NEW YORK—The (event) stars aligned Monday night in New York City for the 12th Annual BizBash Event Experience Awards ceremony, the first live ceremony for the awards in five years. On Dec. 9 at Lavan Midtown, the event welcomed nearly 200 event professionals who gathered to be the first to hear the winners of this year's awards.
The awards spanned five parent categories—Destination, Hybrid, Live, Virtual, and (new this year) Sporting Events & Experiences—and recognized incredible activations and experiences from brands like Canva, Netflix, Nike, and Visa. And those activations and experiences wouldn't have been award-worthy without some of the event firms and agencies behind them. Those in the room that night included event profs from Czarnowski (the event's experiential partner), NVE Experience Agency, 2Heads, and Cheerful Twentyfirst.
The event took place at Lavan Midtown, a modern venue that sports a high-tech white canvas with ample space to design any type of event environment. The main room boasts 20-foot-high ceilings surrounded by 145 feet of seamless projection mapping.Photo: SpotMyPhotos
For BizBash, returning to the city where the brand was founded in 2000 was all the more special.
"The Event Experience Awards celebrate the best part of our industry," said BizBash vice president Michela Giovannotto. "New York was the perfect backdrop for this occasion, as we came together to honor not only the most innovative and impactful events but also the incredible accomplishments of the entire event industry."
Before the big awards were handed out, attendees of the event enjoyed an experiential-forward happy hour, with various beverage stations throughout the space, like a caviar and Champagne counter, a bartender mixing dirty chai Old Fashioneds on a chrome bar cart, and a signature bar from Interactive Entertainment Group serving up a purple-hued, lavender-forward cocktail.
Thomas Preti Events to Savor, the event's catering partner, was on hand for wow-worthy passed hors d'oeuvres and food stations that served savory bites like roasted lamb and shrimp kebabs and mushroom ravioli.
Along with pretzel chairs and rounds with printed linens, guests could relax during the show on plush furniture from Something Vintage.Photo: SpotMyPhotos
Once inside the main space, attendees could relax on various seating arrangements from Something Vintage, including rounds with printed linens and plush couches and armchairs. BizBash contributing editor Shannon Thaler served as host and worked the stage alongside SongDivision, which provides interactive music experiences for groups.
After winners accepted their awards onstage, they could get professional photos taken from SpotMyPhotos in front of a greenery-filled BizBash step-and-repeat fabricated by Brand Activation Services.
"There were so many amazing experiences throughout the night, but the real proud moment was getting to experience people accepting their awards," Giovannotto said. "The excitement on their faces, the energy in the room, and the celebratory nature of every category announced exceeded all expectations we had set for the evening."
Keep scrolling to see more from inside the 12th Annual BizBash Event Experience Awards' live ceremony in New York...
A special thank-you to our sponsors: akire productions, Brand Activation Services, Czarnowski, Interactive Entertainment Group, Something Vintage, SongDivision, SpotMyPhotos, Thomas Preti Events to Savor, and Wilsow Dow Group.
Event profs from Cheerful Twentyfirst pose with their award, Best Cannes Lions Brand Activation, for their work on Stagwell’s Sport Beach. See our coverage here.Photo: SpotMyPhotos
TED chief program and strategy officer Monique Ruff-Bell accepted the organization's award for Best Sustainability/Corporate Responsibility Program.Photo: SpotMyPhotos
Thomas Preti Events to Savor provided catering.Photo: SpotMyPhotos
A signature bar from Interactive Entertainment Group served up the Lavender Lux, a purple-hued, lavender-forward cocktail.Photo: SpotMyPhotos
BizBash contributing editor Shannon Thaler served as host for the evening.Photo: SpotMyPhotos
This was the first live EEAs ceremony in five years.Photo: SpotMyPhotos
SongDivision kept the crowd entertained all evening with their interactive music experiences.Photo: SpotMyPhotos
One of the biggest awards of the night, Best Conference or Convention, went to the Public School and Czarnowski teams for their work on Canva Create. Read our coverage of the event here.Photo: SpotMyPhotos
