Eligibility

All entries must primarily comprise prefabricated portable and/or modular exhibit systems or components thereof. Component and product names must be provided. Projects that have previously won a Portable/Modular Award are ineligible. All entries except for those in the Best Conceptual Design category must have debuted between Nov. 1, 2023 and Nov. 1, 2025, and must have been designed and constructed for a specific client. They must be primarily used in a temporary marketing capacity (e.g., trade show, corporate event, outdoor festival, etc.) and must be realized stands as opposed to renderings/concepts that have never been constructed.

Categories

Projects may be entered in multiple categories, but each category submission will require an additional fee. Reconfigurable exhibits can be entered multiple times in numerous traditional categories as long as photos of each configuration are provided. •  Best Conceptual Design* – Any portable/modular stand design that has never been constructed/realized. Designs must be intended for a temporary marketing capacity (e.g., trade show, corporate event, outdoor festival, etc.). Projects might be the result of: RFPs that have never developed into built exhibits or simply designers' wildest imaginations. Acceptable entries also include stands that have been designed and purchased by clients but haven't yet debuted at an in-person event. However, each design must employ a real brand of portable/modular components (e.g., BeMatrix, Aluvision, Octanorm, etc.) and be capable of being constructed. (Entries can't break the laws of physics.)

•  Best Fabric Exhibit – An exhibit comprising predominantly fabric components

•  Best In-Line Exhibit – 10-by-10s, 10-by-20s, 10-by-30s, etc.

•  Best Island Exhibit – An exhibit surrounded by aisles.

•  Best Reconfigurable Exhibit – An exhibit that can be reconfigured to accommodate various footprints, goals, shows, etc. Entrants must submit photos of the booth in at least two different configurations.

•  Best Rental Exhibit – An exhibit comprising predominantly rented components

•  Best Use of Graphics – Graphics for the entire exhibit and/or individual applications or purposes, such as info graphics, way-finding systems, product-display graphics, overhead-signage design, large-format graphics, etc.

•  Best Use of Technology – Innovative and effective use of technology within a portable/modular exhibit

* See the Submission Instructions for further entry parameters.

Criteria
Marketing and design experts will evaluate entries based on their aesthetics, functionality, and innovation. Pending judges' scores, multiple finalists and one winner will be selected in each eligible category.

Recognition
Finalists and winners will be announced in March or April 2026. Winners will receive a custom trophy, and those that provide print-quality visuals will be featured in EXHIBITOR magazine and online at www.ExhibitorOnline.com.

The Zeigler Award
One finalist will also receive The Zeigler Award, the competition's top honor. Named after Ted Zeigler (pronounced Zy-gler), who invented the self-locking pop-up display and some say launched the portable/modular industry, The Zeigler Award is given to the entry earning the top score in the competition regardless of category.

People's Choice
All finalists will also be automatically entered in the People's Choice category. Visitors to PeoplesChoice-Vote.asp will vote to select one winner.