The AWS Summit Sydney broke the Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event’s (AIME) three-year hold on Best Exhibition or Trade Show, but the summit was itself beaten in the Best Brand Event category, by the launch of a US electrolyte drink in Sydney – Liquid I.V. Rehydrates an Aussie Icon – Bondi Beach 2025.
Likewise, Vivid Sydney won Best Tourism Event and the ultimate trophy, Australian Event of the Year, but lost out in Best Cultural, Arts or Music Event, with that gong going to Melbourne’s Now or Never festival.
And the North Australian Festival of Arts took home Best Community Event but lost in the Best Regional Event category to the Outback Trail, a music event in Queensland. Outback Trail’s event owner, Queensland Music Festival, a state government initiative, also took out Best Small Regional Event for Between the Tides.
Aside from the exhibition and brand event awards, there were more business events categories in the mix this year than ever before with plenty of winners to celebrate.
SXSW Sydney took out the large conference category, beating out last year’s winner, that also nabbed Australian Event of the Year in 2024, the AIATSIS Summit. The Indigenous conference had to settle with an admirable place on the shortlist this year, along with three others, including major agrifood tech event evokeAG 2025 and prominent advertising, creativity, media and marketing festival, Cairns Crocodiles.
Best small conference – under 500 delegates – went to critical care research conference, CRIKEY 2025, which triumphed over four others on the short list.
Best association event went to ACM The Web Conference 2025, while its organiser, ICMS Australasia, took home PCO of the Year.
Lenovo Asia Pacific President’s Club 2024 won Best Incentive Event while Best Corporate Event was won by the Raine & Horne Annual Awards Night for NSW and the ACT.
Best Small Event went to a car launch: the Leapmotor C10 REEV Launch Event 2025.
Meanwhile, FleishmanHillard was one of only a handful of double winners for the night, nabbing Best Achievement in Event Marketing or Communication for their work on the Liquid I.V. launched which took out the brand event category. To collect the marketing award they defeated Destination NSW’s marketing work for Vivid Sydney.
The City of Melbourne’s Experience Melbourne team won In-House Event Team of the Year against competition from Tourism Australia and Moonee Valley City Council.
In the venues categories, the Australian Equine & Livestock Events Centre took home Venue Team of the Year, while the Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort, Port Douglas beat the Hyatt Regency Sydney in Event Hotel of the Year.
In supplier categories, Laissez-faire Catering took home Caterer of the Year for the second time in a row, En Pointe Events won Theming, Branding or Styling Company of the Year, Novatech Creative Event Technology received Production Company of the Year and Stagekings won the exhibition services and event build category.
In Corporate Event Agency of the Year, Imagination triumphed over a strong field of four others, who were all winners or finalists in various other categories.
