Be there in person when the winners of the BrandEx Award 2027 are announced in Dortmund on January 19, 2027, and experience firsthand which ideas are shaping the future of live communication. Up-to-date information on the awards ceremony, ticket sales, and the venue will be published on the BrandEx website:
The BrandEx Award 2026 trophies in gold, silver, and bronze. Photo credit: © BrandEx / Oliver Wachenfeld
A look inside a BrandEx Award 2026 jury meeting. Photo credit: © BrandEx / Oliver Wachenfeld
Martina Ernsting-Elsner (left) and Larissa Klegraf from the BrandEx Award project management team. Photo credit: © BrandEx / Oliver Wachenfeld
A moment on stage at the BrandEx Award 2026 ceremony in Dortmund. Photo credit: © BrandEx / Oliver Wachenfeld
BRANDEX AWARD 2027 · INTERVIEW
Award-winning teams and projects from the BrandEx Award 2026 together on stage. Photo credit: © BrandEx / Oliver Wachenfeld
The submission deadline for the BrandEx Award 2027 has passed, and the 22-member jury is now beginning its work. We spoke with Larissa Klegraf and Martina Ernsting-Elsner (project managers for the BrandEx Award) about new categories, the importance of sustainability and artificial intelligence, and their excitement about the awards ceremony on January 19, 2027, in Dortmund.
Ms. Klegraf, the submission deadline for the BrandEx Award 2027 was August 31, 2026. What’s your initial assessment?
Larissa Klegraf: The call for entries itself already showed where our industry is headed: experiences are becoming more personal, spaces more communicative, technology more of a given, and impact more important. Now the real work begins: over the coming months, our 22-member jury will review and evaluate all projects from the past year and a half submitted in the main categories EVENT and SPATIAL COMMUNICATION.
In 2027, “Best Creator Event” is being introduced as a new subcategory within the main category EVENT. What’s the idea behind it, Ms. Ernsting-Elsner?
Martina Ernsting-Elsner: Live experiences are increasingly being conceived as starting points for digital communities and content that lives on beyond the event. This new category is a direct response to that.
ARCHITECTURE has also become SPATIAL COMMUNICATION. Why this change?
Larissa Klegraf: Because it’s no longer just the design of a space that matters, but its communicative impact as a brand environment and an experiential space. With “Best Store Concept / Best Retail” and “Smartest Solutions,” we’re also highlighting concepts that more closely connect space, brand, technology, and use.
A look at the entries shows less emphasis on scale and more on relevance. Is that really the case?
Larissa Klegraf: Exactly. Curated, targeted formats are gaining ground over the “bigger, faster, more spectacular” approach. Today, high-quality interactions and personalized experiences must not only be emotionally compelling, but also be strategically and economically effective.
What role does artificial intelligence play this year?
Martina Ernsting-Elsner: AI is evolving from an experiment into an established operational tool—for personalization, networking, content production, visitor flow management, and analysis. But linking it to human interaction remains crucial. AI can improve processes. But the quality of a genuine experience still has to come from live communication itself.
Is sustainability mandatory for the first time at BrandEx 2027?
Martina Ernsting-Elsner: Yes, in the main category EVENT, evidence of sustainability measures is required from the very first submission stage. We assess environmental, social, and economic aspects equally. Sustainability is therefore no longer an add-on, but an integral part of professional concept development. In the second stage, all entrants who have qualified must submit further documentation, including the core concept, basic project data, and details of any distinctive aspects of implementation. They must also explain and report on their sustainability measures.
What’s next, and what are you both most looking forward to?
Larissa Klegraf & Martina Ernsting-Elsner: Our jury is now beginning its review, and we’ll announce the winners in Dortmund on January 19, 2027. We’re particularly looking forward to seeing in person how the submitted projects answer the big questions facing our industry: Which ideas create genuine relevance? How are AI and digital extensions changing the experience? And how can we create experiences that are sustainable and impactful at the same time? BrandEx is not just a competition; it’s also a barometer for our entire industry—and no one should miss out on that atmosphere.
