The Global Event Leaders Challenge 2026 is jointly organised by:
• Asia Pacific Institute for Events Management, United KIngdom
• Lyceum of the Philippines University – Batangas
• Evenesis – Event Management System, Malaysia

The Global Event Leaders Challenge 2026 has been created to:
• Enhance employability skills for future event professionals.
• Develop participants’ understanding of international event management practices.
• Build confidence in the use of AI technologies within event planning.
• Strengthen teamwork, leadership, communication, and decision-making skills.
• Simulate real-world event management scenarios.
• Connect students from different countries through a shared learning experience.

Early Bird Registration Fee (Before 30th September )

USD 100

Standard Fee  (From 1st October)

USD 150

The Global Event Leaders Challenge 2026 is a live online competition that takes place in real time on 13 November 2026.
The competition consists of two major stages:

Stage 1: Event Planning Challenge (Morning Session)

At the start of the competition, participating teams will be provided with a client event brief.
Teams will use Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools and their own professional judgement to create a comprehensive event plan.

Your Event Plan Must Include

1. Event Business Plan
Teams should include:
• Event mission
• Event objectives
• Target audience
• Marketing communication strategy
• Financial budget
• Event sustainability strategy

2. Critical Path needed to Enable the Event to be Staged
Teams should produce:
• Event action plan timeline

3. Event Venue Selection
Teams should justify:
• Venue suitability
• Capacity requirements
• Accessibility considerations

4. Legal Contracts and Compliance
Teams should identify:
• Key contracts with event stakeholders
• Key clauses within the contracts
5. Event Concept, Design and Programme Flow
Teams should develop:
• Creative event concept
• Theme and branding
• Attendee experience design
• Programme schedule

6. Use of Technology
Teams should demonstrate:
• Event technology to be used before, during, and after the event
• Participant engagement tools
• AI applications

7. Accessibility and Inclusivity
Teams should show how their event will be:
• Accessible
• Inclusive
• Welcoming to diverse audiences
• Aligned with best practice event management standards

Completed presentations must be uploaded to the designated Google Drive folder before the submission deadline.

Stage 2: Live Event Management Challenge (Afternoon Session)

During the afternoon session, teams will move from planning into event delivery.
Participants will assume the role of an Event Management Team responsible for managing a live event.

Real-Time Operational Challenges
Teams will receive 10 unexpected event management challenges that occur during the staging of the event.

Examples may include:
• Speaker cancellations
• Technology failures
• Weather disruptions
• Security incidents
• VIP requests
• Sponsor issues
• Crowd management concerns
• Accessibility challenges
• Budget problems
• Staffing shortages

Human Intelligence Required
While AI may support planning activities in Stage 1, the operational challenges in Stage 2 are designed to assess HI:
• Human judgement
• Critical thinking
• Leadership
• Decision-making
• Problem-solving
• Professional communication

Time-Limited Responses
Each challenge:
• Will be released in real time
• Must be answered within a specified time period
• Must be submitted before the deadline

Submission Method
Responses will be uploaded to the designated Google Drive folder.
Late submissions may receive penalties or may not be accepted.

Judging Criteria

Entries will be assessed by an international judging panel drawn from academia and industry.
The judging process will evaluate:

Event Planning Stage
• Developing an event plan aligned to the event brief
• Quality of event business plan and critical path
• Venue suitability
• Legal contracts
• Event design
• Technology integration
• Accessibility and inclusivity
• Professional presentation
• Creativity and innovation
• Use of AI

Live Event Management Stage
• Quality of decisions
• Practicality of solutions
• Professional judgement
• Communication effectiveness

A detailed marking rubric will be provided before the competition.

Competition Schedule

Before Competition Day
Participants will be invited to attend four preparation webinars.

