. Roadshow
All events that represent a series of shows or events taking place in different places around a country, a region or the world. Could be entertainment events, art exhibitions, music events, information or educational campaigns, product launches, brand engagement events, celebrations, shows, fairs, etc.

o. Sporting Event
All competitions, tournaments, marathons, races, games, team sports, team-building activities involving sports, and other sporting events are eligible for this award.

p. Tournament
Contests, competitions, championships, playoffs of a league or any other series of games or contests that make up a single unit of competition to single out a winner.

R02. Brand Experiences by Type

a. AI-Powered Event (New for 2026)
Events or experiences that integrate AI to enhance engagement, personalize participation, or elevate the overall attendee journey.

b. At-Home Experience
Brand activations or experiences that engage people at home and might involve physically delivered products/samples/items/tech such as online cooking classes, DIY activities, food/drink tasting, sampling kits, etc.

c. Brand Activation
Any event or experience that enables your brand to engage directly with consumers and build a loyal brand community around your product or service.

d. Brand Engagement Event
Events that drive customers’ engagement to a brand, build strong relationships, and have lasting post-event impact.

e. CSR Event
Showcases fundraisers, sustainable initiative events, educational or training events, or any other event contributing to social, environmental, and economic development.

f. Exhibition Experience
Experiences that are part of an exhibition, trade, or consumer show (booth, stand, pavilion, or display), or full exhibitions/consumer shows dedicated to a brand/product.

g. Experiential Event
Events organized to create engaging experiences and emotional draw toward a brand, product, or service.

h. Gamified Experience
Brand experiences or events that use gamification to engage audiences; in-person and hybrid formats accepted.

i. Guerrilla Marketing Experience
Brand experiences/events using guerrilla marketing tactics such as flashmobs, one-off performances, publicity stunts, or street activations to drive engagement.

j. Immersive Experience
Experiences that immerse audiences using VR, AR, MR, holography, telepresence, FPV drones, 3D displays, haptic or spatial sensing tech, etc.

k. In-Store Experience
Any in-store events and experiences including product launches, activations, engagement events, or promotions.

l. Interactive Outdoor Event
Any experiential event taking place outdoors that incorporates interactive elements.

m. Launch Event
Experiences or activations created to launch or re-launch a brand, product, or service.

n. Pop-up Experience
Masterfully planned or spontaneous gatherings, celebrations, happenings, or experiences designed to impress audiences and draw new crowds.

o. Retail Experience
Retail brand experiences that enhance the purchasing process, including in-store events, pop-ups, experiential retail, or retailtainment.

p. Small-Budget Event (less than the equivalent of $10,000)
Honors events created on limited budgets that still achieve strong impact and results.

q. Sponsorship Experience
Recognizes partnerships/sponsorships that create immediate and long-term brand experiences at events, including sporting, entertainment, festivals, concerts, conventions, trade shows, etc.

r. Thought Leadership
Events featuring notable speakers and expert viewpoints designed to reinforce a brand’s authority within a specific domain.

R03. Cause & Green

a. Cause Event
Events which support or raise awareness about special causes will be recognized in this awards category.

b. CSR Experience
An opportunity to showcase your corporate social responsibility. Any event or experience that contributes to the improvement of the social, environmental and economic development of local communities or society at large is welcome. Both in-person and hybrid formats are accepted here.

c. Employee Giving & Volunteerism
Events and experiences that actively involve an organization’s employees in charity initiatives, volunteerism and employee giving. Both in-person and hybrid formats are accepted here.

d. Fundraising Event
Showcases the most meaningful and effective fundraising and charity events around the U.S.

e. Inclusive Event
Showcases events designed so that everyone can participate and no one is excluded regardless of age, sex, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, physical disabilities, etc.

f. Local Community Impact Event
Recognizes events that significantly benefit local communities. Criteria include: measurable impact on community welfare, education, or engagement.

g. Sustainable Event
Recognizes the most sustainable events, events using green practices and innovative strategies to event planning that show environmental consciousness.

