The Field Marketing and Brand Experience Awards 2024
20th Anniversary year! The famous FMBE Awards – the original and most sought-after awards in field sales, event marketing and live brand experience marketing presented since 2005.
Our winners set global best standards in
Field Marketing – Field Sales – Experiential Marketing – Retail and Online Retail Experiences – Retail Execution – Shopper Marketing – Brand Events –Sponsorship and Brand Activation – In Person and Virtual Events – Retail, Sales, Product and Brand Training – Best practice Field and Event Marketing.
Brand New Categories + all categories have had a full update/rewrite for 2024.
What makes FMBE so special?
FMBE seeks to support the industry it celebrates by encouraging and generating new budget for the benefit of the best agencies and teams, helping clients to justify spend and reward best practice, creative solutions and returns on both investment and engagement.
FMBE Awards are judged not by the agencies but by marketing leading clients and consultants – industry budget holders and influencers. 2023’s judges were responsible for over £50M in FMBE industry spend bringing expertise and insight from some of the world’s leading brands and businesses.
Here – Jenni Hill, when she was head of sales for Molson Coors, explains how her judging helped inform her agency understanding and spend.
International (Overseas) Entries
We’re fully global. Through the years FMBE has seen success for agencies based in Denmark, Ireland, France, Spain, Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Sweden, Romania, Italy, US, Indonesia, Philippines, Nigeria and Australia. Please make sure that our judges are aware of any local or national challenges. There is also a new International (Overseas) agency award this year.
Sustainability Champion Award
It is our belief that to single out sustainability for a unique stand-alone award takes sustainability issues away from where they should be – the mainstream. Any FMBE entrant can show sustainability KPIs in any relevant category, either uniquely or in conjunction with other KPIs. Sustainability Champions will be declared on the awards night when any category gold, silver or bronze winner has also impressed for sustainability.
Call to Enter
The FMBEs recognize sales and marketing through people and live online/offline interaction.
Representing brands through people, events and digital interaction requires precision planning, and teams of expert brand communicators. Are you involved with the teams and the campaigns that have met the brand challenges and surpassed them?
The only place where the full breadth of ability is recognised is the FMBE Awards.
It is the leading award scheme and largest event in Europe for field and live brand experience marketing.
For the winners it will be an opportunity to be recognised, receiving the specially designed trophy that will provide that team with a focal point for their success.
But entering and winning is just the beginning as the winning case studies will appear in FMBE Magazine’s special awards dedicated coverage, delivering a reach into this industry that is unrivalled.
Entry Guidelines
DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES 5pm MONDAY 8th July 2024 [EXCEPTION CAT G – See specific category criteria]
Entrants should use the template that can be accessed at Fieldmarketing.com for their main entry text.
A 1500-word limit should be adhered to. Judges will deduct 5 points (from a max. 100) per 250 words over this limit. Any further evidence should be supplied as supportive information.
For every entry, judges will be looking for hard commercial data, and supportive evidence for the claims that are made. You will need to demonstrate results concisely and precisely. All entries
are advised to cover the following points:
• Understanding the business/brand issue
• Your Solution
• The business/brand result
[unless an exception to this rule is noted in the category specific criteria]
A template for simple entry set out is available online (or from us by email). Follow the link to this template on the About the Awards and Award Entry page at fieldmarketing.com.
You must use this form for your main entry text.
Entries may submit up to 1500 words per category entered. Any entry or part of entry that is not for publication must be clearly marked as such on the entry paper and the request will be respected.
Judges will be bound to confidentiality in regard to all entries received.
All entries by agencies must be approved by a senior representative of the client. This approval should be evidenced by forwarding email correspondence.
Entries for this year’s awards must be for work that was started OR completed OR ongoing in the period 01.01.23 – 08.07.24 [Exception – Cat G see specific Category Criteria]
This means that work that was finally evaluated after Christmas 2022 right through to work being undertaken this summer can be entered BUT we discourage entries where your data is incomplete, and we rule out entries where the identical segment of a campaign has been entered in a previous edition of the awards. If in doubt, please contact us. Category V, The Special Award, is an exception (See Category V for details).
