The Maldives' stand won the award for the 'Best Stand Design over 150 sq m' category at the World Travel Market London 2023. 

 

The Best Stand Awards have been judged by an expert panel consisting of Paul Richer, Senior Partner, Genesys Digital Transformation; Helen Roberts, Leadership Coach and James Campion, Head of Exhibition Sales, ExCeL.

 

Best Newcomer: Iraqi Ministry of Culture, Tourism & Antiquities S7-510: The judges liked the striking, creative design of the stand, which was inviting from a visitor’s perspective, and which was authentic, evocative and truly representative of the Iraqi culture, while also having room to do business.

 

Best Stand Design under 50 sq m: Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau S9-318: The stand was praised for being eye-catching and inviting, cleverly lit with lots of small lanterns and neon lights, which the judges said “made you feel as though you were in a part of Tokyo”.  Judges were also impressed with the stand’s clever use of space.   

 

Best Stand Design between 50-150 sq m: Instituto Guatemalteco de Tourismo – Inguat S1-400: The judges said the Inguat stand had a distinctive and contemporary design, making the best use of space, which helped it stand out from the crowd.

 

Best Stand Design over 150 sq m: Maldives Marketing & Public Relations Corporation S10-202: The stand’s multi-dimensional approach made the judges feel they really were in the Maldives, with stand-out features including a walk-through tunnel with under the sea scene, hanging fish and a beach huts. The upper level of the stand was dedicated to people meeting for business.

 

Best Stand for Doing Business: Sernatur Antofagasta S2-400: The judges praised the stand for its well-planned layout, which included a variety of spaces, such as tables in an open area and a closed off meeting section, for people who wanted more privacy. The judges said it was a “great stand to do business on”.

 

Best Stand Feature: Kerala Tourism S11-220: Two giant, ornate cow statues, towering at the entrance to the stand, one in red and one in white, really stood out as being impactful stand features drawing attention of visitors, the judges said.  

 

James Campion, Head of Exhibition Sales, ExCeL said: “The stands at WTM London are always of such a high quality with so much thought being put into the creative designs balanced with effective use of space to do business.  I’ve been especially impressed this year and the decisions were much debated amongst myself and the other judges before deciding on the very worthy winners.” - TradeArabia News Service