BRANDEX AWARD 2027 · INTERVIEW
Martina Ernsting-Elsner (left) and Larissa Klegraf from the BrandEx Award project management team. Photo credit: © BrandEx / Oliver Wachenfeld
Be there in person when the winners of the BrandEx Award 2027 are announced in Dortmund on January 19, 2027, and experience firsthand which ideas are shaping the future of live communication. Up-to-date information on the awards ceremony, ticket sales, and the venue will be published on the BrandEx website:
A moment on stage at the BrandEx Award 2026 ceremony in Dortmund. Photo credit: © BrandEx / Oliver Wachenfeld
The submission deadline for the BrandEx Award 2027 has passed, and the 22-member jury is now beginning its work. We spoke with Larissa Klegraf and Martina Ernsting-Elsner (project managers for the BrandEx Award) about new categories, the importance of sustainability and artificial intelligence, and their excitement about the awards ceremony on January 19, 2027, in Dortmund.
Ms. Klegraf, the submission deadline for the BrandEx Award 2027 was August 31, 2026. What’s your initial assessment?
Larissa Klegraf: The call for entries itself already showed where our industry is headed: experiences are becoming more personal, spaces more communicative, technology more of a given, and impact more important. Now the real work begins: over the coming months, our 22-member jury will review and evaluate all projects from the past year and a half submitted in the main categories EVENT and SPATIAL COMMUNICATION.
In 2027, “Best Creator Event” is being introduced as a new subcategory within the main category EVENT. What’s the idea behind it, Ms. Ernsting-Elsner?
Martina Ernsting-Elsner: Live experiences are increasingly being conceived as starting points for digital communities and content that lives on beyond the event. This new category is a direct response to that.
ARCHITECTURE has also become SPATIAL COMMUNICATION. Why this change?
Larissa Klegraf: Because it’s no longer just the design of a space that matters, but its communicative impact as a brand environment and an experiential space. With “Best Store Concept / Best Retail” and “Smartest Solutions,” we’re also highlighting concepts that more closely connect space, brand, technology, and use.
A look at the entries shows less emphasis on scale and more on relevance. Is that really the case?
Larissa Klegraf: Exactly. Curated, targeted formats are gaining ground over the “bigger, faster, more spectacular” approach. Today, high-quality interactions and personalized experiences must not only be emotionally compelling, but also be strategically and economically effective.
What role does artificial intelligence play this year?
Martina Ernsting-Elsner: AI is evolving from an experiment into an established operational tool—for personalization, networking, content production, visitor flow management, and analysis. But linking it to human interaction remains crucial. AI can improve processes. But the quality of a genuine experience still has to come from live communication itself.
Is sustainability mandatory for the first time at BrandEx 2027?
Martina Ernsting-Elsner: Yes, in the main category EVENT, evidence of sustainability measures is required from the very first submission stage. We assess environmental, social, and economic aspects equally. Sustainability is therefore no longer an add-on, but an integral part of professional concept development. In the second stage, all entrants who have qualified must submit further documentation, including the core concept, basic project data, and details of any distinctive aspects of implementation. They must also explain and report on their sustainability measures.
What’s next, and what are you both most looking forward to?
Larissa Klegraf & Martina Ernsting-Elsner: Our jury is now beginning its review, and we’ll announce the winners in Dortmund on January 19, 2027. We’re particularly looking forward to seeing in person how the submitted projects answer the big questions facing our industry: Which ideas create genuine relevance? How are AI and digital extensions changing the experience? And how can we create experiences that are sustainable and impactful at the same time? BrandEx is not just a competition; it’s also a barometer for our entire industry—and no one should miss out on that atmosphere.
A look inside a BrandEx Award 2026 jury meeting. Photo credit: © BrandEx / Oliver Wachenfeld
The BrandEx Award 2026 trophies in gold, silver, and bronze. Photo credit: © BrandEx / Oliver Wachenfeld
Award-winning teams and projects from the BrandEx Award 2026 together on stage. Photo credit: © BrandEx / Oliver Wachenfeld