Choosing a Category
categorieshints & tips
Which category is right for you? Well – that depends on what you want to be known for.
Do you want to be seen as a great Tourism Event or an awesome Community Event? Do you prefer to be reknown for your incredible design or your brilliant technical wizardry?
The criteria will show you what the judges are looking for in each category, or you can use this list as a general guide:
Best Event Categories
Best Sporting Event
Suggested for:
- Major sporting events
- Regional sporting events
Best Tourism Event
Suggested for:
- Events with a specific tourism or visitation focus
- Other events that can show an impact on the local economy
Best Charity or Cause-Related Event
Suggested for:
- Fundraising events
- Events that raise the profile of a charity or cause
- Events that encourage donations other than cash
Best Congress or Conference
Suggested for:
- Large or small conferences
- Meetings that provide an outstanding experience for attendees
Best Cultural, Arts or Music Event
Suggested for:
- Major and regional arts festivals
- Music festivals
- Events with a cultural focus
Best Corporate Event
Suggested for:
- Product launches
- Incentives
- Corporate gala dinner
- Corporate award presentations
- Any event that achieves a corporate or business aim
Best Exhibition, Trade or Consumer Show
Suggested for:
- Public exhibitions
- Trade exhibitions
- Trade Shows that may be attached to another event
- For exhibitions as a whole, not individual stands
Coates Hire Best Community Event
Suggested for:
- Events that focus on community building and community engagement
- Regional city or town festivals
- “Main street” events
Best Small Event
Suggested for:
- Events that have a small budget
- Events that are smaller in scale
- Can be any type of event including sporting, festival, cultural, exhibition, etc
Best New Event
Suggested for:
- Events that have not been staged before
- Events that have a degree of novelty or innovation
- Can be any type of event including sporting, festival, cultural, exhibition, etc
Best Regional Event
Suggested for:
Achievement Categories
Best Achievement in Design, Look or Theming
Suggested for:
- Architects
- Theming suppliers
- Event designers
- Temporary overlay design
Best Achievement in Marketing, Communication or Sponsorship
Suggested for:
- Marketing or PR firms that have provided services for an event
- Events that have undertaken marketing campaigns internally
- Organisations that have sponsored an event
- Sponsorship managers
- Communications Consultants or Managers managers
Best Technical Achievement or Innovation
Suggested for:
- PA suppliers
- Lighting suppliers
- IT suppliers
- LED or projection screen suppliers
- Pyrotechnic suppliers
- Production companies
- Event organisers or creative agencies
Best New Product
Suggested for:
- External supplier or event who has released a new product for the events market
- External supplier or event who has substantially improved an existing product for the events market
- Event that has created a new product internally
- External supplier with a product that has the potential to enhance events
- Physical products or technologies
Best Achievement in Venue Management
Suggested for:
- Conference centre (large and small)
- Exhibition centre
- Function centre
- Hotels
- Sports stadium
Best Event Service
Suggested for:
- External supplier who has developed a service for an event
- Event that has created a service internally
- External supplier with a service that has the potential to enhance events
- Caterers, entertainers, volunteer, crowd and traffic management organisations and IT companies
Best Achievement in Event Education or Training
Suggested for:
- Universities
- TAFEs
- Private institutions
- Organisations delivering industry-based training
- Events that deliver training or education in support of the event
- Venues that deliver training or education in support for their staff
Best Achievement in Entertainment
Suggested for:
- Events with a strong entertainment component
- Entertainers
- Individuals, groups, agencies or event organisers
- Musicians, performers, comedians, speakers, artists, activities
Headline Categories
Young Achiever of the Year
Suggested for:
- People who meet the age eligibility requirement with a high level of achievement
- Employers
- Clients or suppliers wishing to nominate a person
Event Producer of the Year
Suggested for:
- Individual event managers, creative directors, event directors
Small Event Management Company of the Year
Suggested for:
- Small event management businesses or companies
- Event management businesses or companies with up to 5 employees
Event Management Company of the Year
Suggested for:
- Event management businesses or companies