Best New Product Award

What is the IAAPA Brass Ring Best New Product Award?

The Best New Product category recognizes the best new product or service in the amusement parks and attractions industry.

Awards will be presented during IAAPA Expo 2021 in Orlando, Florida, USA.

Eligibility

Must be a member of IAAPA and exhibiting at IAAPA Expo 2021.
All product entries (except Best New Product Concept award) must have been operating in a park or facility Aug. 18, 2019 to Aug. 15, 2021. All entries will be verified.
The product or service must not have been eligible for consideration for a Best New Product Exhibitor Award during IAAPA Expo 2019 unless it was a Best New Product Concept applicant or winner.
An improved or updated version of an existing product is eligible for entry as a new product, if it meets the above criteria. If a product is an update of an existing product, all factors that distinguish new product from previous edition must be noted in the application.
Exhibitors who violate any IAAPA trade show rules and regulations will not be eligible for any Exhibitor Awards.

Entry Procedures

Entries are limited to two (2) new products, per exhibitor, and each product may only be entered into one (1) new product category. Two (2) separate new products may be entered into one (1) category. Only one (1) product can be entered in the Best New Product Concept category.
Each entry must include a fully completed application no later than the deadline.
Each entry should include up to two (2) materials per entry, fully explaining all features and benefits of the product to the user. Materials such as brochures, flyers, photographs, or artwork are accepted and encouraged. Web link or video files are also encouraged. All information should be submitted with the online application no later than the deadline.
All entries and materials submitted will be shared with the Exhibitor Awards Committee, and all entries become the property of IAAPA and will not be returned.
There is no cost to submit an entry.
The deadline is August 15, 2021. Applications will open June 2021.

Judging Process

Once the application opens, you will be required to create a login that is only used for the awards submission. It does not relate to any exhibit login or IAAPA membership login. The application must be submitted electronically by the deadline.
A panel of 3-5 judges comprised of IAAPA facility members will evaluate all entries pre-show and will recommend the winner(s) to the rest of the committee.
The judges reserve the right to reassign entry categories if they consider another category more appropriate.
The entire Exhibitor Awards Committee members will vote on the first and second place winners (as applicable) during IAAPA Expo.
In most cases there is no on-site judging so please be sure your application is complete.
Each category will be awarded first and second place (at the discretion of the judges based on award criteria). If the judges vote that none of the applications submitted meet the judging criteria, no winners will be awarded.
The Impact Award will be selected by the committee on-site. It is awarded to a winner of one of category 1-11 in the Best New Product Exhibitor Awards that, in the opinion of the judges, had or will have the most impact on the amusement parks and attractions industry.
All awards will be distributed to the winner’s booths by 6:00 p.m. on the first day of the trade show. Please have the appropriate representative(s) in your booth during this time for presentation/photo with the award.
All award winners will be displayed on the Awards display on Wednesday. A list of winners will also be available in the IAAPA Sales Office by 6:00 p.m. on the first day of the trade show.
Winners will be acknowledged at the GM & Owner's Breakfast on Wednesday.
The decisions of the judges are final.

Judging Criteria

Verification Received / Level of Positive Feedback from Facility
Originality or Uniqueness of the Product or Service
Quality of the Product or Service in Terms of Design and Construction
Benefit of the Product or Service to the Prospective Buyer
Innovation of the Product or Service.
Value of the product or service to the prospective buyer.

2021 Best New Product Categories

Major Ride/Attraction: This award is for new major rides or attractions in theme parks or amusement parks, mobile shows, and family entertainment centers.
Class A - Product cost of more than US$5 million
Class B - Product cost of US$2 to US$5 million
Class C - Product cost of less than US$2
Kiddie Ride/Attraction: This award is for new rides or attractions designed primarily for children up to 12 years of age for use in theme parks, amusement parks, mobile shows, and family entertainment centers. Includes coin-operated rides or attractions.
Water Park Ride/Attraction: This award is for new products that are designed primarily for rides or attractions in a water park or water activity areas in theme parks, amusement parks or family entertainment centers.
Patron Participation Ride/Attraction: This award is for new products that are designed to require active patron participation for the ride/attraction to function for use in theme parks, amusement parks, mobile shows, and family entertainment centers. Examples include bumper cars, bumper boats, go-karts, climbing walls, laser tag, escape rooms, and zip lines.
Technology Applied to Amusements: This award is for new products that demonstrate the application of a technology that has not previously been used for the same function that the technology accomplishes in the new product. This also includes products related to revenue and admission control products.
Class A - Product or Service used by Consumers
Class B - Product or Service used by Facilities
Food Services: This award is for food products, services, food equipment and suppliers.
Prizes, Plush, and Retail Products: This award is for new products that are designed to be given away in games of skill, redemption centers or in merchandise gift shops. This category includes the areas of prizes for games, novelties, souvenirs, hats, shirts and balloons in game operations or gift shops.
Games & Devices: This award is for the best new game products including arcade, video games, esports, and midway games and equipment. Games in this category may be coin-op or other means of payment and may or may not require an operator or attendant.
Virtual Reality: This award is for the best virtual reality product or equipment including hardware or software.
Exhibitions, Shows/Productions, Theatrical Equipment & Supplies, Displays & Sets: This award includes products and services related to show production and entertainment related services and suppliers of these services. Show producers, directors, choreographers, costumes, lighting and sound systems, staging, theatrical equipment and supplies, and displays and sets including Halloween and other holiday-related products and displays. Also included in this category are fireworks, flags and banners, signs, scenery/sets, buildings and facades, and theming or design for an exhibit or attraction.
Services, Equipment & Supplies: This award is for the best new amusement related services, equipment and suppliers of equipment/services. Included in this category are consultants, amusement park builders/designers, insurance, publications, trade associations, advertising, promotion and public relations. This award encompasses supplies and accessory equipment such as: uniforms, canvas items, strollers, film, computer systems, cables, batteries, lights, and all other supplies and equipment not included in another award category.
Best New Product Concept Award: This award is given to a new product that has yet to be sold or installed in a facility, and is debuting at IAAPA Expo. To be eligible for this award, the exhibitor must display a working prototype, a physical model, or a fully developed video rendering.
Class A - Attraction
Class B - Major Ride/Attraction
Class C - Other Product/Service

Impact Award

The Impact Award is awarded to a winner of one of the Best New Product categories 1-11 in the Best New Product or Service Awards that, in the opinion of the judges, had or will have the most impact on the attractions industry.

Application Process

All awards entries should be submitted online.
When you are ready to submit your awards entries, click on the Apply Now button and complete the registration. You can register for multiple categories at this time.
When the registration is complete, you will receive a confirmation email.

Application Opens June 2021

For Questions about the Exhibitor Awards, please contact [email protected] or call +1 321-319-7643.