A' Design Awards opens 2026 call for trade show exhibit entries

A' Design Award & Competition has opened nominations for its 2026 Trade Show Architecture, Interiors, and Exhibit Design Awards, with entries due Sept. 30, 2026 and results set for May 1, 2027. The global competition targets designers, architects, event professionals and trade show brands, with eligible projects from the past 10 years.

Why it matters: - The competition gives trade show and exhibit designers a global stage for work that shapes brand communication, visitor flow and showroom experiences. - Winners can gain media exposure, jury recognition and promotional tools that may help extend the commercial life of a project.

What happened: - A' Design Award & Competition opened the call for entries to the A' International Trade Show Architecture, Interiors, and Exhibit Design Awards 2026. - The awards are open worldwide to trade show designers, exhibition designers, event planners, interior designers, architects, branding agencies, marketing firms, graphic designers, industrial designers, visual merchandising experts, retail designers, lighting designers, sound engineers, multimedia artists, trade show brands, trade show manufacturers, trade show professionals, government organizations for trade promotion, exhibition innovation firms, consultancy groups and research and development companies. - Eligible work includes trade show booths, exhibition spaces and exhibit environments created within the last 10 years. - The deadline for entries is Sept. 30, 2026. - Results will be announced May 1, 2027.

The details: - The competition uses a two-phase process that starts with a complimentary preliminary evaluation. - Projects that pass the preliminaries can move forward to nomination, with a nominal fee required for nomination consideration. - Entries are evaluated anonymously by an international jury of more than 300 academics, architects, exhibition designers, branding experts, marketing professionals and industry specialists. - Judging focuses on innovation, spatial quality, visitor experience and design excellence. - Eligible project types include exhibition booths, trade show stands, pavilions, showroom interiors, exhibition architecture, pop-up installations, display systems and branded environments. - The sub-categories and descriptions are listed in the category page. - Professional-edition laureates receive the A' Design Prize. - The prize package includes a Design Excellence Certificate, lifetime use of the winner logo, a yearbook of best designs, exhibitions of awarded works in Italy, an exclusive trophy, an invitation to the gala night La Notte Premio A', translation of awarded works into foreign languages, entry to Prime Clubs, and placement in World Design Rankings, Designer Rankings, Trade Show Design Classifications and Design Legends platforms. - Laureates also receive an exclusive interview published on the Designer Interviews website and included in press kits. - Winners get a press release prepared for the award announcement. - The press kit includes the interview, award press release, design images, designer photos, the client logo, dozens of high-resolution photos and images, and a portfolio previewing other projects by the designer. - Press kits will be distributed to thousands of press members accredited by A' Design Awards. - Dozens of press partners have already confirmed they will publish selected winning projects. - The press kit preparation service and the A' Design Prize are provided free of charge to laureates.

Between the lines: - The awards are designed not just to rank projects, but to amplify them through a built-in publicity pipeline. - The emphasis on anonymous judging and a large jury signals an effort to frame the contest as merit-based rather than sponsor-driven. - The broad eligibility list suggests A' Design Award is targeting the full ecosystem behind trade show and exhibit production, not only architects.

What's next: - Designers and organizations can register and submit entries through the entry page. - Past winners are available at the winners page. - More award information is available on the category page and at designaward.com. - Winners will be announced in May 2027, followed by prize fulfillment and publicity distribution.