For the second time, and during EuroShop 2023, IFES is honouring outstanding Innovations and Developments with its IDIA Awards. These awards follow the trade fair cycle and will next be announced at EuroShop 2026.The IFES Development + Innovation Award (IDIA) celebrates groundbreaking advances, developmental improvements, outstanding implementations as well as visionary plans and studies that “stand out from the crowd.”
The focus is on benefits in daily use as well as innovative strength, cost-effectiveness and sustainable use.
Whether it is the development, planning and use of special materials, outstanding production processes or innovative services. This award not only acknowledges the developers of products or solutions, but also companies that improve processes and make innovative use of existing products and services.
Awarding CriteriaThe applications were awarded under the following criteria:
- Grade of Innovation / Development: What is the extent of the innovation performance or the further development through the submission?
- Economic benefit / Advantage of use: How economically sensible is it to use the submission? What is the economic advantage?
- Sustainability / Ecological Impact: What is the sustainable impact of the submission. The focus is on both ecology and CSR.
- USP: The USP aims to evaluate the competitive advantage offered by the submission. This takes into account the length of the period of time until early adopters can imitate the submission too.
The Independent IDIA JuryThe IDIA is initiated by IFES, but the decision about who wins is taken by an independent Jury consisting of several experts:
- Justin Hawes is an experienced Managing Director with a demonstrated history of working in the exhibitions industry. He is a strong business development professional skilled in Event Planning, Advertising, Sales, Strategic Planning, and Business Development. Justin is a Chartered accountant.
- Silke Schulte has been working in the trade fair industry for more than 30 years. Since 2017, as Managing Director of ESG Einkaufs- und Servicegesellschaft mbH, she has been responsible for the demand-oriented networking of purchasing companies and supplier partners in trade fair, exhibition and event construction. Her interdisciplinary knowledge in these areas distinguishes her as an industry expert.
- Elke Moebius, studied Romance languages, literature and economics and rounded up her studies with stays abroad in the United States, Argentina and France. In 1996, she joined Messe Düsseldorf and took over project management responsibilities in Russia as early as in 1997. In 2008, she assumed the position of Global Head Retail & Retail Technology at Messe Düsseldorf, where she is responsible for the world's no.1 retail trade fair EuroShop and the leading retail technology trade fair EuroCIS in Düsseldorf as well as for China in-store in Shanghai and in-store Asia in Mumbai.
- Clemens Arnold is Managing Director at 2bdifferent - the consulting agency for sustainability in the event industry. With comprehensive expertise, Clemens advises companies, associations, organizations, event organizers and agencies from the event and sports business. With his training as Corporate Responsibility Manager at the University of Bayreuth and as a trainer of the German Sustainability Code, he applies sustainable concepts at companies in the MICE and live communication industry to develop their business operations in a sustainable way. Another field of expertise includes the analysis, evaluation and optimization of trade fairs, congresses, conferences, roadshows, corporate & sports events as well as digital formats according to ecological, social and economic criteria. He is a member of the jury of the PSI Sustainability Awards. As a lecturer at the TU Chemnitz, the IST University Düsseldorf and the German Hotel Academy Cologne, he teaches "Sustainable Event Management and CSR" to students.
These are the winners of the IDIA 2023:
1st Place: Moss - SUSTAINATEX OCEAN FABRICGlobal tension fabric giant, Moss, took first prize. Their product submission presented an exclusive 100% recycled fabric produced for the Global Exhibition market. SustainaTex Ocean Fabric is produced entirely from upcycled plastic (including marine plastic) and recycled polyester, giving marketers an opportunity to activate their brand in a sustainable way. Moss has signed a license agreement with the SEAQUAL initiative, a community that works with ocean clean‐up programs, to transform recovered marine plastic into SEAQUAL yarn. The company has also removed all PVC from their gaskets, and ships all SEG fabrics in recyclable bags made of 100% recyclable material.
Taking this development even further, Moss offsets all carbon associated with their production activities in the US and in Europe through a German carbon consulting company, ClimatePartner, so that the production method of this fabric is truly carbon neutral.
Statement of the JuryThis product sends a clear signal to our industry that there are superior options that we can use in many of our projects to improve sustainability.The action of taking waste from the sea and turning it into something useful touches many of us personally, and in fact Moss may have already made their mark on the judges as we will be looking out for this material to incorporate into our own projects. SustainaTex is a good solution to using waste from the sea. It may not be the final answer, but it is a good solution to take us a step forward.2nd Place: beMatrix ProjectC!™beMatrix, Belgium took second place with ProjectC!™, their masterplan towards sustainable success across all levels of product, company, and industry with a lasting focus on Economic and Social sustainability.
The plan is for the Company to go Carbon Neutral by 2026, through employee awareness creation and a transparent reduction plan. beMatrix envisioned, described, and detailed the concept phase during 2020-2021, and roll-out began in 2021 under the leadership of the C!&SO (Chief !nnovation and Sustainability Officer), Edwin Van der Vennet and the beMatrix Sustainability team, with the support of external specialists in measuring, reducing & contributing.
ProjectC!™ recommends approaching sustainability with transparency and a positive mindset and integrating it into the business operation by means of:
- Product development and optimisation to reduce the footprint, avoid waste, optimise reuse, and identify best options using Product Footprint Calculations.
- Company: Calculating the absolute and relative footprint of every single aspect of a company and finding creative, innovative ways to reduce the footprint.
- Industry: Rethinking the cooperation across the value chain in the event industry (with the Net Zero Events Initiative) including service suppliers to create closer collaboration and more integrated sustainable actions.
Statement of the JuryIt’s critical to start sustainability initiatives from the top level and incorporate them throughout the company at every touchpoint. beMatrix is using a management approach, and this is why their plan is a winner. It’s so exciting to see that they have really thought about what they are doing and have already started implementing changes. ProjectC!™ is a very impressive Roadmap to take them into a fully circular economy, and they are certainly on a good path to achieve ISO 20121 certification as well.. 3rd Place: Kadmon-Brin and GO EXHIBITIONS: TEVA Api Booth The third place is awarded to Kadmon-Brin for their thoughtful design of the TEVA Api Booth at CPHI, Frankfurt. Their client requested an "out‐of‐the‐box +sustainability concept" and Kadmon-Brin exceeded their expectations with this unusual concept empowered by sustainability. This challenging design was built by GO EXHIBITIONS who combined beMatrix modular system in a very creative way at the highest standard. The TEVA stand’s perimeter walls and counters were constructed completely out of cardboard boxes, designed not only for the look, but also for the structural stability. The stand’s 5 meeting rooms and kitchen/storage all had glass doors and windows mounted into cardboard walls.
Not only did the concept make use of cradle‐to‐cradle sustainable material with a low carbon footprint, but it also ensured that more than 90% of the stand building material was reusable or recyclable, with very little waste. Even the relatively big Videowall was made of beMatrix modular system covered with recycled textile banner. High efficiency LED lighting and a suspended vertical garden provided the finishing touches.
Statement of the Jury:A really great initiative to see carboard boxes used in this way! The look and the curved walls worked very well in the context, showing us what is possible when you work with different types of material in trade fair construction. This is not an out of reach complex design; it shows what you can do with a normal booth when you just put in a little extra thought, so it has broad appeal.
This is a tangible, experiential, “out-of-the-box” product. A very cool project that speaks for itself! Contact details:IFES AISBL, Rue de l’Amazone 2, B 1050 Brussels; www.ifesnet.org
For further inquiries please contact:
Robyn D’Alessandro, robyn@ifesnet.org , +27 67 684 3376
Exhibitor Data Sheet