Events from all corners of Australia are celebrating as finalists were announced for 2010 Australian Event Awards

From the New Years Eve fireworks display that stops the world and an international Grand Slam Tennis Tournament, to a small family festival in Warrnambool and an eleven-month AC/DC tour, Australia’s most innovative and outstanding events will be nationally recognised today (Tuesday 24 Aug)  with the announcement of the 2010 Australian Event Awards finalists.

Celebrating different types of events from all corners of Australia’s thriving events industry, the list of finalists covers a range of incredibly diverse industries and concepts including Celebrity Poker nights for charity, world-class light art festivals, industrial manufacturing conferences and even a “Twitter bike-ride” organised by US cyclist Lance Armstrong.

Building on the high calibre of winners and finalists from 2009, the co-chairs of the judges Johnny Allen and Sandy Hollway said that the quality and creativity of entries was outstanding and that events were particularly rewarded for innovation in event techniques, ideas and practices across all categories.

“Once again we are excited to see so many event managers and producers achieving outstanding results in all regions of Australia and across the entire industry, from the arts and major sporting events to local community festivals and our highly successful international event programs,” said Johnny Allen, foundation director of the Australian Centre for Event Management.

“Whether they are involved in small-scale events in regional Australia, or our high profile global events, the 2010 finalists should all be proud as they are making an invaluable contribution to Australia’s highly successful events industry.”

Regional Australia was again very well represented in this year’s list of finalists, with strong entries coming from regional South Australia, Byron Bay (NSW), Boddington Gold Mine (WA), Warrnambool (VIC), Port Douglas (QLD) and Glenworth Valley (NSW).

Several winners from the 2009 Awards have built on their successes and returned to hold their crown, with the Australian Open 2010, the Biennale of Sydney, Fun4Kids Festival, Maxxam International, 2 Fish and Peats Ridge Sustainable Arts and Music Festival all nominated as finalists this year.

The Sydney New Year’s Eve celebrations was a favourite with the judges, being named as a finalist in two categories, Best Tourism Event and in Best Achievement for Design, where design company Cre8ion will be up against the 2009 winner in this category 2Fish who are nominated for their work on the PURE Oasis.

Macquarie Visions, a public light art festival celebrating the bicentenary of visionary leader Governor Lachlan Macquarie, also proved popular with the judges as the event nominated for a total of three categories – AGB Events for Best New Event and The Electric Canvas for Best Achievement in Design and Best Achievement in Technical Production.

The increasing use of social media in events was reflected in the finalists with CPA Congress 2009 and Microsoft Australia’s work on Tech.Ed 2009 both recognised for engaging delegates via Twitter and social media. The City of Holdfast Bay have also used social media to their advantage and are a finalist in Best New Event for their innovative use of Twitter to mobilise a bike ride through South Australia with Lance Armstrong.

In the Best Export Category, judges were particularly impressed with the work of three companies in cementing Australia’s place in the international events market, with the 2009 winner Maxxam International nominated again to compete with David Atkins Enterprises and FACTOR168 Creative Event Company

Belle-Laide Events, Ian Morrison (Humm Pty Ltd) and the Queensland Government’s DET Programs and Events Team are all in the running for the prestigious Event Manager of the Year Award, the highest accolade awarded to an Australian event manager for exceptional work over a 12 month period.

The Australian Event Award winners will be announced at a decadent Gala Dinner at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre on Thursday 7 October.

With less than two months to go until this industry ‘Night of Nights’, anticipation is building around which event will be awarded the prestigious Australian Event of the Year Award. Considered the ultimate prize in the Australian Events industry, this award recognises an event that excels against the criteria of its Award category and demonstrates an outstanding example of best practice in events.

The 2010 Australian Event Awards is the national awards program to reward innovation, recognise excellence and unite the entire Australian Events Industry. Entries are open to any event staged between 1 July 2009 and 30 June 2010.

For more information about the Australian Event Awards, to enter or to register for updates, click here.

2010 finalists inlcude:

Best Sporting Event
• Australian Open 2010, Tennis Australia
• 2009 UCI Mountain Bike and Trials World Championships, Earlybird Marketing and Events / ACT Government
• Sydney 2009 World Masters Games, Sydney 2009 World Masters Games Organising Committee

Best Tourism Event
• 2010 Santos Tour Down Under, Events South Australia
• Sydney New Year’s Eve, City Of Sydney
• Sydney 2009 World Masters Games, Sydney 2009 World Masters Games Organising Committee

Best Charity or Cause-Related Event
• Million Paws Walk, RSPCA Australia
• Play for a Cure Celebrity Poker Challenge, Save Our Sons / Scope Productions Pty Ltd
• Sydney Schoolgirls’ Breakfast with the Stars, The Forum Group

