Exhibition Excellence Awards & Summit Celebrates 10 Years of Driving Excellence Across India’s Exhibitions, Conferences, MICE and Events Industry
The 10th Decennial Edition of the Exhibition Excellence Awards & Summit (EEA 2026) concluded on a historic note at the CIDCO Exhibition & Convention Centre, Navi Mumbai, recording its highest-ever participation with over 1,200 delegates and establishing itself as the largest edition in the platform’s ten-year history.
Organised by Exhibition Showcase, EEA 2026 brought together exhibition organisers, conference organisers, venue operators, event service providers, policymakers, entrepreneurs, industry associations and international leaders for a full day of knowledge sharing, networking, business opportunities and industry recognition.
The event also featured the largest-ever edition of India Event Expo, with 136 exhibiting booths, showcasing the latest innovations, technologies, venue solutions and services from the business events ecosystem.
Strong Government & International Participation
The opening ceremony witnessed participation from senior representatives of:
- Ministry of Tourism, Government of India
- Maharashtra Tourism
- Maharashtra Small Scale Industries Development Corporation (MSSIDC)
- India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO)
- National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC)
- Madhya Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (MPTDC)
The event also witnessed participation from leading international organisations including:
- UFI – The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry
- ICCA – International Congress and Convention Association
Among the distinguished international guests present were:
- Adeline Vancauwelaert, Chief Operating Officer, UFI – The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry
- Jeroen van Hooff, President & CEO, Royal Dutch Jaarbeurs and Board Member, UFI
- Jochen Witt, President & CEO, JWC GmbH, Germany
- Marco Carniello, Chief Business Officer, Italian Exhibition Group SpA, Italy
- Anju Gomes, Regional Director – Middle East & India, ICCA
- Naji El Haddad, Regional Director – Middle East & Africa, UFI
- Sebastian Witt, Managing Director, JWC GmbH, Germany
- Jason Stead, President, GES EMEA
The event further received support from major industry associations including IEIA, ICPB, IESA, EEMA, AESDAC, IWIA and several other leading industry bodies.
Knowledge Sessions Address Future Growth of Industry
EEA 2026 featured a comprehensive summit programme covering key themes critical to the future growth of the exhibitions and business events sector.
Discussions during the day focused on:
- Expansion and consolidation strategies for exhibition organisers
- International market sentiment and global business events trends
- Scaling India’s exhibition industry over the next five years
- International participation and destination competitiveness
- Capital investment and growth opportunities in the exhibition sector
- Global exhibition industry outlook and emerging opportunities
- Technology adoption and innovation within business events
- Building globally competitive exhibition brands from India
The sessions attracted strong participation from organisers, venues, associations, service providers and international delegates.
Leadership Roundtable Discusses Industry’s Role in Viksit Bharat 2047
One of the key highlights of EEA 2026 was the Leadership Roundtable on:
“Role of the Exhibition Industry in India’s Viksit Bharat @2047 Roadmap”
The session brought together government representatives, international associations, venue operators, exhibition organisers and industry leaders for a strategic discussion on the future direction of the sector.
Some of the major recommendations and discussion points included:
- Strengthening the role of convention bureaus and destination promotion organisations.
- Discussions around the continued development and strengthening of the Maharashtra Convention Bureau.
- Expanding exhibition and convention infrastructure capacity to meet future demand.
- Encouraging state governments and destination authorities to actively support exhibitions and business events coming into their respective cities.
- Creating an integrated ecosystem involving government, venues, organisers and industry stakeholders.
- Increasing the experiential and engagement elements within trade fairs and exhibitions.
- Attracting greater international participation and global partnerships.
- Investing in technology, AI and talent development for future industry growth.
The roundtable reinforced the growing recognition of exhibitions as strategic enablers of trade, tourism, investment and economic development.
India Event Expo Records Biggest Edition Yet
The co-located India Event Expo 2026 emerged as one of the largest attractions of the day, featuring 136 exhibiting brands and organisations representing event technology, fabrication, production, hospitality, logistics, venue solutions, experiential marketing and event services.
