This year is already a ‘record’ edition. Not only the Best Event Awards has opened its doors to the whole world, turning the Eurpean competition into the first worldwide contest reserved for events and live communication. Indeed, this edition has seen the highest number of entries ever: 296, i.e. +7% compared to the previous year.

The shortlist has been determined by a preliminary online voting session; 133 shortlisted entries will compete for the iconic elephant trophies. “When we decided to go global, we knew that it would be a huge challenge - says Salvatore Sagone, President of ADC Group and founder of Bea World. What we didn’t know at the time, is that this first year of the global award would be such a great success. The choice proved to be a winning one and is now leading to the most challenging event ever”.

Agencies representing 27 countries are competing for the Elephant Awards. Italy leads the ranking of countries represented with 73 entries, of which 24 made the shortlist. Just behind, Germany with 51 entries and 20 shortlisted, France (22/17), Russia (21/12), Spain (16/5) and the Czech Republic (16/6). Among non-European countries, China stands out with 3 shortlisted events from its total 5 submissions, and Qatar will have 1 challenger from 3 candidates. However, none of the entries submitted by the United Arab Emirates (4), Canada (2) and the USA (1 entry), managed to make the final shortlist.

Entries will compete in 19 categories (14 event categories and 5 feature categories) and 2 macro categories  and will be judged by an influential Jury, consisting of top representatives with international responsibility from corporate companies as well as members of local national event agencies’ associations from different countries in the world. This year, Andrea Faflíková, CEEMEA Senior PR & Event Manager at The LEGO Group, will chair the Jury.

On November 16th at Alfandega Porto Congress Center all nominees will have the chance to showcase their projects live to both the Jury and an audience of peers and will then be assessed again to establish the winners of the Best Event Awards 2017 before joining a dinner all together at Porto Cruise Terminal. All awarded events will be announced on November 17th, during the Bea World Award Ceremony at Rivoli Theater. At the end of the ceremony, the guests will join an after party to celebrate all winners and participants alike at Atneu Comercial do Porto.

Bea World Festival is indeed much more than a contest. It is a 3-day full immersion to see the world’s best-in-class events live, stay up-to-date with the changing landscape of live communication, develop business and learn from leading experts.

Bea World Festival will boast a rich educational programme that will engage participants throughout Friday 17th at Alfandega Porto Congress Centre: uplifting keynotes, experiential workshops, successful corporate case studies and practical sessions are just a taste of the contents that delegates will be able to enjoy (see the full programme here).

Some highlights:

Eduardo Aires in charge of the rebranding of the city of Porto, will provide a sneak peek at a smart city marketing and what is required to make a destination attractive for tour operators and event planners.

Valuable insights for business success from the latest findings in the field of communication and consumer behavior will be offered by David Mattin, Global Head of Trends & Insights at TrendWatching.

Ben Moorsom, President and Chief Creative Officer at Debut Group will explain how brain science can be applied to event design and how to use unconventional formats to achieve better results.

Angeles Moreno, President at MPI Spain and Founder at The Creative Dots will introduce the “event professionals of the future” and share which skills are needed above and beyond current competencies to cope with the trends in live communication and events.

Furthermore, Bea World will offer excellent networking opportunities and grant the possibility to meet the right people at the right tables. Guests can reserve a seat to join a lunch talk that matches their interests or “Pick a brain” and book their 1-on-1 meetings with experts to discuss their challenges.

Last but not least, at Bea World business meets leiusure. On November 18th guests will have the opportunity to join exclusive leisure activities, exploring Porto and its surroundings. An exciting way to grow their network in a convivial atmosphere. Wine tastings, a treasure hunt, a cruise along the Douro River, an historical or street art tour… And, only for the braves, the unique Porto Bridge Climb - like real stunts!

Bea World Festival is an initiative by ADC Group and it is realized thanks to the collaboration of APECATE, the association that gathers and represents the Portuguese companies of Congresses, Events and Tourism Animation, along with the support of Tourism of Portugal, the Association of Tourism of Porto and the North (ATP), Porto’s City Council and EDP.

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