Entry is for AEV members only and is free of charge.
Each member venue may submit up to three nominations per award cycle.
All entries must be submitted by line managers or senior leaders by the deadline of 16:00 (GMT) on Friday 18 September 2026.
All entries must be submitted online via email to info@aev.org.uk; no hard copy entries will be accepted.
Due to the volume of entries, AEV is unable to feedback on entries received.
Entries must meet the eligibility criteria as stated on the award entry page. Any entries that do not meet these criteria may be disqualified without notice.
Only fully completed entry forms will be accepted.
Word limits are to be strictly observed, and judges will disregard any words over the limit – please note only the questions with scores next to them are included in the word count. Total word count: 750-1,000 words (categories A-D) and 250 words for the summary. The word count is not included in the background or supporting information.
Judging: all entries will be reviewed by a panel of non-venue, independent judges selected by AEV. The judges’ decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into regarding the selection of entries.
The entry form represents the full and entire official entry. Attempts to further influence the judges by any means outside of, or in addition to, the official entry will result in disqualification.
On receipt of your entry, you will receive a confirmation email. If you do not receive this within three days, it is your responsibility to contact us to confirm its arrival. Unless you have this written or verbal confirmation from us, we cannot guarantee the receipt of your entry.
It is essential that we can contact you easily with questions regarding your entry or judging queries and requests for further information - please provide full contact details on the entry form.
The CLASS OF 2026 will be notified via email in early November, with announcement and awards presented to the CLASS OF 2026 at the AEV Conference on Thursday 26 November 2026 at Olympia. The recipients of the Emerging Talent Award will be published via the AEV websites and social media accounts thereafter. Receipt of the CLASS OF 2026 award may not be revealed by those individuals via any media until the conference end.
All individuals must be available to attend the conference to collect their award and will be contacted to discuss their complimentary attendance*. Entrants unable to commit to attendance at the conference will not be included in the final CLASS OF 2026.
Withdrawal: You may withdraw your entry by notifying us in writing before 16:00 (GMT) on Wednesday 30 September.
Data Protection: by entering, you consent to your personal data being used for the purposes of administering the awards. Your data will be processed in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
Publicity: if you are a nominee, you agree that your name, company name, photo and entry description may be used for promotional purposes across all media.
The AEV will publish details of the CLASS OF 2026 entrants, including profiles of their projects/ technologies/services etc., using the information taken from the entry form. We will not reveal the names of those companies/individuals who are not in the CLASS OF 2026.
Amendments: AEV reserves the right to amend these terms and conditions at any time. Any changes will be posted on the awards entry page.
* travel and accommodation not included.
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