Best Community Event
Best Community Event recognizes creativity in designing and delivering an open-to-the-public event, including, but not limited to, festivals, walks/runs, wellness fairs, product launches, game-day experiences, activations, or other activities/events that engage attendees in the local culture, flavor, and traditions of the destination.

Best Décor & Design
Best Décor & Design recognizes excellence and originality in decorative elements that contribute to the look and feel of an event—this could be individual design components or an entire event design scheme. Products and services include, but are not limited to, theme décor, props, scenery, display design, draping, furniture, linens, and rentals.

Best Destination Marketing
Best Destination Marketing recognizes a DMC’s ability to showcase its destination, including, but not limited to, a unique site visit experience, FAM trip, or destination reveal. Marketing efforts can be in person or virtual, and DMC managed solo or collaborated with a hotel or Destination Organization.

Best DEIA Initiative (new!)
Best Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Initiative recognizes a DMC that utilizes diversity intelligence to incorporate inclusion, accessibility, and belonging through vendor/supplier diversity, program content, activity selection, or other measures to foster an inclusive environment and experience for a client program.

Best Emergency Preparedness and/or Response
Best Emergency Preparedness and/or Response showcases a DMC’s excellence in mitigating risks during the planning cycle and/or responsiveness to incidents occurring during the live event.  Entries should include the comprehensive emergency plans created and details of the steps taken to develop, or the detailed steps taken to respond to a crisis or issue during the event.

Best Entertainment Production
Best Entertainment Production honors excellence in entertainment production and services including, but not limited to, procuring, producing, choreographing, and designing overall event entertainment for any type of program.

Best Event - Based on Budget
Best Event recognizes a DMC's ability to plan and execute an event that achieves the client’s goals and objectives. This category refers to a single program and its integration of at least one (1) of the core DMC services: transportation, tours/activities, event management, program logistics, and entertainment.

• Best Event – $100,000 USD or less
• Best Event – $100,001 - $250,000 USD
• Best Event – $250,001 - $500,000 USD
• Best Event - $500,001 - $1,000,000 USD
• Best Event – Over $1,000,000 USD

The event budget is required for the Best Event category only and will not be made public.

Best Group Activity
Best Group Activity recognizes a DMC's creativity in providing a team building, tour, or CSR activity.

Best Incentive Program
Best Incentive Program recognizes excellence in the creation and execution of an incentive travel program or service.

Best Logistics
Best Logistics highlights a DMC’s detailed coordination of a complex operation within a program. Not limited to transportation, this category includes anything required to execute a logistically challenging element of an event or program.

Best Overall Program
Best Overall Program recognizes the ability to bring the WOW factor into multiple disciplines of a DMC. Entries must include services from at least three (3) core DMC services: transportation, tours/activities, event management, program logistics, and entertainment.

Best Six-Week Challenge Event
Best Six-Week Challenge showcases a DMC’s ability to execute an event within six (6) weeks or less from RFP to execution.

Best Sustainable Initiatives
Best Sustainable Initiatives highlights a unique way that a DMC considers the social, environmental, and/or economic dimensions of sustainability throughout the planning and execution of a program or event.

• Social - Fostering a sense of community, inclusivity, and attendee well-being such as Diversity and Inclusion Programs, Accessible Facilities, Community Engagement, Volunteer Opportunities
• Environmental - Minimizing the environmental impact by reducing resource consumption, minimizing waste generations, and promoting conservation efforts such as Zero Waste Initiatives, Carbon Offsetting, Green Transportation Options, and Sustainable Catering.
• Economic - Focusing on generating economic benefits for all stakeholders involved in an event including organizers, vendors, attendees and the local community such as local procurement, fairtrade practices, tourism development, and partnership and collaboration to share expertise and maximize the event's economic impact on the local economy.

Best Use of Technology
Best Use of Technology showcases a DMC’s innovative use of the latest technology to enhance a program or maximize the guest experience, including, but not limited to, special event technical production (lighting, audio, multimedia production, staging, and special effects), creation of a client app, and use of a hybrid or an online streaming platform.