The work may have been undertaken anywhere in the world. Please make judges aware of any local or national challenges.
The 1500 word entry and any supportive items should be emailed either direct or via WeTransfer, Dropbox or similar.
Supportive documentation: As well as the entry paper you may transfer up to 3 supplementary items to us (using any file transfer service, such as We Transfer or Dropbox.
All entries and entry notifications and correspondence should go to: victoria@fieldmarketing.com Note:
Photo files and pictures – you may include a file of photos and images without using up one of your 3 allowed supplementary items. Photos – especially jpegs – are encouraged. Photos in your file will be used to help judges and may also be used in our magazine coverage or
at our awards events.
THERE IS NO LIMIT TO THE NUMBER OF PHOTOS YOU ARE ALLOWED TO SUBMIT.
Supplementary information/documentation may include up to three of the following.
1. Video of up to 7 mins duration (optimum length no longer than 3
mins)
2. Data and Insight sheet (up to 2x A4 including all tables and
diagrams)
3. Testimonial or case study appendix – up to 800 words
4. Mood board or campaign summary as a PDF
5. PowerPoint or equivalent, up to 4 screens
6. Training manual
7. Summary of online buzz or PR cuttings
8. Other (by pre-agreement with the organisers)
Note – you may not need any supplementary information and not all entries lend themselves well to supplementary information. Visually striking campaigns are strongly advised to provide either video and/or a full picture file.
Judges are not obliged to cross-reference supplementary information – it is down to entrants to pique judge’s interest in the entry text sufficiently to make them want to cross-reference this.
You are no longer required to post a back up of your entry on a USB disk.
The cost per category (plus appropriate VAT) entered is £335 or €375
or US$395 for all entries received by Monday 8th July 2024 *. Late entries will be by application only. Late entries and submitted at a fee of £590 per entry. *Exception – See category criteria for categories G.
All award entries from agencies can also automatically qualify you for consideration for the agency of the year awards and for the campaign of the year award – see categories W, X & Y
DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES Monday 8th July 2024
The Field Marketing Categories (A-F)
DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES 5pm Monday 8th July 2024
A: Sales Campaign of the Year
Entrants will show how any FMBE technique(s) has been used to drive sales of any product or service. Both long term strategic campaigns and short-term tactical campaigns may be entered.
Sales success in this category may be direct to consumers, households or businesses or indirectly by teams that dynamically influence sales results at retailers and/or online stores.
Face to face teams, online teams or omnichannel can be entered.
Judges will look for any intelligent thinking, process, investment, creativity or strategic innovation that has led to dynamic sales results, but above all they will look for evidence of how successful the drive for sales has been.
Entrants will need to have surpassed targets whilst maintaining/enhancing the reputation of the brand.
B: Most Effective Retail Experience
Likely to be at retail or in proximity to retail (such as entranceway or car park), or a pop-up to sell direct, entrants will show how one event or a series of events has led to accountable success for a brand or retailer. Events designed for training sales agents and/or retail staff are also relevant. Accountable sales events at exhibition, warehouse, wholesale or call centre/ office environment would also qualify. Shopping centre brand experience campaigns and brand experience roadshows should go for category H. If in doubt, please check with the organisers.
Relevant events may include: Sampling, product demonstration, pop-up retail, sales kiosk, experiential instore sales event, retail theatre, store opening event, retail training, sales agent training, online trainers connecting live with retail store staff or shoppers. Entrants will show what the core KPI(s) was for the activity, why the KPI(s) target was challenging, how success was evaluated and what the result was, as well as noting any additional benefits to the brand or retailer. Any scale of activity or event can be entered. Use of budget can be considered as a KPI for small scale activities where budget has been constrained.
