Eligibility

The Canadian Venue Awards are open to any venue across Canada that meets the specific category criteria. Whether you’re a historic venue, an innovative event space, or a boutique hotel, there’s a category designed to highlight your strengths. For venues entering the Best New Venue category, the space must have been in operation for a minimum of six months before the entry submission. We encourage all participants to thoroughly review the rules, category criteria, and entry requirements before beginning the submission process. Understanding these details will help ensure your entry is as strong and competitive as possible. We wish you the best of luck and look forward to celebrating Canada’s best venues!

Key Dates

• September 27, 2024: Entry Period Opens.
• November 15, 2024: Early Bird Savings Deadline.
• December 15, 2024: Final Date to Enter.
• December 15 – January 15: Judging takes place.
• January 2025: Winners will be announced and featured in the January issue of CSE Mag.

FEES 

• $250 per entry: Entries registered before November 15, 2024
• $325 per entry. Entries registered between November 15 and December 15, 2024

Rules & Guidelines

• All entries must be completed and submitted by December 15, 2024.
• All entries for marketing categories should include samples of marketing campaigns or a copy of marketing materials.
• Entries are confidential except to the judges. However, select content from the winning entries will be shared as part of the winner’s benefits and promotions.
• Judges’ decisions are final.
• There is no limit to the number of submissions a venue can enter, additional categories will incur additional entry fees.
• No advance notice of winners will be provided under any circumstances.
• Entries become the property of Canadian Special Events and may be published in Canadian
• Special Event publications or its associated websites. Unless otherwise instructed by the entrant, images and a copy may be used to promote the Awards.
• Winners receive digital badges which cannot be altered or transferred.
• Videos, if applicable to the category, must be loaded into Vimeo or YouTube, and a link must be provided in the entry portal. Please do not upload actual video files.
• The awards are open to any Canadian venue even if it’s owned by a non-Canadian corporation or entity.

Judging Process

The Canadian Venue Awards judging process is comprehensive and detailed, designed to recognize true excellence in venue operations, design, and service. The judging process involves:

Pre-screening: To ensure entries meet the category criteria.

First-Round Review: Judges will score each entry based on merit, creativity, and excellence.

Final Judging: Top entries will undergo a detailed review, and the winners will be selected.

Judges represent a diverse group of industry professionals, including venue managers, event specialists, and design and customer service experts. The results will remain confidential until the winners are officially announced.

Prizes & Promotions

Winning a Canadian Venue Award brings national recognition and significant promotional opportunities. Winners will receive:

• Feature on the Canadian Special Events Website with prominent placement
• Exclusive Editorial in the 2025 Venue Issue of Canadian Special Events Magazine
• Spotlight on the Canadian Venue Awards Blog
• Inclusion in the Winners Gallery on the Canadian Venue Awards website for the year
• Coverage in CSE Newsletters reaching 60K+ event professionals
• Dedicated Social Media Post celebrating your success
• Press Release announcing your win to your networks
• Digital Badge and Crystal Award to display your achievement
• Winner Certificate for both digital and physical use
• Social Media Mentions throughout the year

Step 1: Choose Your Categories

The entry portal is open on September 27, 2024, with the early bird deadline to save on your entry fees of November 15, 2024 and the final deadline to submit by midnight PST on December 15. 

NOTE: You do NOT have to complete and submit your entry by the early bird deadline; you only need to register and pay by the early bird date to save on entry fees.

Start by registering your venue on the Canadian Venue Awards portal. You will be prompted to fill in your contact details and venue information and select the categories you want to enter. With over 30 categories, there are opportunities for every type of venue, from historical spaces to cutting-edge conference centres.

Step 2: Payment & Fees

After selecting your categories, you will be prompted to submit payment to complete your registration. The entry fee depends on when you submit:

Early Bird Entry Phase: The fee is $250 per entry from September 27, 2024, to November 15, 2024.

Final Entry Phase: From November 15, 2024, to December 15, 2024, the fee increases to $325 per entry.

All payments are processed securely through our online system. Once your payment is completed, you will receive a confirmation email and access to your entry portal.

Step 3: Confirmation & Pin

After you have completed your registration, chosen your categories and payment, you will be emailed a private PIN which should arrive in your inbox within 15 minutes. 

Use this PIN to access your entry portal. All your listed in this portal and ready for you to complete using our question and answer format entry form.  If anything category appears to be missing, use the chat button on the bottom of our website or email us  to cse@canadianspecialevents.com. 

NOTE: We cannot change your entries after they have been finalized, so be sure you have reviewed them and are happy with the content before hitting complete and submit. You do not have to submit until the final deadline; you can begin your entry and save it for later. 

Step 4: Uploads

To enter the Venue Awards, you’ll be asked about your venue’s unique features, services, and capabilities using the questions on the entry form. Be ready to provide details such as your social media handles, an image representing your venue, and additional photos for marketing purposes.

Upload high-resolution images to support your entry. Please ensure all files are correctly labelled with the venue name and category.

Ensure all video links are accessible via Vimeo or YouTube (do not upload large video files).

Please look over all details carefully before submitting. Once satisfied, you can click submit to finalize your entry and receive a confirmation email. This is so that you know entries can be edited until the final deadline after submission.

Follow the prompts—they’re simple and user-friendly. If you need assistance, hit the chat button or email us, and we’ll be happy to help!