Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2016 exhibitors will have more than business on their minds at this year’s event as organiser Reed Travel Exhibitions continues its Best Stand Awards initiative.
Launched in 2015, the awards were created to recognise the design creativity and business-friendly appeal of exhibiting companies’ physical presence at ATM. The five categories this year cover Best Stand Design, Best Stand for Doing Business, Best Stand Personnel, Best Stand Feature and Best Stand within the Travel Tech Show. The stands will be judged by a line-up of top industry and design professionals: Leo Fewtrell of Dubai Travel and Tour Agents Group (DTTAG), Fiona McAndrew-Sharp of TTN, Nick Hall of Digital Think Tank, and Bruce Martin from Ginger Juice.Judging will take place on April 26 with the winners unveiled during a photo session on the show floor the following day, and shared to a global audience via ATM’s social media platforms.'Last year’s inaugural awards were extremely well received by our exhibitors and we are looking forward to seeing new ideas and even more creativity on the show floor this year. These awards reflect the huge effort, investment and thought that go into creating and manning exhibitor space that is a microcosm of a brand,' said ATM exhibition manager Nadege Noblet-Segers. 'With more than 412 stands of all shapes and sizes spread across 10 exhibition halls covering the full spectrum of the industry, from travel tech companies, cruise operators and spa and wellness resorts to international destinations, corporate hotel groups, airlines and car rental companies, our judging panel has a lot of ground to cover,' added Noblet-Segers.The judging criteria for the Best Stand Design award will focus on identifying an eye-catching stand that has an unusual/creative design, and makes the best use of available space. It also needs to look inviting from a visitor perspective and have outstanding presence in the halls, attracting high levels of visitor traffic.The winner of the Best Stand for Doing Business will need to create a busy B2B atmosphere and present a well-planned and easily navigable layout with a good presentation of the stand and its services rendering it a clear winner.