Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2015 has announced
the winners of its inaugural Best Stand Awards initiative at a photo-call
opportunity on the show floor, with the industry judging panel visiting over
400 exhibition stands to select the winners of just five individual categories.
Hyatt took the award for Best Stand Design,
Paramount Hotels & Resorts won Best Stand for Doing Business, while Best
Stand Personnel was bagged by Mexico, Dubai Parks & Resorts was the
recipient of the Best Stand Feature award and Most Innovative Stand at The
Travel Tech Show went to Sabre.
A distinguished group of industry experts
and design professionals made up the judging panel, including Leo Fewtrell, Managing
Partner, Gulf Reps; Fiona McAndrew-Sharp, Al
Hilal Publishing; Diane Thorsen, Perkins+Will; Steven Jones, Shamal Marketing; Nicholas
Hall, SE1 Media; and Bruce Martin, Ginger Juice.
“The awards focused on engagement in every
sense of the word, not only in terms of physical visual presence but from
on-stand personnel warmth and knowledge right through to the use of interactive
and innovative technology and the overall experience that a stand visit or
exhibitor meeting should deliver,” said Nadege Noblet-Segers, Exhibition
Director, Arabian Travel Market.
“Each judge was responsible for a single
category, and with such an overwhelming array of stand propositions to evaluate
and then make just one selection from, it was a weighty – but enjoyable –
task!” she added.
Selecting Hyatt
as the winner of Best Stand Design, Diane Thorsen of Perkins+Will, said: “The stand was
extremely inviting, and featured an all-black theme with red stairs as a focal
point. They also had the best lighting at the show, which added intimacy, plus
the stand was lively and buzzing so it felt like a mini-hotel.”
Mexico
was a clear winner for McAndrew-Sharp from
Al Hilal Publishing when it came to visitor engagement and Best Stand
Personnel. “They demonstrated complete consistency when it came to meeting and
greeting visitors, using eye contact and a smile to initiate contact with each
and every passer-by before engaging them in conversation. It was warm, genuine
and very welcoming,” she said.
The layout of the
Paramount Hotels & Resorts stand, its eye-catching visual presentation and
elegant use of greenery and flowers naturally drew visitors in, according to
category judge, Leo Fewtrell of Gulf Reps, who chose it as the Best Stand for
Doing Business. “This was complemented by extremely friendly and knowledgeable
staff and high quality food & beverage, creating a very pleasant
environment in which to talk business,” he said.
Standout
visual impact and a good use of features was recognised with the Best Stand
Feature award, which went to Dubai Parks & Resorts. Bruce Martin from Ginger
Juice gave it the thumbs-up based on several
criteria. “The stand works as holistic interactive experience with four clearly separated
areas of activity that come together to create an energy-filled atmosphere that
is both fun and interesting. It feels like walking into a little world all of
its own making.”
The
final award for the Most Innovative Stand specifically highlighted the
importance of technology to the industry, and a central theme at ATM 2015.
Commenting on the decision to recognise the travel tech company’s latest Apple
watch app’ Steven Jones from Shamal Marketing said: “Sabre presented their
TripCase itinerary management app’ and demonstrated its compatibility with
wearable technology. This was just one of a range of travel industry specific tools
that Sabre was showcasing at ATM.”
With over 400 exhibitor stands vying for
the awards, honourable mentions were also made for the creative and service-led
efforts of a number of companies including Turkish Airlines, Etihad Airways,
India, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, Damac,
TIME Hotels and The Opera District.
Visitors to the show will also have the
opportunity to vote for their favourite exhibition stand by casting votes on
ATM’s social media platforms. The winner will be announced on Facebook at the
end of the show.
For more information on Arabian Travel Market 2015, please log
on to: www.arabiantravelmarket.com
Photo
caption: Hyatt stand at ATM 2015, Best Stand Design award winner