CIM Best Meeting or Conference
• Industrial Manufacturing Technical Conference, G1 Productions
• Microsoft Tech.Ed 2009, Microsoft Australia
• 68th National Scientific Congress of the Australian Society of Anaesthetists, SAPMEA

Best Cultural or Arts Event
• 17th Biennale of Sydney | The Beauty of Distance: Songs of Survival in a Precarious Age, Biennale of Sydney
• 21st Bluesfest Byron Bay 2010
• WOMADelaide 2010, WOMADelaide Foundation

Best Corporate Event
• Newmont Boddington Gold Official Opening, Bright Communications & Rovis Media
• FOXTEL Next Generation Launch, Cambridge Events
• CPA Congress 2009, CPA Australia

I-SEC Group Best Community Event
• Sydney International FIFA Fan Fest, NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet, Community Engagement and Events Division
• Fun4Kids Festival, Warrnambool City Council
• Kickstarters Gascoyne Dash, Gascoyne Offroad Racing Club
• St Kilda Festival, City of Port Phillip

Best New Event
• Macquarie Visions, AGB Events
• Island Hopper (part of Crave Sydney Harbour Island Hopping), Cambridge Events
• Lance Armstrong Adelaide Twitter Ride, City of Holdfast Bay Event Management Business Unit

Best Achievement in Technical Production
• AV1 Audiovisual Production for their work on Highlights of Macbeth
• The Electric Canvas for their work on Macquarie Visions
• The Electric Canvas for their work on Vivid Live

Best Achievement in Design
• 2Fish for their work on The PURE Oasis
• Cre8ion for their work on 2009 Sydney New Year’s Eve
• The Electric Canvas for their work on Macquarie Visions

Most Innovative Use of Technology
• G1 Productions for their work on Industrial Manufacturing Technical Conference
• Microsoft Australia for their work on Tech.Ed 2009
• The P.A. People for their work on Sydney Festival

Best Achievement in Catering
• Atlantic Group [v] for their work on ANZ Christmas Party
• Belinda Franks Catering for their work on AGL Hydro-Electric Power Station Opening
• Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre for their work on 2010 Good Food & Wine Show

Spice Best Venue
• Doltone House Darling Island Wharf
• Flames of the Forest
• Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre

Best Product or Service
• Decorative Events & Exhibitions
• SPLnet, The P.A. People
• The Three Waiters International, Mardar Entertainment

Best Education or Training Program
• TAFE SA Tourism, Events & Languages, TAFE SA
• Tourism and Event Management, School of Management, UniSA
• Bachelor of Business (Event Management), Victoria University, School of Hospitality, Tourism & Marketing

Best Export
• David Atkins Enterprises
• FACTOR168 Creative Event Company
• Maxxam International

Best Marketing Campaign
• AC/DC Black Ice Tour, a-live for Garry Van Egmond
• Fun4Kids Festival, GenR8
• Sydney Royal Easter Show, Royal Agricultural Society of NSW

Young Achiever of the Year
• Melissa Park
• Renee Jolly
• Shannon Hocking

Best Achievement in Sustainability
• 21st Bluesfest Byron Bay 2010
• Grassroots Productions and ECO-Buy Limited for their work on ECO-Buy Awards for Excellence in Green Purchasing
• Peats Ridge Festival

Event Manager of the Year
• Belle-Laide Events
• DET Programs and Events Team, Corporate Communications and Marketing
• Iain Morrison – Humm Pty Ltd

Highly Commended
• NSW Caravan, Camping, RV & Holiday Supershow 2010, Caravan and Camping Industry Association NSW (Highly Commended – Best Exhibition)
• Saturday In Design, Indesign (Highly Commended – Best Exhibition)

• The “Paper Wedding”, Simply Georgeous Occasions (Highly Commended – Best Private Event)
• Mirabella Wedding, Décor It (Highly Commended – Best Private Event)

• The Leading Men for their work on the Franklin Annual Awards 2009 (Highly Commended – Best Achievement in Entertainment)
• Harcourts Group Australia for their work on Harcourts Conference Launch 2010 (Highly Commended – Best Achievement in Entertainment)

• Adelaide Fringe Inc and BankSA, Adelaide Fringe 2010 (Highly Commended Best Partnership by a Business or Media Outlet)
• Adelaide Fringe Inc and Nova 919, Adelaide Fringe 2010 (Highly Commended Best Partnership by a Business or Media Outlet)

The Australian Event of the Year:
The most prestigious award in the Australian Events Industry, the Australian Event of the Year Award will be selected from the winner in each of the Best Event Categories