C: Field Data Award
Entrants will show how data or insight used by the field team or brand ambassador or collected from the field activity or event(s), or any other data source, has been of benefit to a brand, a retailer or a campaign, either in terms of results, knowledge or efficiency. Any type of data or campaign insight can be considered. Entrants may focus on field insight delivered to or received from activities including merchandising, sales, compliance, reporting, training, mystery shopping, demonstrating or sampling, experiential event, display installation.
It is possible to enter this category with a data or insight innovation that has benefitted multiple brands, retailers or campaigns. If unsure, check with the organisers.
D: Most Effective Instore Marketing
Entrants will show how an agency has helped the brand, the retailer or both to meet their key objectives using one or more of the following techniques:
- retail training • mystery shopping • market research • merchandising • promotional compliance • incremental displays • shopper marketing • shopper engagement • shopper behaviour insight • in store theatre or performance • retail insight, data, analysis
The activity will have taken place in any retail store, or group of stores or at a wholesaler, or with success at retail a leading objective.
Where relevant to the success, entrants should show how store rapport, knowledge or insight has been of benefit.
E: Most Effective Tactical Campaign (ROI and Service-Led)
Entrants should show how a single piece of tactical work has driven quick success and impetus to a brand or group of brands at a crucial time. Small scale and large-scale activity can be entered. Relevant campaigns may be delivered using any type of field team: consumer facing, retail, sales, merchandising, mystery shopping, installation etc. Judges will seek 2 golds in this category, one for campaigns with a clear ROI or accountable results and one for delivery of and exceptional service or efficiency standard.
F: Team of the Year
Entrants will show high levels of investment into preparing the brand ambassadors and management team who deliver ‘in the field’ and the consequent successes in favour of the brand or manufacturer they represent. Judges will look for evidence of excellence in any two or more of the following criteria: improved team performance following a contract win; improved staff attendance following a contract win; sustained and ongoing staff commitment; management/staff relations; client/agency/ team relations; delivery of unique skills in the field; sales uplift; quality of contact; training measures and results; technology enabled teamwork; good pay, remuneration, reward or motivation; advanced staff database; team communication/ flexibility. Team of the Year is a detailed category, so entrants are allowed to add one extra appendix if required.
You may supply an extra appendix or supportive in this category.
Brand Experience Categories (G-L)
DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES 5pm Monday 8th July 2024 [EXCEPTION CAT G – See specific category criteria]
G: Most Effective Sponsorship Activation
This category has an extension to Monday 19th August. This allows Olympic and alternative to Olympic activations to take part this year if they choose to do so. We do this to keep our results as news relevant as possible. If this does attract more entrants than ususal to the category then two golds will be presented, one for sports and one for non-sports sponsorship activations. If Paralympic Games sponsors wish to enter for 2024 please check with FMBE and we will accommodate if possible.
Entrants taking advantage of the extended time in this category are advised to do so only if your post sponsorship results are available.
Entrants will show how they have successfully activated a brand’s sponsor status. Relevant activations can be real, hybrid or virtual. Entrants should show the brand has connected with the relevant fanbase. Entrants will either be responsible for the whole sponsorship together with the brand or show successful alignment with the other key agencies on the roster.
H: Most Effective Roadshow or Shopping Centre Campaign
Entrants should show how their work has excelled under at least two of the following criteria: Quality brand representatives and training; quantity and quality of contacts made; targeting; brand awareness uplift; sampling or trial success; brand and customer feedback; extended brand reach; customer interaction and involvement; measurement of results; successful client relationship; shopper psychology; shopper engagement; customer analysis; creative use of space; best practice with venue owner; measures to cut environmental impact; coupon redemption; sales promotion participation; ROI.
I: Most Immersive Event (mass consumer)
Entrants will show how live and integrated teams brought all relevant aspects of the brand to life for the participants who experience the live brand activity. Entries should relate the participant’s journey through the brand activity and assess the brand impacts made. Events entered in this category will have faced the task of competing for consumer attention on the day or days of the event. Relevant brand events for this category may include:
- Brand experiences and sponsorship activations at festivals, family days out, holiday days and sports events
- Large stands or entertainment at shopping centres (held as a solus event or as part of a roadshow)
- Performances in public spaces, city centres or parks Entrants should provide as much evidence as possible to show how successful the activity was in meeting client expectation. Entrants may provide data from a single event, a single stage of a roadshow or from a multi-stage roadshow.
