The Inavation Awards 2027 are now open for entries, with a wider eligibility window for the Technology Awards and a new open route designed to ensure outstanding AV projects do not miss out.
Technology manufacturers, integrators, consultants and businesses from across the global professional AV industry can now enter the 2027 Inavation Awards.
Winners will be announced in Barcelona on February 2, 2027, the opening evening of ISE, at the Inavation Awards ceremony and dinner.
The 2027 programme once again spans Technology, Project and Business Awards, with changes this year making it easier for both new technologies and unusual projects to compete.
Technology Awards expand eligibility
For the 2027 Technology Awards, any technology launched after October 1, 2025 is eligible for entry.
The change removes the previous fixed October-to-October eligibility period and means products unveiled at ISE can compete without being caught between awards cycles.
Technologies no longer need to have accumulated extensive field deployment before they can be entered. Instead, entrants should focus on clearly demonstrating what their product does, why it was developed and the value it offers to AV designers, integrators and users.
Strong entries should explain the problem being addressed, the technical thinking behind the product and the features or capabilities that differentiate it from competing solutions, with evidence supporting key claims wherever possible.
Categories span the breadth of professional AV, including audio, displays, collaboration, digital signage, software, signal management, control and live events.
A technology can also be submitted into more than one category where appropriate, although a separate entry is required for each.
Technology Award finalists are selected by an international judging panel before the winners are decided through a vote by Inavate readers.
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New route for Project Award entries
The Inavation Awards Project categories recognise outstanding AV installations completed around the world, covering sectors including corporate, education, healthcare, hospitality, museums and attractions, live events, smart buildings, retail and signage.
For 2027, an open category has been introduced for projects that do not have an obvious home within the existing structure.
Entrants can submit their project through the open category and the Inavation Awards team will assess where it fits best. If several strong submissions demonstrate an emerging area of the market, a new category may also be created.
The aim is to ensure that an exceptional project is not excluded simply because it does not conform to an established vertical.
Project entries should tell the complete story of an installation, including the client brief, system design, technologies deployed, challenges encountered and the impact delivered for the client and users.
Technical detail and strong photography are important, while diagrams, client testimonials, measurable results and video can all strengthen a submission.
Eligible Project Award entrants can also put their project forward for the Smart Building Award, creating an additional opportunity for recognition from the same project submission.
Project entry fee can be redeemed against Awards tickets
Each Project Award entry carries a £100 entry fee for 2027, but the full amount can be redeemed against tickets for the Inavation Awards ceremony and dinner.
One £100 project entry generates a £100 ticket discount, while two entries generate £200 in discounts.
The approach is designed to connect entering the Awards with celebrating the achievements of the finalist teams in Barcelona.
The main Project Awards are aimed at the integrators, consultants and end users responsible for delivering complete installations. Manufacturers wishing to showcase a project in which their own technology played a significant role can enter the Applied Technology category. There is a £370 fee to enter this category.
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Business Awards recognise achievement beyond projects and technology
Entries are also open for the 2027 Business Awards.
Company of the Year is open to integrators, consultants, distributors and other non-manufacturing businesses, while Manufacturer of the Year recognises outstanding achievement among technology manufacturers.
The Sustainability Award celebrates organisations reducing their environmental impact or helping the wider professional AV industry operate more responsibly.
Entries can focus on a particular initiative or demonstrate broader business success across areas such as growth, innovation, customer service, workplace culture, research and development, sustainability or community activity.
Judges will be looking for a compelling story backed by evidence, including facts and figures, customer testimonials and case studies.
ENTER BUSINESS AWARDS
Enter the Inavation Awards 2027
For more than two decades, the Inavation Awards has recognised the technologies, businesses and project teams pushing professional AV forward.
Whether you have developed an innovative new technology, delivered an exceptional AV project or achieved something significant as a business, entries for the Inavation Awards 2027 are open now.
Full eligibility requirements, category descriptions and submission guidelines for the Technology, Project and Business Awards are available at www.inavationawards.com
