Celebrating excellence in unbuilt or incomplete projects this category is a window into tomorrow’s world class destinations that will challenge and inspire the future of retail and leisure. Our panel will judge architectural excellence, innovation in materials, equipment, new techniques etc, and the positive impact that each development will have upon the local community. Please supply an outline of the original brief and the architect’s proposal to address this brief. Please also supply a synopsis of the development’s expected beneficial impact on both community and locale.

NB If you are not the client it is essential to obtain their approval prior to submitting the nomination.

This category is looking for architectural excellence and a unique and innovative concept which will bring creativity and modernism to the local community that are eagerly awaiting the opening of the cutting edge development.
Entries must be a NEW development that will open for the first time after 1 February 2021.

NB If you are not the client it is essential to obtain their approval prior to submitting the nomination.

Celebrating the most outstanding contribution to the retail and entertainment sector, this category rewards those projects that have created an extraordinary experience for customers and tenants alike. Examples of such projects are mixed-use retail & entertainment destinations, theme parks and themed entertainment and retail complexes.

NB If you are not the client it is essential to obtain their approval prior to submitting the nomination.

Shopping centres have become destinations and placemaking is about transforming these destinations into environments that people want to visit and return to. This award will be given to a scheme that can best demonstrate how it has used high quality design to improve a place. The judges will be looking at how the scheme has helped to generate sustained economic growth in a place or community improving its physical and environmental quality and social wellbeing through the integration of retail, leisure, arts, culture, sport, and heritage.

NB If you are not the client it is essential to obtain their approval prior to submitting the nomination.

Recognising the contribution made by shopping centres in providing customer care, good presentation, maintenance and cleanliness. This award also pays particular attention to high levels of service, diversity of offer and design excellence in creating an immersive and digital experience for all.

NB If you are not the client it is essential to obtain their approval prior to submitting the nomination.

This award will be presented to a centre that demonstrates innovation in its renovation through architecture and design, how it has contributed to the overall regeneration of the town, city or area, its contribution to the local community and the steps it has taken to improve sustainability.

NB If you are not the client it is essential to obtain their approval prior to submitting the nomination.

This award celebrates the increased popularity of the outlet model with shoppers and developers alike in recent years. The aim of this category is to reward innovation and design-led excellence that offers both retailers and customers the very best in terms of brand and community cohesion.

NB If you are not the client it is essential to obtain their approval prior to submitting the nomination.

This award will be presented to an outlet centre that demonstrates innovation in its renovation through architecture and design, how it has contributed to the overall regeneration of the town, city or area, its contribution to the local community and the steps it has taken to improve sustainability.

NB If you are not the client it is essential to obtain their approval prior to submitting the nomination.

This award recognises the best individual campaign that delivered a stunning impact on the target audience and excelled at developing brand awareness, affinity to the brand and loyalty amongst customers. The judges will be looking for innovation, best use of social media, digital marketing & PR. Demonstrate how you used creative and innovative strategies to tangibly interact with customers, showing what your campaign aimed to achieve, challenges you faced and ultimately the results you achieved.

This award honours the retailer that our judges believe to be a truly world-class operator across all facets of the business, delivering exceptional growth, adaptation and transformation of the brand to reflect evolving industry trends. With retailing becoming ever more complex and demanding, the judges will be looking for an innovative brand that meets this criteria with a clear development strategy for international expansion.

Due to the rapid digital transformation strategies implemented across the retail industry following the Covid-19 pandemic, this award will highlight those retailers who are repositioning their businesses for the omni-channel world. Serving customers through every available medium is more important than ever, be it through store, online, mobile or social media. In this category judges will be looking for companies who can showcase an excellent portfolio of these varied approaches across multiple platforms.

More than half of the world is now connected to the internet, and e-commerce is an important channel for retailing. RLI would like to recognise this digital revolution which will become the largest channel in 2021 by awarding an e-commerce platform that best demonstrates a unique business with an unrivalled offering through a global infrastructure of multi-brand stores. The judges will be looking for an online destination that has created a game-changing experience, revolutionising the customer experience and balancing technology with innovation.

Food & Beverage services are becoming the must have element in any retail and leisure destination, and they are transforming shopping centres and outlets into convivial lifestyle ventures. This award highlights the very best and innovative F&B concepts across the globe. Judges will be looking at the authenticity, quality and experience that each concept offers.

This award is a tribute to a global entertainment or leisure operator that has shown the strongest performance across its portfolio whilst offering customers an innovative and exciting experience. Our judging panel will be particularly interested in how this operator continues to inspire, innovate and create vision and entrepreneurial flair whilst staying ahead of the competition and maintaining global recognition.

Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) is currently revolutionising this industry and it looks set to continue in the coming years. This award pays tribute to the rise of technology and the way in which AR and VR are being increasingly utilised in the retail and leisure real estate industry. It also takes into account the continuing impact on new shopping centre developments and entertainment destinations. The judges will be looking for a creative and effective use of AR and VR in a retail or leisure environment combined with the level of innovation involved and evidence of how the technology is delivering benefits to both an organisation and its customers.

This award is designed to highlight the Developer which showcases their best new retail and leisure schemes recently completed, currently under construction and proposed to start, with an emphasis on diversity, innovation and, of course, the ‘wow’ factor. Please ensure that submissions include a broad cross-section of your portfolio.

This award is a tribute to the designer that consistently and accurately delivers the value of a brand to both business and customers. Our judges will examine both the design process, its objective and, most importantly, the results. Please ensure that submissions include a portfolio of recently completed developments and a selection of ongoing projects in the retail and/or leisure sectors. For designers nominating their work, it is essential to obtain the approval of the client prior to submitting examples of their work.

This award recognises those shop-fitters who have implemented an imaginative and innovative instore design, delivering a stand-out customer experience. The winner of this award will have reinvented the traditional meaning of a retail or leisure fit-out that enables retailers or leisure operators to connect with their customers.

This award recognises the entrepreneurial spirit, achievements and long-term ambitions of up-and-coming retail & leisure businesses embarking on an international expansion program. The judges will be looking for a company that portrays outstanding qualities, showcasing flair, ingenuity and resounding success.