R04. Conferences & Meetings

a. Association Meeting
Any professional association event—regardless of industry, duration, or frequency—may compete in this category.

b. Conference
Any conference—regardless of topic, location, size, or target audience—may be nominated.

c. Consumer Show
This category includes B2C expos, fairs, exhibits, demos and showcases of any size, intended to introduce consumers to relevant products or services.

d. Convention
This category is for large conferences and meetings based upon a specific industry, profession or fandom.

e. Educational Event
Any internal or external training sessions, workshops, seminars, masterclasses and educational courses are eligible to be nominated in this category.

f. Fair
All types of fairs are welcome, including thematic fairs such as art & craft fairs, food fairs, book fairs, Christmas fairs, career fairs, university fairs, etc.

g. Healthcare & Wellness Event
Events dedicated to the topics of healthcare, wellness and wellbeing, mental health, healthy habits and lifestyle, and more. From conferences and expos to workshops and group activities, various types of events can enter this category.

h. Hybrid Event of the Year
Honors excellence in blending virtual and in-person formats. Criteria include: audience reach, technological innovation, and seamless execution.

i. Medical Congress
This category is for medical, pharmaceutical and healthcare events.

j. Networking Event
Any event that aims to be effective for networking among participants, including B2B matchmaking, speed meetings, thematic networking events, memberships gatherings etc.

k. Pharma Conference
Pharmaceutical conferences, gatherings, congresses, forums and more belong to this category. Both in-person and hybrid event formats are accepted.

l. Scientific Congress
This category is dedicated to the scientific community and their professional gatherings, including congresses, conferences, conventions, symposia, forums, etc.

m. Summit
Events or meetings of high-level officials, leaders, or experts in a particular field—government or business—who gather to discuss important matters or topics.

n. Tech Event
All technology-related events, from geeky gatherings to high-tech trade shows, may be entered in this category.

o. Trade Show
All B2B trade shows and expos of all sizes and themes, nationwide, are welcome in this category.

R05. Corporate & Community

a. B2B Event
A category for all events created to build and reinforce business relationships including trade shows, conferences, corporate parties or shows, galas etc.

b. B2C Event
Events created to engage the end consumer belong to this category, such as consumer shows, exhibitions, promotional events (in-store or outdoors), celebrations, etc.

c. Budget Event
Recognizes events that managed to create a high impact and deliver great results on a relatively low budget. Both in-person and hybrid event formats are accepted.

d. Community Engagement Event
Any event created to engage, reinforce or celebrate a community. Includes interest-related conferences (e.g., social media conferences, cooking classes), professional events (e.g., marketing summits, women entrepreneur meetups), cause events, customer/employee/partner engagement events, etc.

e. Corporate Event
Any business event intended to reward, honor, engage or educate employees, partners, shareholders or customers (conferences, seminars, incentives, cycle meetings, corporate parties, retreats, team buildings, awards etc.).

f. Customer Engagement Event
Customer-centric events created to foster customer loyalty or engage target customers (incentives, corporate parties, consumer shows, promotional events, product launches, celebrations etc.).

g. Employee-Centric Event
Celebrates events focused on employee appreciation or motivation. Criteria include: employee satisfaction and cultural impact.

h. Gala
Celebratory events with spectacular entertainment, unique themes, special guests, and performances.

i. Green Event
Recognizes the most sustainable events, including in-person or hybrid events using green practices and demonstrating environmental consciousness.

j. Hackathon
Hackathons, datathons or coding competitions.

k. Incentive Event
Corporate events intended to reinforce relationships or achieve higher goals with customers, employees or partners through incentives—including reward/recognition or loyalty programs, corporate parties, retreats, incentive trips, etc.

l. Partner Engagement Event
Corporate events intended to reinforce relationships with partners, sponsors and stakeholders (corporate parties, celebrations, incentive trips, galas, trade shows etc.).

m. Team Building Event
Events designed to increase motivation and promote cooperation in a team or company (retreats, corporate parties, training programs, business runs, outings etc.).