RAI Amsterdam has won the Venue Team of the Year Award at the 30th AEO (Association of Exhibition Organisers) Excellence Awards. They were awarded for their successful transformation of the traditional format of the financial industry event Money20/20. They turned it into a dynamic combination of exhibition, festival, and conference. AEO confers annual Excellence Awards on businesses that contribute remarkably to the exhibition industry.
RAI Amsterdam successfully made it to the shortlist in the category of ‘Venue Team of the Year’. They emerged as winners, surpassing tough competition from seven other nominees. The nominees included Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, ExCel London, and NEC Birmingham. “The RAI demonstrates an excellent passion, creativity and innovation,” explained the jury report. “Working in close partnership with their client to create a festival format, this case study demonstrates a great example of creating a positive venue experience for visitors.”
RAI Amsterdam Embracing The Challenge
Initially, the innovative concept for this new format was devised by the organisers of Money20/20. The event required a distinctive theme, seamlessly implemented across all halls. They strategically integrated catering stations into the event floor. It eliminated the need for a separate catering location. This integration aimed to enhance the overall experience and create an immersive atmosphere. Simultaneously, the event needed to showcase the strong connection between Money20/20 and Amsterdam, emphasizing the city’s finance sector.
RAI COO Maurits van der Sluis reported the following: They embraced the challenge. They successfully transformed the entire building. They aligned it with the event’s theme. Moreover, he added, “This required leveraging on our local connections in a new way and I’m proud of how we stepped up our game to meet these demands and fully satisfy the client’s expectations.”
About the AEO Excellence Awards
The AEO Excellence Awards represent the best that the events industry has to offer. It recognises and celebrates exceptional organiser achievements, standards of excellence from venues and service quality by suppliers and contractors throughout the industry.