The Association Event of the Year™ recognises an outstanding event run by an association since January 2024. Event formats including seminars series, conferences, exhibitions, world congresses and others are welcome.

As part of Associations Forum membership, Silver and Gold members can submit nominations for free, Bronze members pay a $250 nomination fee, and non-members pay $1,000. Invoices will be issued upon receipt of the application, with submission confirmed once payment is received.

Each organisation is permitted to submit only one nomination.

Submissions must be received by 5pm (AEST), Friday 1 August 2025. All award nominations are treated as strictly confidential and only shared with judges and relevant staff.

All finalist Associations are required to have a representative attendance at the Association Awards™ Dinner, on Thursday 6 November 2025 at Novotel Melbourne Airport. For more information and to register click here.

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* 1. Association Details:

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* 2. Approving CEO or Chair/President:

Please submit a statement (800 words or less) stating the case for this event to be Association Event of the Year. You may address the relevant areas below:

  1. Date and Location of the Event: State the name of the event, the date(s) it was held, and whether it was in-person or hybrid. If in-person, state the venue and city/country. If hybrid, state the online platform used.
  2. Event Description: Describe the format and style of the event, such as seminars series, conferences, exhibitions and world congresses. Was it an ongoing or new event?
  3. Purpose of the event: Describe the event’s purpose within the mission of your association, and how it addressed the needs or priorities of your members or sector at the time. Explain if the purpose was to educate members, bring together suppliers, raise funds or other reason.
  4. Attendee information: Provide attendee numbers and key demographics (e.g., members vs non-members, international/local participants, job levels such as CEOs, managers, students, etc.). Indicate whether attendance numbers met or exceeded expectations and how it compared to previous years.
  5. Concept and Execution of the Event: Describe how the event idea originated, and the planning process involved. Highlight any innovations in format, programming, logistics, or technology. Any key partnerships, speaker recruitment, content development, and marketing approaches may be mentioned. Was the event run in-house or in conjunction with an external Professional Conference Organiser (PCO)?
  6. Finances: Noting that submissions will be treated confidentially, please indicate the general level of income, expenditure, and surplus on the event. If candidate associations wish this to be done informally rather than in writing by way of brief interview, that may be possible.
  7. Attendee Feedback and Impact: Summarise attendees experience include quantitative data (e.g. satisfaction scores, Net Promoter Score) and qualitative feedback (e.g. testimonials). Highlight which aspects were most praised (e.g. speakers, content, networking, logistics). Did the event have impact on a cause or area beyond being a valuable member service?
  8. Reflections and Areas for Further Improvement: If relevant, state any areas for improvement or challenges identified through post-event evaluations or internal reviews. Briefly share any changes or innovations you plan to implement at future events as a result of this feedback.
  9. Summary of Case to be awarded Association Event of the Year: In 50 words or less, state the reasons that this event should be awarded Association Event of the Year.

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* 3. Please upload your submission statement (800 words or less).

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Supporting Documents: In addition to your written submission, please upload the following:
  • The event programme or agenda, with summaries acceptable.
  • Financial summary (which will be viewed confidentially and may be delivered verbally rather than in writing) indicating income, expenditure and any surpluses generated
  • Any other relevant materials (e.g. marketing collateral, screenshots, testimonials, press coverage or videos)

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* 4. Supporting Document 1

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* 5. Supporting Document 2

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* 6. Supporting Document 3

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* 7. Please provide your organisation's high resolution logo (png).

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