How to Enter the Skift IDEA Awards 2026 (and Lock in the Best Price)

Each year, Skift IDEA Awards highlight the ideas redefining the global travel industry, from breakthrough technologies to campaigns that reshape how destinations and brands connect with travelers.

If you’re planning to enter, here’s the key thing to know: you can secure your entry now and finalize it later.

That means you can lock in the best entry rate while giving your team time to craft a compelling submission.

Download the full entry guide and form to start planning your submission:

Why Smart Teams Enter Early

Many teams begin thinking about awards only after their project results are finalized. By then, deadlines are closer and entry fees are higher.

With Skift IDEA Awards, you can secure your entry early and continue refining the submission until the final deadline.

This approach allows teams to:

• Lock in early-bird pricing
• Secure internal approvals and budgets
• Gather results, data, and testimonials
• Build a clear narrative around the work

Entry pricing increases as the deadline approaches:

• Early Bird: $449
• Regular: $549
• Final: $599

How to Enter the Skift IDEA Awards: Step-by-Step

The entry process is straightforward and designed to help you clearly present the story behind your work.

Step 1: Choose the Category That Fits Your Idea

Skift IDEA Awards feature 32 categories across 6 themes, reflecting the full spectrum of the travel industry.

These include areas such as:

• Hospitality
• Tourism and destination marketing
• Airlines and aviation
• Travel technology
• Sustainability and leadership
• Marketing, content, and creative work
• Meetings and events

Whether your project improved the traveler experience, launched a new technology platform, or delivered measurable business impact, there’s a category designed to showcase it.

Tip: Focus on the category where your idea’s impact is most clearly demonstrated.

Not sure where your idea belongs? Find the right category under 3 minutes with our: 

Step 2: Secure Your Entry and Access the Portal

Once you select your category and complete the entry payment, you’ll receive an invitation to the submission platform where your entry form is created and ready to complete.

This is where the secure now, submit later approach comes into play.

You can secure your entry early, then return to the platform anytime before the final deadline to build and refine your submission.

Many teams begin by drafting their responses offline using the downloadable entry form as a reference before completing the submission online.

Step 3: Tell the Story Behind the Work

The submission form walks you through several sections designed to capture the essence of your project.

Strong entries typically cover:

• The challenge or opportunity you identified
• The idea or innovation behind your solution
• What makes the approach original
• The impact or results the work delivered

This is where you bring the project to life. Clear storytelling paired with real outcomes tends to resonate most strongly with judges.

Step 4: Add Supporting Materials

Supporting assets help judges understand the full scope and impact of your work.

You can include assets such as:

• Images and visual assets
• Press coverage
• Testimonials
• Video links
• Additional documentation

You’ll also upload a high-resolution company logo and supporting image, which are used to generate a brand kit if your entry progresses.

Step 5: Submit and Refine Before the Deadline

Once all required sections are complete, you can submit your entry directly through the platform.

You’ll receive confirmation once the system registers the submission, and your entry remains editable until the final entry deadline.

That means you can continue refining and updating your submission as many times as you like until entries close in July.

Starting early gives your team time to polish the narrative, strengthen the results section, and ensure the submission clearly reflects the impact of the work.

What Judges Look For

Entries are reviewed by a panel of industry leaders and Skift editors.

Submissions are scored across four key criteria:

• Purpose: Does the idea solve a meaningful problem?
• Innovation: Does it move the industry forward?
• Originality: Does it stand apart from existing approaches?
• Impact: Does it create measurable value for travelers, businesses, or communities?

The strongest entries demonstrate how an idea improves the traveler experience, drives business results, or pushes the travel industry forward.

Start Planning Your Skift IDEA Awards Entry

The best submissions rarely appear overnight. They take shape over time as teams gather insights, data, and supporting materials.

Download the entry guide to review the full process, explore categories, and begin planning your submission.