European Association Awards 2027

Celebrating excellence in the Association community

The European Association Awards recognise outstanding Association projects and the professionals who deliver them. A jury of Association leaders selects the winning projects, which are then shared across the sector as examples of best practice.

What’s in it for the Winners?

Take the stage at the Awards Ceremony and hold your trophy in front of 300 Association professionals.
Get a video interview showcasing your winning project- See your case study published in Boardroom Magazine.
Gain the opportunity to present your case study later in the year to an engaged ESAE audience.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

The DEI Award recognises projects that foster inclusive environments, promote equal opportunities and celebrate diversity. Your initiative may focus on the work that you did within your own organisation or your outreach towards your members and the wider public.

Event Innovation

The Event Innovation Award goes to an Association that rethinks how its meetings and events are designed and delivered. New formats, creative use of space and technology or sustainable approaches are all great fits.

Digital Communication

The Digital Communication Award recognises Associations that use digital tools creatively ; either to grow their outreach among members and stakeholders, represent their interests to Institutions and the public or to communicate better internally.

Impact & Legacy

The Impact & Legacy Award honours projects that put an Association's vision and values into action with measurable long-term results. Legacy initiatives and charity work that go beyond the usual cycle of Association activities. are strong examples.

Advocacy Campaign

The Advocacy Campaign Award recognises Associations that ran a targeted campaign to influence policy or public debate on behalf of their members. Campaigns that brought positive change to society, built strong coalitions or shifted public opinion are all strong examples.

How to apply

Submissions open on 23 October 2026 and close on 1 February 2027. Save the date and start gathering your project data.

Who can apply
Any membership-based, not-for-profit Association carrying out some of its activities in Europe can apply, and ESAE membership is not required. Applications submitted directly by Association Management companies, public authorities or corporate entities are not eligible. Each Association can enter two categories with a maximum of 2 different project in each.

What you'll need
Once registered on the submission platform, you'll share a project title and short description, the KPIs you used and your quantitative data, including overall budget and measurements. The final questions cover lessons learned and next steps aligned with your organisation's mission and vision. You can save your application and return to it later.

What happens next
After the deadline, the ESAE Secretariat checks eligibility and shares the applications with the jury. Finalists are announced on 24 February 2027, and the winners receive their trophies at the Awards Ceremony on 29 April 2027 in Brussels.

Key dates
Submissions open 23 October 2026
Submission deadline 1 February 2027
Finalists announced 24 February 2027
Awards Ceremony 29 April 2027

Application Process

After registrations are closed, the Secretariat verify eligibility. Applications are shared with the jury for evaluation.

Eligibility Criteria

Any Association (i.e.: membership-based, not-for-profit, organisation) conducting some of its activities in Europe can apply, regardless of whether it is an ESAE member or not.
Nominations from Association Management companies directly, public authorities or corporate entities are not eligible.
An Association can apply for two different categories but with different projects.
After registering to the platform, applicants can begin their submission by providing a title and short description, KPIs used, as well as quantitative data, including overall budget and measurements. Finally, they will be asked for the lessons learned and the future steps aligned with their organisation's mission and vision.
Applications can be saved and be resumed at a later stage if not all data is in hand.

Language

All submissions must be in English.

Finalists

Shortlisted candidate are notified by email and introduced to the Community in a dedicated post on ESAE's communication channels.

Venue
TheMerode | Place Poelaert 6, 1000 Brussels
A beautifully renovated 16th-century building in the heart of Brussels, right next to the Palace of Justice.

* TheMerode is on Place Poelaert in the city centre, a long way from Merode metro station in Etterbeek. Plan your route to Place Poelaert and you'll be in the right spot.

By metro
Louise station on lines 2 and 6 is about a five-minute walk away. Both lines run directly from Brussels-Midi.

By tram
Trams 92 and 93 stop at Poelaert, a two-minute walk from the door.

By train
From Brussels-Midi, hop on metro 2 or 6 to Louise. Coming from Brussels Airport, take the train to Brussels-Midi and switch there.

By car
Interparking Place Poelaert sits right on the square. Parking in the area is limited, so public transport is the easier option.

By bike
TheMerode has bike parking on site.

You have a question? Get in touch at info@esae.eu and we'll be happy to help.