The exhibition floor remained active throughout the day, generating significant networking and business opportunities for participants.
Podcast Studios Receive Strong Industry Response
Dedicated podcast studios operated throughout the event and captured conversations with industry leaders, policymakers, entrepreneurs and international delegates.
The initiative received excellent feedback and generated a significant volume of content that will be released through Exhibition Showcase’s digital platforms in the coming weeks.
Live Competitions Showcase India’s Best
A major attraction of EEA 2026 was the Live Competition Segment, where shortlisted organisations presented before distinguished jury panels.
Exhibition Organisers Categories
- New Exhibition of the Year
- Excellence in Exhibition Concept & Originality
- Excellence in Industry Impact
- International Exhibition Leadership Award
- Outstanding Exhibition of the Year
Event Venues & MICE Hotels Categories
- India’s Outstanding Exhibition Venue of the Year
- Leadership in Venue Operations & Service
- Excellence in Hotel Services for MICE
Event Services Categories
- Leadership in Tech & Innovation
The live presentations remained highly competitive and drew strong audience participation throughout the day.
EEA Gala Awards Ceremony Celebrates Industry Excellence
The celebrations culminated with a packed-house EEA Gala Awards Ceremony, where the finest achievements across the exhibitions, conferences, MICE venues, hospitality and event services sectors were recognised and honoured.
The awards recognised organisations and individuals who have demonstrated exceptional performance, innovation, growth, leadership and industry impact over the past year. The evening also featured the announcement of results from the highly anticipated live competition categories, where shortlisted organisations presented before distinguished jury panels earlier in the day.
With participation from industry leaders, international dignitaries, government representatives, associations and stakeholders from across the business events ecosystem, the Gala Awards Ceremony reaffirmed EEA’s position as India’s most prestigious recognition platform for the exhibitions and MICE industry.
EEA 2026 AWARD WINNERS
EXHIBITION ORGANISERS
1. Industry Promotion Excellence Award
Runner Up: World Food India 2025
Winner: PlastIndia 2026
2. Outstanding Organisational Excellence – 2025
Runner Up: RX India
Winner: Informa Markets India
3. Excellence in Global Participation
Runner Up: ProWine Mumbai 2025
Winner: IMTEX Forming 2026
4. Knowledge Leadership Platform of the Year
Runner Up: Ad 2025
Winner: India Mobile Congress 2025
5. Outstanding Growth in Exhibitor Participation
Runner Up: India International Mega Trade Fair – Mumbai 2025
Winner: IHGF Delhi Fair Spring 2026
6. Exhibition Expansion of the Year
Runner Up: Poultry India Expo 2025
Winner: Indusfood 2026
7. Regional Powerhouse Exhibition Award
Runner Up: PharmaTech & LabTech Expo 2025
Winner: Agrovision 2025
8. Excellence in Exhibition Entrepreneurship
Runner Up: Harish Kumar
Winner: Ashita Marya
9. New Exhibition of the Year (Live)
Runner Up: Autostyle World Expo
Winner: India AI Impact Summit
10. Excellence in Exhibition Concept & Originality (Live)
Runner Up: FCI Cat Show
Winner: PALM Expo
11. Excellence in Industry Impact (Live)
Runner Up: Cable & Wire Fair
Winner: Paperex
12. International Exhibition Leadership Award (Live)
Runner Up: EEPC India
Winner: Radeecal Communications
13. Outstanding Exhibition of the Year (Live)
Runner Up: Indusfood 2026
Winner: Startup Mahakumbh
CONFERENCE ORGANISERS
1. Excellence in Knowledge Leadership – 2025
Runner Up: MEWA India 2026
Winner: The International Education & Skills Summit (TIESS) 2025
2. Industry Impact Conference – 2025
Runner Up: Indian Society for Non-Destructive Testing
Winner: Windergy India 2025
3. Conference Excellence Award – 2025
