The judges said choosing winners was a “tough job this year, especially with the quality of the South America stands”.
LONDON – WTM 2012 – REPORT: Exhibition stands have won recognition for their innovation, design and the quality of the staff manning them, according to a panel of industry experts unveiling the Best Stand Awards at World Travel Market 2012, the leading global event for the travel industry.
The judges for the WTM Best Stand Awards were: Tram Research Senior Partner Bill Richards; Whippet Managing Director Carla Heath; Oliver Gradwell, Founder and Chief Executive of Travel Bloggers Unite; and Vikki Carley, Deputy Editor Conference Portfolio at Mash Media.
They managed to whittle down a long list to just five awards and singled out one other stand for special commendation.
The overall winners under the following categories were:
Most Innovative Stand Within the Technology Region – Pure360 (TT350)
The look of this stand was different, said the judges, who praised the way it looked back at retro designs but was also forward-thinking. Pure360 is an email and SMS marketing specialist.
Best Stand Personnel – Bye Bye (ME101)
Judges were impressed by the way the staff representing this London information website were very interactive.
“They were all around Excel and you certainly knew who they were, even though it was a small stand,” commented one judge.
Best Stand Feature – Honduras (LA560)
The judges said this fulfilled all the criteria they were looking for, as it summed up the culture of the country, drew visitors in and looked different. It had a good impact and used space well.
Best Stand for Doing Business – Peru (LA300)
Judges said there was plenty of business being done on this stand, as its design was amenable to meetings and had lots of open space. Also, the way this stand was slatted and colourful stood out for the judges.
“You felt like you’d like to do business here,” said one judge.
Best Stand Design – Hungary (EM350)
The water and colours on this stand stood out for the judges. There was stiff competition from other stands but they eventually agreed Hungary was the best.
The judges also commended the Corruption Tours stand (EM572), which offers tours of Prague, saying the concept came over as “ingenious, enthusiastic and different”.
Reed Travel Exhibitions Chairman World Travel Market Fiona Jeffery said: “Again this year, the stands demonstrate a wide range of creative ideas as tourist boards and travel businesses aim to showcase their wares. Our exhibitors have maintained a very high standard as they promote their organisations and provide plenty of information and opportunities to do businesses.”
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
