The Festival Supplier Awards 2027 are set to return to London on 28 January 2027, bringing together suppliers, production companies, specialist teams and professionals from across the outdoor events industry. The awards ceremony will take place at the De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms, recognising the companies and individuals working behind the scenes to deliver some of the UK’s most successful festivals and outdoor events.
For its 2027 edition, the Festival Supplier Awards are introducing a refreshed entry process aimed at making the awards more accessible to businesses of all sizes. Organisers Eventive Media have reviewed the award categories, entry forms and judging criteria to place greater emphasis on the quality and impact of the work delivered rather than the size, scale or profile of a supplier or project.
Festival Supplier Awards 2027 Focus on Quality and Impact
The changes to the Festival Supplier Awards 2027 are designed to create a more level playing field for companies operating across the outdoor events supply chain. Businesses will have the opportunity to demonstrate the quality of their products and services, the challenges they have addressed and the impact their work has had on clients and events.
According to the organisers, excellence is not necessarily linked to the size of a business or the scale of an event. Smaller suppliers, specialist companies and emerging teams can make significant contributions through innovation, problem solving and high-quality service.
The revised entry process will therefore encourage applicants to focus on what made their work exceptional and the difference it created for their clients and events.
London Ceremony to Bring Outdoor Events Industry Together
The Festival Supplier Awards 2027 will be held at the De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London on 28 January 2027. The venue will host industry professionals for an evening dedicated to recognising the expertise and contribution of the outdoor event supply chain.
The awards have become an established event within the industry calendar, providing a dedicated platform for companies that support festivals and outdoor events across the UK and beyond.
From event infrastructure and production to specialist services and technical solutions, suppliers play a critical role in ensuring that festivals can operate safely, efficiently and successfully.
23 Categories to Recognise Festival Supply Chain Excellence
The Festival Supplier Awards 2027 will recognise achievements across 23 categories, covering a broad range of services involved in festival and outdoor event delivery.
The categories span areas including power, staging, structures, crewing, security, technology, accessibility and production. This wide-ranging approach reflects the increasingly diverse expertise required to deliver large-scale outdoor events.
The awards will also feature the Judges’ Choice Award, which will recognise an entry that particularly impresses the independent judging panel.
By covering multiple areas of event supply and production, the awards aim to showcase the different businesses and specialist teams whose work contributes to the overall success of festivals.
Independent Judges to Assess 2027 Entries
Entries for the Festival Supplier Awards 2027 will be assessed by an independent panel made up of experienced event professionals. The judging process will focus on the quality and impact of the work presented by each entrant.
Entrants will be encouraged to explain not only what they delivered but also the results and difference their work created.
Factors that can demonstrate impact include exceptional customer service, innovation, effective problem solving, collaboration, accessibility, sustainability and the contribution of individual teams.
This approach is intended to give judges a clearer understanding of the challenges faced by suppliers and how their solutions contributed to successful event delivery.
Smaller Suppliers Encouraged to Enter
One of the key objectives of the revised Festival Supplier Awards 2027 entry process is to encourage participation from smaller and emerging suppliers.
While established companies have traditionally played an important role in the festival supply chain, smaller businesses and specialist teams are also increasingly contributing innovative solutions to the challenges faced by outdoor events.
The organisers want the 2027 awards to reflect this wider supplier landscape and provide businesses with an opportunity to showcase projects they are particularly proud of.
The revised criteria mean that an entry does not need to come from a large company or involve a major festival to demonstrate excellence. Instead, the focus will be on the quality of the work, the problems addressed and the impact achieved.
Eventive Media Updates Festival Supplier Awards
Eventive Media, the organiser behind the Festival Supplier Awards, has reviewed the awards structure ahead of the 2027 edition. The review covers the categories, entry forms and judging criteria.
The changes reflect the evolving nature of the outdoor events industry and aim to ensure that the awards continue to recognise the skills and expertise that matter most to suppliers and their clients.
Event director Michelle Tayton said the awards are intended to recognise the suppliers and people working behind the scenes to make major events possible. She also highlighted the level of innovation, expertise and commitment across the industry.
According to Tayton, some of the most impressive work comes from smaller suppliers and specialist teams that develop creative ways to solve problems for clients.
Manchett Security Returns as Headline Sponsor
Manchett Security will return as the headline sponsor of the Festival Supplier Awards 2027, marking its second consecutive year supporting the event.
The company’s continued involvement provides further backing for an awards programme focused on recognising the outdoor event supply chain.
Security is an important part of festival and outdoor event operations, alongside infrastructure, power, production, technology, accessibility and other specialist services.
The return of Manchett Security as headline sponsor also highlights the company’s continued association with an event designed to celebrate the companies and professionals supporting the festival sector.
Awards Highlight the Work Behind Outdoor Events
Festivals often attract significant attention from audiences, artists and event organisers, but the specialist suppliers responsible for delivering the infrastructure and services behind those events can receive less public recognition.
The Festival Supplier Awards aim to address this by placing suppliers and their teams at the centre of an industry awards programme.
Companies involved in areas such as staging, power, structures, security, technology and production provide essential services that allow outdoor events to operate effectively.
The 2027 awards will therefore provide an opportunity for those businesses to demonstrate the expertise, innovation and teamwork involved in delivering successful events.
Sustainability, Accessibility and Innovation in Focus
The judging criteria for the Festival Supplier Awards 2027 will allow entrants to demonstrate achievements in several areas beyond traditional service delivery.
Innovation, sustainability and accessibility will form part of the wider assessment of the work submitted. Entrants can also demonstrate how collaboration and teamwork helped them overcome challenges or deliver better outcomes for clients.
This approach reflects the increasing importance of responsible and inclusive event delivery across the outdoor events sector.
For suppliers, the awards offer an opportunity to demonstrate how their work contributes to these broader industry priorities while also highlighting practical results.
Festival Supplier Awards 2027 Entries Open to Industry Suppliers
With the refreshed entry process, the organisers are encouraging suppliers across the outdoor events sector to consider entering the Festival Supplier Awards 2027.
Established companies, smaller suppliers, specialist teams and emerging businesses are all being encouraged to showcase projects and services delivered during the past year.
Rather than focusing solely on the scale of an event or the size of a supplier, the awards will look at what made the work successful and the impact it had.
This provides businesses with an opportunity to tell the story behind their work, including the challenges they faced, the solutions they developed and the outcomes achieved for their clients.
Festival Supplier Awards 2027 Set for January 28
The Festival Supplier Awards 2027 will take place on 28 January 2027 at the De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms, London.
With 23 award categories, an independent judging panel, a Judges’ Choice Award and a revised entry process, the event is set to bring together a broad cross-section of the outdoor events supply chain.
The return of Manchett Security as headline sponsor further supports the awards’ focus on recognising the companies and professionals responsible for delivering essential services to festivals and outdoor events.
As the industry prepares for the 2027 ceremony, Eventive Media is calling on suppliers to put forward the work they are most proud of and demonstrate the expertise, innovation and impact that sit behind successful outdoor events.
