Marketing Events Awards 2026 finalists revealed

The finalists for the Marketing Events Awards 2026 have been unveiled, shining a spotlight on the campaigns, teams and organisations redefining event marketing across South Asia, Southeast Asia and Oceania.

Now in its 15th edition, the awards recognise the region's most innovative work across 43 categories. This year also introduces two new categories, 'Best Technology Industry Event' and 'Best Tech-Powered Event', reflecting the growing role technology plays in creating more immersive, engaging and measurable event experiences.

The coveted 'Event Agency of the Year' and 'Event Marketer of the Year' titles will once again be awarded to the highest-performing organisations based on cumulative scores from an independent panel of senior client-side marketers from across the region.

Across this year's judging, one theme stood out: event marketing is becoming increasingly strategic. Judges noted that the strongest entries combined creativity with clear business objectives, audience-first thinking and measurable results, signalling a shift from well-executed events to purpose-driven experiences that deliver lasting impact.

Ivan Tan, brand director at Epitex, said the standout entries blended "bold thinking, thoughtful design, and emotional storytelling" to create experiences that resonated with audiences while delivering measurable impact.

Similarly, Pardeep Kainth, director of APAC meetings and events at The Coca-Cola Company, said this year's submissions demonstrated stronger strategic intent and a clearer connection between experience and business outcomes.

"The calibre of entries this year was strong, with many submissions showing clear strategic intent, thoughtful audience design and a sharper link between experience and impact. What stood out for me was the shift from well-run events to experiences built with purpose, where creativity, audience engagement and measurable outcomes came together in a meaningful way," added Kainth. 

Jessica Lee, former chief marketing officer at Coolblog, also highlighted the strategic maturity of this year's finalists.

"This year's entries demonstrated strong strategic thinking and clear frameworks from objectives to execution, regardless of whether they were short or long term campaigns. The overall standard reflected growing maturity in marketing effectiveness. What separated the strongest finalists was their ability to clearly connect results back to the goals and strategies set. Ultimately, the best entries performed consistently across strategy, execution and measurable impact," she said. 

Meanwhile, Tina Tong, general manager of group branding at Malaysia Aviation Group, said the submissions reflected the "breadth and dynamism" of the industry, with strong participation from financial institutions, technology companies and leading consumer brands.

Nigella Ngo, head of marketing at HOYA Vision Care, echoed the sentiment, saying many entries went beyond creating memorable experiences to deliver tangible business outcomes and meaningful audience impact.

"The calibre of entries at Marketing Events Awards 2026 was impressive, with many going beyond creating memorable experiences to deliver clear business impact and meaningful audience outcomes. It is encouraging to see the continued evolution of event marketing across the region," she added.

Winners will be announced on 13 August 2026 at The Ritz-Carlton, where the region's leading marketers, event professionals and agencies will gather to celebrate excellence in event marketing.

View the full list of finalists here.

To join the celebration, contact our project managers to reserve your seats:

Cariza Ratin

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Email: carizar@marketing-interactive.com

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Email: biancam@marketing-interactive.com

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