Submission deadline has passed: The BrandEx Award 2027 brings the future of live communication into focus

The deadline for entries to the BrandEx Award 2027 has passed. National and international companies had until 31 August to submit their live communication projects for the creative competition. The jury’s work now begins. Over the coming months, the 22-member jury will evaluate the submitted projects – which must have taken place within the last year and a half – whilst also highlighting the ideas, concepts and solutions that are currently shaping the development of the industry.

This year’s call for entries alone demonstrates the direction in which live communication is heading: experiences are becoming more personal, spaces more communicative, technology more integral and impact more important.

 With ‘Best Creator Event’, BrandEx 2027 is introducing a dedicated category for formats for the first time. In doing so, the award is responding to a trend in which live experiences are increasingly being conceived as a starting point for digital communities and extendable content.

The rebranding from ARCHITECTURE to SPATIAL COMMUNICATION also reflects this shift. The focus is no longer solely on the design of a space, but on its communicative impact as a brand world, an experiential space and part of a holistic experience. The ‘Best Store Concept / Best Retail’ and ‘Smartest Solutions’ categories also highlight concepts that more closely interlink space, brand, technology and usage.

Less scale, more relevance

At the same time, the entries point to the growing importance of curated and targeted formats. High-quality interactions, personalised experiences and formats with clear objectives are gaining ground over the mere pursuit of ‘bigger, faster, more spectacular’. At the same time, there is a growing demand to design experiences that are not only emotionally compelling but also strategically and economically effective.

In this context, artificial intelligence is evolving from an experiment into an operational tool. Personalisation, networking, content production, visitor management and analysis can increasingly be supported by data. However, the connection between technology and human interaction remains crucial: AI can improve processes – but the quality of a genuine interaction must continue to be delivered by live communication itself.

Another key criterion is sustainability. At BrandEx 2027, evidence of sustainable measures in the main category ‘EVENT’ will be mandatory right from the first submission phase. Environmental, social and economic aspects will be assessed. Sustainability is thus understood not as an add-on, but as an integral part of professional planning and implementation.

The jury’s work now begins

With the closing of the submission deadline, the next phase of BrandEx 2027 begins. The first stage of submission consisted of a concise concept paper, a justification for why the entry deserves an award, and visual material.

Which projects ultimately prevail will be decided by the jury. The winners of the BrandEx Award 2027 will be honoured on 19 January 2027 in Dortmund.

The BrandEx Award thus remains not only a competition but also a barometer for developments in live communication: Which ideas create genuine relevance? How are AI and digital extensions changing the experience? What role do spaces, communities and creators play? And how can we create experiences that are both sustainable and impactful? The submitted projects will provide some answers to these questions.