European Association Awards
Celebrating excellence among the Association Community!
About
The European Association Awards identify and reward projects that can inspire the whole Community. They aim to highlight the knowledge and team members who usually stay out of the spotlight. The main goal is to learn from best practices and transferable knowledge and reinforce the broader Association community. In 2024, the European Association Awards Ceremony will be held during the European Association Summit.
Each award, from Impact to Digital Communication, Event Transformation, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, highlights inspiring projects that drive our collective vision forward. It's a tribute to those transformative ideas and the dedicated individuals who often remain behind the scenes, shaping a more dynamic and inclusive future for our Associations.
Liesbeth Switten, Secretary General, AIB & Chair of the European Association Awards 2024
4 categories
Impact
The 'Impact Award' rewards any project that focuses more on the overarching vision and values of an Association than on its day-to-day operations. This can include a Legacy project, a charity initiative, a mentoring or educational programme, or a change of policy.
Digital Communication
The 'Digital Communication Award' rewards the use of innovative digital tools in the optimisation of an Association's outreach or of its ability to represent the interests of its members towards institutions and the general public.
Event Transformation
The 'Event Transformation Award' rewards innovation in the rethinking of an Association's meetings and events. It can pertain to the design and format of an event, or to the use of new technologies to make it more inclusive, efficient, sustainable, or able to reach more stakeholders.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)
The 'DEI Awards' rewards projects built around the principles of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Those projects can apply DEI internally, within the Association, or externally, with regard to its members, stakeholders, or the general public. The Award will also consider the concrete impact of the presented projects.
European Association Awards 2024
Applications are open!
Start your application process by filling out the form below. You will receive an email containing a link to complete your application.
Timeline
Applications Period
17 January to 12 April
Jury Deliberations
19 April 2024
Finalists Reveal
29 April 2024
Awards Ceremony
22 May 2024
Jury Members
Liesbeth Switten
Secretary General, AIB
Chair of the European Association Awards 2024
Chiara Gasparotto
Deputy CEO, ESTRO
Co-Chair ESAE's Governance & DEI Community
Angela Guillemet
Executive Director, INCON
Board Member, ESAE
Glen Burridge
Executive Director, EFG
Co-Chair ESAE's Sustainability & Legacy Community
Sharon Ashton
Open Academy & Events Director, EURORDIS
Co-Chair ESAE's Events Management Community
Remi Deve
Chief Editor, Boardroom Magazine
Susan West
Adjunct Faculty, Executive Education, Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management
Karen Gonzales, CEM, CMP-F
Director, Global Development, IAEE
ASAE Member, International Associations Advisory Council
Application Process & Policy
What is the application process?
After registrations are closed, the ESAE Secretariat will verify that the eligibility criteria are met, and forward the nominations to the jury for their deliberation in early April. The application process is supported by EVALATO.
What are the eligibility criteria?
Any Association (i.e.: membership-based, not-for-profit, organisation) conducting some of its activities in Europe can apply to be nominated, regardless of whether they are ESAE members or not. There is no application fee.
Nominations from Association Management companies directly, public authorities or corporate entities will not be considered eligible.
An Association can apply for two different categories but with two different projects.
The submitted proposals must be inspiring, tangible, strategic, transferable and impactful.
Can I see the questions before submitting my application?
You can pre-register on the Evalato platform by filling in your details and clicking the 'register' button above. Once you access the registration form, you can save it as a draft and complete your application later. This will give you enough time to make the best application possible!
Other questions?
If you have any questions, either on the topics, the process, or about sponsoring an Award, don't hesitate to contact with ESAE's Secretariat at info@esae.eu
The 2024 European Association Awards 2024 are supported by:
Digital Communication
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Event Transformation
Impact Award
Application Process
European Association Awards 2023 Winners
Impact Award
At the International Liver Congress in London, UK, EASL introduced a range of impactful social projects aimed at enhancing liver health awareness and fostering early detection and screening. These initiatives signify EASL's long-term dedication to expanding and fortifying these endeavors to ensure lasting and sustainable impact.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Award
Founded and driven together with Electrolux Food Foundation, the 'Like a Chef' program is an employment training initiative that provides professional culinary skills to underprivileged individuals. The program emphasizes on sustainable cooking methods with a zero food waste approach over 9 weeks. The program empowers various groups in need, including immigrant women, single parents, and orphaned teenagers, to provide for themselves and their families. With over 1000 graduates, there have been 8 training centers around the world (Poland, Sweden, Russia, Ukraine, Egypt, Brazil).
Event Transformation Award
#FoodFuture Ideas Fest
In June 2022, FoodDrinkEurope broke away from the traditional Brussels annual event script. Rather than opting for a classic conference hall, the Association erected three spacious tents in the picturesque garden of the Museum of Natural Sciences, where they proudly presented their inaugural #FoodFuture Ideas Festival and Summer Party. This extraordinary event showcased 23 groundbreaking ideas that shaped the future of food.
Digital Communication Award
The growth of AIJA’s LinkedIn page
AIJA developed a digital communication strategy on LinkedIn to increase impact, visibility, and presence. They did not use financial resources and achieved results only through sponsor visibility, collaboration with international associations, and work with management committees and interest groups. This strategy, which proved to be very successful, allowed Them to increase followers from 13,585 in January 2022 to 17,750 in December 2022, which is equivalent to a +30% growth.
Discover more inspiring projects by learning more about the finalists of the European Association Awards 2023.