In person, virtual or hybrid events may be entered.
J: Most Immersive Event (controlled audience)
(Controlled audience events have the brand or business in control of attendance via invitation, targeted advertising, competition win, VIP selection, business guests, sales representatives, team events or employee events)
Entrants will show how live and integrated teams brought all relevant aspects of the brand to life for the participants who experience the live brand activity. Entries should relate the participant’s journey through the brand activity and assess the brand impacts made.
Relevant activities include: • Brand owned tailor-made events • Events where consumers are invited by name or provided with special access areas • Experiential-led sales conferences and exhibitions (B2B and/or B2C) • Motivational/Educational events for employees, press or trade partners • Hospitality experiences • Brand Entertainment • Team building events • Brand influencer training days (for retailers, call centres, dealerships, product advisors etc) • Business roadshows.
Entrants should provide as much evidence as possible to show how successful the activity was in meeting client expectation.
In person, virtual or hybrid events may be entered.
K: Most Effective Integration/ Amplification
Entrants will show how the live activity was made to resonate for the brand by one or more of the following:
- Integrated marketing with other direct marketing or above the line marketing
- Filming/recording the activity for content, TV advertising, radio, press engagement or online usage
- PR and online PR
- Social media
- Website content/ microsite/ online consumer journey
- Buzz, word of mouth
- Use of influencers or talent
Entrants will need to evidence one or more of the following: brand result; brand reach; brand value; campaign result; market penetration; targeted reach; page impressions; total audience; ROI.
The judges have the discretion to seek two golds in this category – one to recognise the best integrated campaign and the second to recognise the most amplified.
L: Most Effective Use of Digital or Tech in a Campaign or Event
Note: Technology that has been used to drive field data and insight for retail execution or retail experience performance should enter C: Field Data
Entrants should show how the digital or tech team/support has helped to create an engaging brand experience or experiential event.
Relevant technologies may be: •Virtual or Hybrid event platform •Event or campaign app •VR/AR •Immersive Event tech •AI •Camera/Image use •Filming, Mixing, Editing •Screens, Projections •Other digital support
FM&BE Categories (M-Z)
DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES 5pm Monday 8th July 2024
M:People Powered Campaign or Event
Note: This category is for any single FMBE campaigns or event day and differs from category Field Marketing category F: Team of the Year.
This category celebrates the campaign judged to use the people ‘resource’ to deliver the best outcome for a brand, event, store or client. Entrants will show how a trained and ready FMBE team rose to the occasion for a vital campaign or challenging event day using ONE or MORE of the following:
- brand ambassadors
- sales force
- app recruited field staff
- event logistics crew
- social influencers/ PR team
- online agents
- talent, celebrity, performance artists
- other (please confirm for relevance with FMBE before entering)
Entrants will show how superb co-ordination and dynamic use of people power helped the brand, event, store or client to have a campaign or event day that surpassed expectations.
N:Brand Ambassador of the Year
Brand ambassadors are defined in this category as team members who spend nearly all of their time in direct face to face contact, rather than office-based. Category N requires agency head and client testimonials demonstrating why the individual concerned has proven themselves to be a true ambassador for the brand. Above all entrants must show that they are focussed on personal and team progression, embracing the training and development provided by the agency or brand. Judges will seek two ‘Gold’ awards for this category, one field and one brand experience specialist.
Brand Ambassador entrants do not need to use the standard entry template but should aim to structure their entry in 1500 words as follows: 1. The challenges of the job 2. the work that has been undertaken, 3. the results/achievements.
Longer testimonials are best presented in appendices.
