The festival, which took place on September 24, 2022 at the Nghia Lo Stadium in the northern province of Yen Bai, was organised by the Yen Bai Provincial People’s Committee in collaboration with Newday Media JSC.
It was held to raise awareness of the art of traditional xoe dance of the Thai ethnic minority in Muong Lo Village – which was recognized as the intangible cultural heritage of humanity by UNESCO – and also to promote the village as a national tourist attraction.
The awards recognize excellence in marketing and creative work from the region, and provide a platform for industry professionals to showcase their work.
The EMA 2023 Awards were launched by Campaign Asia-Pacific, a leading media brand for advertising, marketing, and media professionals in the Asia-Pacific region. The awards recognize excellence in marketing and creative work from the region, and provide a platform for industry professionals to showcase their work and celebrate their achievements. Winners will be honored at the EMA 2023 Awards Ceremony, which will be held in October 2023.
The Regional Business Events Awards are designed to recognize and reward excellence, creativity, and innovation within the business events community. The awards celebrate the achievements of regional event professionals and recognize the hard work and dedication of the individuals, teams, and organizations that make the business events industry a success. The awards also highlight the important role business events play in the regional economy and celebrate the partnerships that make them possible. The awards recognize the individuals and teams who create memorable experiences and drive growth through their vision and leadership, as well as the organizations that have embraced innovation and achieved success in the regional business events industry.
Judged by a panel of global experts, the annual awards receive hundreds of entries from top organisations across the continent in the area of cultural, historical, and artistic event planning.
The Muong Lo Cultural and Tourism Festival 2022 has been awarded a prestigious award, marking the first time a representative from Vietnam, Newday Media, has surpassed many big names in Asia to win the accolade. A momentous achievement, this success speaks volumes about the hard work and dedication of Newday Media’s team, as well as the high quality of the Vietnamese cultural and tourism product. This remarkable achievement will no doubt be celebrated by the people of Vietnam, who are proud to have been represented on the international stage.
The InnerGlow 2022 event in Hong Kong (China) won the Silver award, and the GQ ART LAB exhibition in China won the Bronze award.
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The event attracted an impressive 20,000 visitors and received a staggering 3 million TV viewers, making it the centre of attention for months afterwards.
The Muong Lo Cultural and Tourism Festival 2022 created a unique cultural and artistic space on an unprecedented scale in the northwest region, likened to a “living museum” that preserves and awakens the thousand-year culture of the Thai people.
Pursuing a radically different path from conventional festivals, the Thai xoe dance festival is a unique, grand theatrical performance that exclusively uses traditional materials and is mostly performed in the Thai language by Thai dancers. This spectacular event showcases the beauty and grace of Thailand’s traditional culture, providing an unmissable opportunity to catch a glimpse of the country’s rich history and customs. A captivating combination of music, choreography, and vibrant costumes, the Thai xoe dance festival is sure to be a remarkable experience for all who take part.
Modern technology such as 3D mapping, laser lighting, and matrix LEDs can be used to support and honour the rich cultural values that exist within societies. These tools provide an engaging way to experience and appreciate the diverse and unique cultural heritage that each society holds. By utilizing these innovative technologies, people have the opportunity to explore and appreciate the beauty of a culture’s customs, beliefs, and traditions.
Tourists were able to experience the unique culture and specialties of the region.
The success of the festival had a profound influence on the media and tourism sectors of Yen Bai province. In September 2022, a total of 260,200 visitors flocked to the region, with 6,600 of them being international travelers. Tourists had the opportunity to truly immerse themselves in the unique culture and specialties of Yen Bai.
The tourism revenue in August 2023 was estimated to reach VND201 billion, a 150% increase compared to August 2022. These are impressive figures for a mountainous town with just over 68,000 inhabitants.
After the highly successful festival, the organizers of the event quickly submitted their application to the Event Marketing Awards 2023. To their delight, the event was presented with the coveted Gold award, which will undoubtedly bring more interest from event and media professionals across Asia.
This exciting turn of events will help spread the beauty of Vietnam’s unique intangible cultural heritage to the world, according to the director of the festival, Le Hai Yen. “We are thrilled that the event has been awarded the Gold award. It will draw more attention from event and media professionals throughout Asia to this unique intangible cultural heritage of Vietnam,” she said. “This will generate more interest and spread the beauty of this heritage to the world.”
In 2018, Newday Media JSC won the prestigious Gold Stevie Award in the Communications or PR Campaign of the Year – Events & Observances category for their successful organization of the Sam Son Beach Vacation Festival 2018.
In 2019, the Muong Lo Cultural and Tourism Festival won a gold prize in the Communications or PR Campaign of the Year category of the 17th Stevie Awards. Additionally, a mass xoe dance, performed by up to 5,000 people at the festival, secured a silver prize in the Community Involvement Programme of the Year category.
Xoe is a unique and traditional dance of the Thai communities in the northwest of Vietnam. It is especially significant in the provinces of Lai Chau, Dien Bien, Son La and Yen Bai and plays an important role in their daily lives. Xoe is performed in various communal events, from festivals to funerals, as a symbol of hospitality and friendship. By showcasing their culture and heritage, this dance helps to foster a sense of unity among the people. It is also an important part of their identity and a source of pride.
The art of xoe dance was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2021 by the UN culture agency. This ancient form of folk dance is practised by the Dao, San Diu, and Tay ethnic minority communities in Vietnam’s northern mountainous provinces. Xoe dance is a vibrant and energetic form of dance that combines traditional music and lyrics with acrobatic movements, creating a captivating performance.
