SOLAL AWARDS CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL SHOPPING CENTRE MARKETING EXCELLENCE IN BUDAPEST
Budapest put on a world-class international shopping centre marketing event on Tuesday 13 October, as the 2026 Solal Awards celebrated outstanding campaigns from across the globe. A record number of finalists gathered for an evening of celebration, recognising the creativity, strategic thinking and impact of the sector’s leading marketing teams.
Held at Kiosk, one of Budapest’s most distinctive venues, the awards ceremony took on a vibrant disco-lounge theme, complete with glitter-ball performers, a DJ and photo opportunities provided by headline sponsor MK Illumination.
This year’s awards attracted more than 127 entries from 18 countries across Europe, as well as from Canada and South Africa. A total of 58 property companies participated, and a panel of 20 marketing professionals from around the world assessed the entries.
Poland and South Africa emerged as major success stories of the evening, with Apsys, EPP and EBM among the organisations collecting multiple awards. Manufaktura in Poland, Sandton City in Johannesburg, Wijnejem in Belgium and Rødovre Centrum in Denmark also enjoyed multiple wins. Other successful entrants included NEPI Rockcastle, FIBA in Türkiye and CBRE, which collected awards for campaigns in Spain and Italy.
However, the outstanding story of the evening belonged to Nikolsky in Ukraine. The Budhouse-owned shopping centre secured Gold for its K-Pop event before winning further recognition for Shelter, an extraordinary campaign developed in response to the devastating impact of a Russian missile strike on the newly opened Kharkiv centre.
In the face of immense adversity, the Nikolsky team transformed its underground car park into a place of refuge and community support, organising a programme of free activities that offered comfort and a sense of normality to people in Kharkiv.
The campaign won the coveted Best of the Best award, alongside awards for Best Innovation and Best Low Budget. The awards were collected by Chief Marketing Officer Dmytro Bushmakin and his team, who received a two-minute standing ovation in recognition of their remarkable achievement.
Solal Co-Managing Directors Anita Stampfl and Alan Thornton welcomed the response to this year’s event.
Anita Stampfl said: “The standard of work recognised this year has been exceptional, but Nikolsky’s achievement is a particularly powerful reminder of what shopping centre marketing can mean to the communities we serve. Across all the entries, we have seen extraordinary creativity, commitment and ingenuity. The Solals allow us not only to celebrate that work, but also to recognise the talented people behind it.”
Alan Thornton added: “We want the Solal Awards to be much more than a competition. By bringing together the awards, an inspiring marketing conference and opportunities to connect with colleagues from across the industry, we aim to create an essential annual meeting point for shopping centre marketers. The response in Budapest has been fantastic, and the interest we are already receiving in next year’s event is hugely encouraging.”
The awards ceremony followed a full day of conference sessions and shopping centre tours, bringing delegates together to exchange ideas and explore the latest developments in marketing. The conference featured an international line-up of speakers, including experts from TikTok, and covered a broad range of topics, from digital analytics and Gen Z engagement to placemaking and consumer inspiration.
Solal Chair of Judges Agnieszka Tomczak-Tuzinska highlighted the learning opportunities offered by this year’s entries.
She said: “The quality of the submissions was incredibly high, and many campaigns came within a point or two of winning an award. That should be hugely encouraging to everyone who entered. We would urge marketers to study the winning entries when they are published on the Solal website. They offer a valuable opportunity to learn from the best, discover new approaches and take inspiration into next year’s campaigns.”
A full list of winners is available alongside this release. The winning entries will also be published on www.SolalAwards.com, providing marketing professionals with an opportunity to explore the campaigns and learn from the ideas, strategies and execution behind their success.
The event was staged by Budapest agency White Rabbit.