O:Most Effective Local or Small Scale Campaign
Entrants will show how a small scale campaign helped bring brand success using: • Local/Regional marketing • Trial activities (prior to roll out) • Targeting of an ethnic group • Clever use of a small stand or roaming samplers • Highly targeted short run leafleting • Store launches/ instore promotional work • Use of a small festival or regional shopping centre • Low total budget (implies budget breakdown showing less than £100,000 spend) • Events created for a small number of brand influencers or press • Single store (or small group/fascia) field marketing • Guerrilla • Small events amplified by social media/ word of mouth You may enter a virtual/hybrid event in this category it is a low budget less than £100,000 solution.
P:Product Launch or Relaunch Award
Entrants will show how FMBE techniques have been used to create a compelling brand or new variant launch or relaunch meeting success in two or more of the following criteria: Consumer or trade awareness of product; establishing new retail stockists; targeting key consumer groups; brand differentiation; brand value; brand insight; buzz generation; POS placement; integration with other marketing channels; ROI.
Q:B2B/B2E Event of the Year
Entrants will show their most effective or impactful B2B or B2E event, exhibition, conference, teambuilding, retail training or sales training event.
Relevant events will be either for the benefit of a single brand or business or for multiple business/brand stakeholders.
Above all judges will need to be convinced of high levels of engagement with participants (including online if the event entered includes remote or online participants).
R: Consumer/Shopper Connection Award
Judges will look for any campaign, event or event series that has changed consumer or shopper behaviour either for greater reach, longer term uplift in spend. Judges will look for campaigns or events with one or more of the following outcomes:
- Demonstably reached suburban/countryside shoppers or made an impact across a whole nation or nations
- Influenced consumers with the result of accountable effects in store sales
- Influenced long term online sales or consumer comms
- Built a long term frot of mind assciation with a group of consumers or shoppers
- Made a connection with a new generation previously not being reached by the brand
- Made a connection with a new demographic previously not being reached by the brand
- Increased the brand’s share of shopper basket
- Delivered higher spend or value per consumer
- Faciltated sales of upgraded, luxury or high spec products
- Facilitated sales of high margin products or skus
Entrants to this category will show how their work has correctly identified, reached and delighted consumers or prospects for the brand.
S:Most Effective Stand or Display Unit
Entrants will show how the creation or deployment of POS, POP, display unit, stand or roadshow vehicles has driven success in terms of at least one of the following: brand exposure; brand value; brand perception; creative match with the brand’s key strengths; marketing efficiency; sustainability, sales.
T:Operational Success of the Year
Entrants will show how an FM or BE agency or industry supplier (or a combination) has ‘made it happen’ when facing delivery, store or event challenges, running a smoothly operated campaign or process where others may have tried and failed by directly providing or sourcing expertise to help meet an exacting challenge. Examples of relevant client challenges may include: • Rapid reaction • Single day launch/ new openings • Efficient solutions for small or slashed budgets (budget disclosure essential) • Event takeovers • Storage and delivery of unusual items • Safe use of a difficult location • Co-ordination of large scale roadshow or sampling • Handling of a celebrity, performer or talent • Construction/build of a uniquely challenging stand or display • Cross-border transportation • Co-ordination of a large staff • Store installation and merchandising • Meeting stringent regulations (i.e. environment) set by the brand or venue • Maintaining pre-event secrecy • Crisis management
The operation is being judged here rather than the result, but entrants will need to prove the success of their activity.
U:Professional Agency Management Award – (Best Practice Award)
This year judges will also present a prize within a prize with an Agency Wellbeing Award accorded to the best entry in this category for the best staff wellbeing initiative.
The category is looking for management teams who deliver best practice in ways that brings the agency forwards.
Professional Agency Management celebrates agency leadership, foresight and dynamic management. Entrants should show how any management initiative has created a next level platform for taking the agency forwards. Examples may include. • A better working environment • Creative thought to flourish • Technology to enable best practice • Championing the environment/ sustainability • Winning best practice certification • Implementing equal opportunity or diversification • Winning new contracts through best practice reputation. Entrants do not need to use the standard awards template when entering this category. Please write under headings in 3 sections as follows: 1. The challenge, 2. The solution, 3. The result for the agency.
