From multiple award nominations to one very big win.
Zesty Events has been named Small Event Agency of the Year at the 2026 Australian Event Awards.
I'm not going to pretend I've been particularly calm about this one.
A few months ago, we found out Zesty had been recognised across multiple categories at this year's Australian Event Awards. To now be named Australia's Small Event Agency of the Year is an incredibly proud moment for me and everyone who has been part of the journey.
Unlike awards recognising a single event, this category celebrates the work of small event management agencies across a range of projects.
That distinction means a lot.
Small Event Agency of the Year 2026
Zesty Events was selected as the winner from a strong group of national finalists:
Atelier – House of Events
Cielo House Experiential & Events
Event Society
Endure Collective
These are businesses doing excellent work across the Australian events industry, so being recognised alongside them was already something to be proud of.
Winning the category is something else entirely.
For a boutique event management agency in Melbourne, this award is recognition that you don't need the biggest team in the room to produce work at the highest level.
You need the right people, strong relationships, good ideas and an almost unreasonable level of care about the details.
What being a small event agency actually means
Zesty has always been intentionally hands-on.
As founder, I'm still involved from the first conversation with a client through to the creative thinking, planning, suppliers, production and the moment the final guest leaves. We then build the right specialist team around each project rather than forcing every event through the same structure.
That approach has taken us from corporate events and conferences to brand activations, gala dinners and charity events. We've also created immersive experiences that challenge what a traditional event can look and feel like.
Over the past year alone, that has included projects such as Florey After Dark, ADP Consulting's Foundations & Future and the Property Unites Charity Luncheon, alongside many other events that never make it onto an awards submission but receive exactly the same level of attention.
That consistency is probably the part of this award I'm proudest of.
A pretty surreal year for Zesty Events
This win comes after what has already been a slightly ridiculous awards season. Earlier this year, Zesty was named one of Australia's Top 5 Event Management agencies in Spice Magazine's 2026 Hot 100.
Then came recognition across multiple categories at the Australian Event Awards, including Small Event Agency of the Year, Event Agency of the Year, Best New Event, Best Small Event, Best Corporate Event and Best Charity or Cause-Related Event.
And now we get to add Australian Event Awards – Small Event Agency of the Year, 2026
Not bad for a boutique Melbourne event agency.
Awards are obviously not why we do the work. The best result is still a client calling after an event to say their guests haven't stopped talking about it. But recognition from people who understand what happens behind the scenes means a great deal.
They understand the schedules that change, the supplier calls, the problem solving, the site visits, the creative decisions and the hundred tiny things that have to happen correctly before an event can ever look effortless.
Thank you
This award belongs to far more people than the name on the trophy.
Thank you to every client who has trusted Zesty with their brand, their guests and the moments that matter to their organisation.
Thank you to the venues, suppliers, producers, creatives, technicians, stylists and crews who help us turn ideas into experiences. And thank you to the Australian Event Awards judges for recognising what a small, specialist agency can achieve. I'm incredibly proud of what we've built.
Still boutique. Still hands-on.
Just now officially Small Event Agency of the Year.
If you're planning a corporate event, brand activation, conference, gala dinner, fundraising event or experiential event in Melbourne or across Australia, we'd love to hear what you're working on.