Awards

After all of the paring down and pivots the event industry has experienced, this year signaled the return of programs that were not only full-scale, but built to enrich the attendee experience in fresh ways by offering “more”—more tailored, more technical, more sophisticated, more value.

The Hidden Gems awards program, recognizing small and mid-sized b-to-b events, returns amid a pivotal moment for the industry. Produced in the shadow of mega conferences and shows, which for years garnered the most attention from the press and the industry at large, this sector of events with fewer than 5,000 attendees not only were among the first to return to live.

Every second, an average of two people ask Reddit communities for a recommendation, and receive an average of seven personalized responses in return. Therein lies the brand’s point of difference.

Event marketers landed on the other side of the pandemic poised for a renaissance when economic hurdles began threatening to rain on the industry’s parade. Purse strings may have been cinched as a consequence, but as always, brands and agencies pulled through in brilliant form—and the campaigns honored in the 21st annual Ex Awards are solid proof.

The editors of Event Marketer announce the winners of the 2023 Ex Awards, the world’s oldest and most prestigious recognition program for event and experiential marketing. Victors were crowned at a “Let’s Glow”-themed gala held during the Experiential Marketing Summit in Las Vegas, May 9-11.