NB – Entrants should focus on a specific initiative, challenge, investment or project and the difference it has brought about rather than entering the whole management process of the agency. If in any doubt, please ask.
V:Special Award: Best Continuing/ Long Term Sports, Music, Entertainment Campaign or Strategy (since 2019)
The special award recognises work that has developed over a longer time frame and celebrates continuity and ongoing success. The word count in this category is increased to 2000 words. This year’s award will show how consistent support for an sports event, TV Show, Music festival, exhibition etc has delivered fantastic results for either the host event or property or the brand or brands participating.
To meet the Continuing/Long Term requirement of the category, strategies must show that their activity was based on more than one single event or campaign 2019-2024. Entries can cover work that has concluded in that time frame or that is ongoing into the future.
Entrants will show how they have worked, with a high level of success, with any one or more of:
- a sports or music or entertainment property
- musician
- sports or wellbeing advocate
- entertainer
- sports event
- festival
- televised sport, music or entertainment
- consumer exhibition or consumer style exhibition (if unsure, check relevance with FMBE team)
- other types of competitive events (ie feel free to stretch the sporting analogy to cookery, dance, conkers, books, knitting etc)
Entrants should show how their work has been successful for the event/performer, the participating brand or a combination of these using examples of more than one event/instance/year or season of activation.
Entrants can look back as far as you like to the origins of your relationship, but the focus of the paper should focus on landmarks or highlights should be from 2019-2024.
W:Judge’s Choice Award – Campaign of the Year
This is a discretionary award, there’s no fee or separate entry fee for it. It seeks out the campaigns that are taking FMBE to the next level, the ones that make us rethink what’s possible, or deliver a ‘they really did that?’ moment of excellence. This campaign of the year shortlist will be chosen from some of the main category award gold and silver winners plus up to 3 wildcards. The wildcards will be the campaigns that didn’t meet the category criteria sufficiently to win but were recognised by judges as game changers or headline makers. Judges may choose to separately award one FM and one BE Campaign of the Year.
X:Field Marketing Agency of the Year
Y:Brand Experience Agency of the Year
Incorporating awards for Small/Medium/New Agency of the Year
**2024 sees an exciting new process in AoY replacing the current part 2 (the written question and answer process). We’re expecting to confirm the new approach in April/May after industry consultation is complete.
There is no additional fee for this category. The leading agency of the year for both will be decided by a maximum of seven shortlisted agencies answering to questions from our panel of judges. Agencies can be shortlisted if they received commendation or better from the judges in more than one relevant category and for more than one brand.
The post-shortlist process is currently under review in consultation with previously shortlisted agencies.
FM Agency of the Year and BE Agency of the Year are open to agencies of all sizes. The leading Small/Medium/New Agency of the Year will be presented in addition if judges recommend this. Small/Medium agencies will be those that turnover less than £10 million. New agencies will be those that started trading after 1st January 2021
Z:International (Overseas) agency of the Year
A separate application from and entry deadline is available for this award, standard entry fee applies.
Entry Checklist
Email your entry and any links to download to victoria@fieldmarketing.com
DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES 5pm Monday 8th July 2024 (Cat G is an exception)
Entries are typically 1500 words (Cat V is an exception)
Agency entries will need sign off permission from the client, by email to victoria@fieldmarketing.com
Entry per category is £335+VAT (£402 incl)
Payments can be arranged by credit card or invoice via victoria@fieldmarketing.com.
Entries should use the official word template – available from the awards page at fieldmarketing.com
Up to 3 supplementary items may be included with your entry – the main entry paper must inspire the judge’s to assess these
Please send photos with your entry – these do not count as one of your three supplementary items. These should be separate jpegs or png files NOT montages
Remember to mark any sensitive sections of the paper for judges eyes only/ not for publication. Please do this on the paper itself, not by separate email request.