Runner Up: Bharat International Rice Conference (BIRC) 2025
Winner: IOACON 2025
4. Leadership in Industry Promotion – 2025
Runner Up: Global Economic Summit 2025
Winner: Bengaluru Tech Summit (BTS) Conference 2025
HOTELS & MICE VENUES
1. Iconic Hospitality Brand for MICE – 2025
Runner Up: ExpoInn Suites & Convention
Winner: Novotel Jaipur Convention Centre
2. Excellence in MICE Hospitality
Runner Up: Holiday Inn Mumbai International Airport
Winner: Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre & HICC
3. Pearl of MICE
Runner Up: Hotel Crowne Plaza Today, New Delhi, Okhla
Winner: The Leela Ambience Convention Hotel, Delhi
4. Excellence in Small & Mid-Scale MICE Venues
Winner: NSIC
5. India’s Outstanding Exhibition Venue of the Year (Live)
Runner Up: Yashobhoomi
Winner: India Exposition Mart Limited (IEML)
6. Leadership in Venue Operations & Service – 2025 (Live)
Runner Up: Novotel Jaipur Convention Centre
Winner: Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC)
7. Excellence in Hotel Services for MICE (Live)
Runner Up: Hotel Crowne Plaza Today, New Delhi, Okhla
Winner: The Leela Gandhinagar
EVENT SERVICE PROVIDERS
1. Excellence in Exhibition Delivery & Operations
Runner Up: Meroform India Pvt Ltd
Winner: Deepali Designs Pvt Ltd
2. Excellence in Conference Management
Runner Up: Concept Conferences Private Limited
Winner: MPSTDC
3. Excellence in Integrated Event Delivery
Runner Up: Pavilions and Interiors India Private Limited
Winner: Expro Events & Exhibits
4. Excellence in Event Structures
Runner Up: Jess Ideas Pvt Ltd
Winner: FAB India
5. Excellence in Service Delivery & Execution
Runner Up: Unique Exhibitions & Events
Winner: Blue Apple International
6. Outstanding Event Support Services
Runner Up: Grade Electricals Pvt Ltd
Winner: Shivom Enterprises
7. Global Project Delivery Excellence – 2025
Runner Up: BrainADZ Exhibits
Winner: Propshop Events & Exhibitions Limited
8. Excellence in Stall Fabrication
Runner Up: Link Promotions and Exhibits
Winner: Strides Design Studio Pvt Ltd
9. Excellence in Exhibition & Event Design
Runner Up: The Works International
Winner: Jess Ideas Pvt Ltd
10. Innovation in Design
Runner Up: Gautam Art
Winner: Aimsite Events
11. Excellence in Sustainable Event Solutions
Runner Up: Illuminati India
Winner: Global Experience Specialists India Private Limited
12. Excellence in Onsite Event Operations
Runner Up: Seasons Catering Services Pvt Ltd
Winner: Namdhari Events N Promotions (P) Ltd
13. Excellence in Event Technology
Runner Up: Scanbiz Technologies LLP – Scan2Card
Winner: Introbot AI
14. Leadership in Tech & Innovation – 2025 (Live)
Runner Up: Event Titans
Winner: Young Mirchies
A Decade of Industry Building
Speaking on the occasion, Raghav Khosla, Founder of EEA and Group Editor of Exhibition Showcase, said:
“When we launched EEA ten years ago, the objective was to create a platform that recognised excellence and brought the industry together. Today, seeing over 1,200 leaders gather under one roof, witnessing the largest-ever India Event Expo and celebrating the achievements of hundreds of organisations is truly humbling. This milestone belongs to the entire industry.”
Event Photos Available Online
📸 Photo Gallery:
https://samaroai.samaro.ai/exhibition-excellence-awards-summit-2026/gallery/media
Delegates, speakers, award winners, exhibitors and partners are encouraged to visit the gallery and download their photographs.
About EEA
The Exhibition Excellence Awards & Summit (EEA) is India’s leading platform dedicated to recognising excellence across exhibitions, conferences, conventions, MICE venues and event services. Organised by Exhibition Showcase, EEA brings together industry leaders, policymakers, organisers, venues and service providers to celebrate achievements and drive the future growth of the business events industry.
Knowledge • Networking • Recognition
