The Brief

Skift’s CEO wanted an awards program that would cut across travel sectors and stand apart in a market full of forgettable industry recognition. The mandate was broad: create something that positions Skift at the center of the design conversation in travel.

The Approach

I conceived the Skift Design Awards around a thesis most of the industry hadn’t articulated yet — that design in travel isn’t about lobbies and lounges, it’s about the end-to-end experience from booking to baggage claim. I wrote the Skift Design Manifesto to frame that argument, then assembled a judging panel that would force the industry to take it seriously: Yves Behar, Jen Rubio, Debbie Millman, Liz Lambert, Jan Chipchase, and others.

For the ceremony, we scrapped the typical podium format and built the evening around a conversation between Ian Schrager and Debbie Millman, with video interstitials revealing winners from stage.

The Outcome

The awards became the industry’s most coveted design recognition. In year 2, we rebranded to the IDEA Awards (Innovation, Design, and Experience Awards) and has continued to grow. The program established Skift’s authority in a space it hadn’t previously owned and created a new tentpole for the brand’s events business.