Skift Design Awards 2019

The Skift Design Awards recognizes transformational design experiences that enhance the traveler journey.

Our inaugural competition honors designers and businesses who showcase innovative and forward-thinking design projects across physical and digital touch points, including built environments, tech-enabled services, and experiential moments during travel.

There are 15 categories to enter and submissions are welcome from all travel industry sectors, agencies, and design firms. Judges include globally-renowned design experts, business leaders, and members of Skift’s editorial team. Entries are judged on innovation, originality, functionality, and impact of the overall user experience.

Finalists will be announced July. Winners will be announced and honored on-stage at Skift Global Forum in New York City in September.

Submissions are now closed.

For general inquiries and sponsor opportunities: awards@skift.com

Award Categories

Built Environments

Physical spaces travelers interact with.

Best Aviation Experience

Open to any brand designing environments and services that enable a great passenger experience in-flight (cabin design, entertainment, f&b) or on the ground (lounge, check-in, airport).

Best Guest Experience

Open to any brand designing environments and services that enable best-in-class experience for overnight guests, including room design, in-room tech, amenities, check-in and guest-facing apps.

Best Public Space

Open to any brand designing environments for public use, including lobbies, co-working, retail spaces, and spaces for locals and visitors alike.

Best Cruise Experience

Open to any brand designing environments and services that enable a great cruise passenger experience, including cabin design, on-board tech, and amenities throughout the cruise.

Best Retail Environment

Open to any brand designing environments created for retail purposes, including retail shops, galleries, marketplaces, and other commerce-driving activities.

Best Entertainment Space

Open to any brand designing environments where entertainment is the main focus, which can include elements of food, nightlife, culture, art, music, and more.

Best Meeting Space

Open to any brand designing environments where meetings, conferences, or group business experiences is the primary focus.

Best Eco-Friendly Design

Open to any brand designing environments with social, ethical, or environmental consciousness in mind.

Experiences and Activations

Moments throughout the traveler journey.

Best F&B or Entertainment Experience

Open any brand designing experiences where F&B or entertainment is a central component to the experience.

Best Event Networking Experience

Open to any brand designing experiences that brings people together through conferences or community-building event, enabling new connections to form and personal or professional growth.

Best Event Activation

Open to any brand who has created an immersive activation, exhibit booth, installation, or experience for users to interact with during a conference or event.

Best AR, VR, or Mixed Reality Experience

Open to any brand activation deploying AR, VR or mixed reality as a central component of an experiential activation.

Best In-Destination Experience

Open to any brand designing solutions that enable travelers to have a great experience within a destination, including mobility, way-finding initiatives, and technology that enable travelers to explore a destination more seamlessly.

Best Business Traveler Experience

Open to any brand designing solutions that make the business travel experience more seamless during travel, including rewards programs, apps that enable productivity, and amenities within built environments.

Best Design for Wellbeing

Open to any brand designing spaces, experiences and initiatives that enable mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing for users.