Webinar 1
Competition Briefing Session
Presented by:
Lyceum of the Philippines University – Batangas

Topics include:
• Competition structure
• Rules and regulations
• Submission procedures
• Judging process

Webinar 2
Employability Skills in the Events Industry
Presented by:
Claro Vista International Internships
Topics include:
• Career readiness
• International opportunities
• Professional expectations
• Industry employability skills

Webinar 3
Competencies of an Effective Event Manager
Presented by:
Asia Pacific Institute for Events Management
Topics include:
• Leadership
• Teamwork
• Planning skills
• Event management competencies

Webinar 4
Using AI in Event Planning
Presented by:
Evenesis
Topics include:
• AI applications in events
• Prompt engineering
• Planning efficiencies
• Ethical AI usage

Awards and Prizes

Total Prize Pool

USD 1,000
Champion

🏆 1st Prize – USD 500
First Runner-Up 🥈 USD 250
Second Runner-Up 🥉 USD 150
Third Runner-Up 🥉 USD 100

Participation Recognition
All registered participants will receive an official e-Certificate of Participation.

Registration Fees

Early Bird Registration Fee (Before 30th September)
USD 100,

Standard Fee (From 1st October)
USD 150

The fee applies per team, not per individual participant.

Technical Requirements

All teams should ensure they have:
• Reliable internet connection
• Computer or laptop
• Access to presentation software
• Ability to upload files to Google Drive
• Access to email throughout the competition
• Access to online meeting platforms used by the organisers

Teams are responsible for ensuring their own technical readiness. All teams will need to keep their device cameras switched on throughout the competition to enable the judging panel to observe each team at work.

Competition Terms and Conditions

By registering for the Global Event Leaders Challenge 2026, participants agree to the following terms and conditions:

1. Entry Fee
The entry fee for each group of students (maximum four students per team) is:
• USD 100 early bird fee, payment received on, or before, 30th September 2026; or
• USD 150 standard fee, payment received on, or after, 1st October 2026
Once paid, the entry fee is non-refundable unless the minimum participation requirement outlined in Clause 12 is not achieved.

2. Payment Method
The entry fee must be paid via:
• STRIPE using a debit or credit card, or
• Electronic bank transfer
Each participating team is responsible for any bank charges incurred during electronic bank transfers.

3. Scope of Registration
Payment of the entry fee enables the team to participate only in the Global Event Leaders Challenge 2026, on 13th November 2026, that is taking place on the Philippines time zone.

4. Non-Transferability
Entry fees and registrations are non-transferable and may not be transferred to another individual or team.

5. Original Work and Academic Integrity
All submissions must be the original work of the participating team. AI software can be used for Challenge One, the Event Planning Stage, but cannot be used for Challenge Two, the Live Event Management Stage.
Submissions must not contain:
• Plagiarised content
• Copied work
• Unauthorised use of another person’s ideas
• Any form of academic dishonesty
• The ideas of faculty lecturers or event professionals
Any team found engaging in plagiarism, copying, cheating, or misconduct will:
• Be immediately disqualified from the competition
• Forfeit eligibility for prizes
• Not receive a refund of entry fees

6. Communication with Organisers
The primary method of communication between participants and organisers will be email.
Messages sent through social media channels will not normally receive a response and should not be used for official communication.

7. Language Requirement
All submissions must be completed in English.
English is the official language of the competition.

8. Judging Decisions
All submissions will be assessed using the published marking criteria.
The decision of the judging panel is final and binding.
No appeals or challenges to judging decisions will be accepted.

9. Feedback
No detailed, structured, or individual feedback will be provided on submissions.
10. Competition Administration
The organisers reserve the right to make reasonable adjustments to scheduling, operational arrangements, or competition procedures if required.
Participants will be informed of any significant changes.

11. Certificates
All participants who successfully complete the competition will receive an electronic Certificate of Participation.

12. Minimum Participation Requirement
A minimum of 20 teams is required for the competition to proceed.
If this minimum number is not reached:
• The competition may be cancelled.
• All entry fees received will be refunded in full.

13. Cancellation
If the competition has to be cancelled on 13th November 2026 for any reason (other than specified in Clause 12), which might include unforeseen factors, such as Force Majeure, the competition date will be re-scheduled to a date which is as soon as possible, after the 13th November.

The Global Event Leaders Challenge 2026 is more than a competition—it is an opportunity to experience the realities of international event management, demonstrate your abilities to industry professionals, develop career-enhancing skills, and collaborate with students from around the world.

We look forward to seeing whether you have what it takes to become a successful event manager.