The annual exhibition industry gathering has become renowned for the opportunities that it offers for association members to network, celebrate their successes, be recognised through awards and raise the bar for the year ahead.

According to the event, the cast of sponsors for the evening were integral to the evening's success. The '007' theme was prominent because of the décor that was sponsored by Unlimited Events, as well as the audiovisual and staging that was sponsored by Brandex and EPH.

The event was hosted was the Gallagher Convention Centre and the menu was prepared by its catering team. In keeping with the theme, the team at Barmotion welcomed guests with cocktails on arrival and cappuccinos. 

Scan Displays sponsored menus and programme table cards, and comedian Donavan Goliath — the MC for the evening — was sponsored by ExpoGuyskept. Guests dressed to fit the '007' attire and arrived on a mission with the 'licence to win'.

Over 370 guests attended, having registered on the EXBO reservation system. They were welcomed by registration staff sponsored by Provantage Proactive staffing. According to the event, the Exhibition Industry Awards was a "perfect gathering of the industry to celebrate the best of the best in 2019".

The evening was captured on video and photo by the team sponsored by Orange Orbit. The winners' moments were captured against the logo wall and registration desks were sponsored by GL Events. Additionally, the security team was sponsored by Lodge Security.

The AAXO 2019 ROAR Awards exhibition winners include:

  • 2019 Best Exhibition of the Year — World Travel Market Africa by Reed Exhibitions
  • Best Trade Exhibition under 6000 sqm — Africa Ports and Rail Evolution by dmg events
  • Best Trade Exhibition 6001-12 000 sqm — World Travel Market by Reed Exhibitions
  • Best Trade Exhibition over 12 000 sqm — Africa Utility Week and Powergen Africa by Clarion Events
  • Best Consumer Exhibition 6001-12 000 sqm — MamaMagic Baby Expo Johannesburg Winter by Exposure Marketing
  • Best Consumer Exhibition over 12 000 sqm — ComicCon Africa by Reed Exhibitions
  • Best Trade and Consumer Exhibition under 6000 sqm — Design Joburg by Media 10
  • Best Trade and Consumer Exhibition 6001-12 000 sqm — FIBO Global Fitness Africa by Reed Exhibitions
  • Best Trade and Consumer Exhibition over 12 000 sqm — Decorex Joburg by Reed Exhibitions
  • Best Table Top Exhibition — International Luxury Travel Market by Reed Exhibitions
  • Best Africa Bound Exhibition — Electra Mining Botswana by Specialised Exhibitions
  • Best Social Media Campaign — ComicCon Africa by Reed Exhibitions
  • Best industry member venue —  Ticketpro Dome
Individuals can click here to view the full list of winners.

The silent auction, which ran on the sponsored app by Necta, raised a total of R13 690. The items were donated by sponsors for the newly launched Industry Education Outreach Fund. This fund aims to provide grants to individuals who cannot afford to pay for the AAXO training programmes.

The awards have congratulated all of those who entered and "stood proud of their efforts in 2019. The industry salutes you, celebrates your success and will continually support you in your efforts for excellence." 

For more information, visit www.aaxo.co.za. You can also follow the AAXO ROAR Awards on Facebook or on Twitter.