Heavent Awards: iMotion wins silver at Cannes

# tags: Awards , Heavent Meetings , iMotion

iMotion won silver for its Christmas event for Deloitte at the Heavent Awards, which took place on 26 March in Cannes.

At the 2026 edition of the Heavent Awards, Portugal was represented on the podium with a second-place win in the Internal Event category, for the Portugal Deloitte Christmas Party 2025 project, developed by iMotion for Deloitte Portugal.

“Very, very, very, very happy, as you can imagine,” said Angelina Castel-Branco of iMotion, immediately after the ceremony. Just making it onto the shortlist “was a prize in itself”, she insists. There were seven finalist projects in this category. To be among them, “alongside such magnificent companies and projects” and to receive this award “felt like pure gold to us, and that’s why we’re absolutely delighted with the project”. She also emphasises the importance of the client’s trust, which gave them the opportunity “to be different and to want to invest in something truly immersive”.

For Filipa Ferreira da Silva, from iMotion, there is one key element that explains the project’s impact: “The power of storytelling”. Sometimes there is no need for fireworks or major technological distractions. “A story told exceptionally well, one that makes people feel as though they are part of that story, is all it takes to move people” — and the judges too.

A view shared by João Louro Pereira, also from iMotion, who highlights the groundwork required to build that narrative: “First, think very carefully about the concept. Then, a lot of research, a lot of intellectual work, as I often say, until we get it spot on” and find the right idea, one that makes sense for the target audience and for the client. This award is “international recognition in a highly competitive field”, which is why it is particularly sweet.

On the client side, Margarida Mata Cáceres, Head of Brand at Deloitte Portugal, admits that the recognition was received with emotion: “I wasn’t particularly expecting us to be here on the podium, because all the projects are very good. But I won’t say I’m completely surprised, because we put a lot of dedication and hard work into these events. We communicate to thousands of people and ‘it is with great satisfaction that we see this recognition here, in some way’. When asked about the main distinguishing factor, she doesn’t hesitate: ‘Storytelling was, for me, (…) one of this year’s game-changing factors’.”

This year, Portugal had three more events shortlisted: the Portugal Football Summit 2025, organised by Gr8 Events for the Portuguese Football Federation, in the Exceptional/Commemorative/Grand Ceremony Event Award category; the Cascais Press Preview 2025, organised by Gr8 Events for Cascais Municipal Council and the Cascais Tourism Association, in the Influence and Media Relations Event Award category; the Irga Awards 2025, organised by Desafio Global for Deloitte, in the B2B category.

The Heavent Awards form part of the Heavent Meetings trade fair, which took place between 24 and 26 March at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès in Cannes. Event Point has once again partnered with this international event as a media partner, closely following one of the industry’s most significant moments at European level.

More than just a competition, the Heavent Awards aim to establish themselves as a platform for celebrating creativity, boldness and the ability to reinvent the audience experience. By bringing together projects from areas such as corporate events, festivals, product launches and immersive experiences, the awards annually highlight some of the most innovative proposals on a global scale, whilst also serving as a meeting point and source of inspiration for agencies, brands and creators.

In a year marked by fierce international competition, the Portuguese presence in Cannes demonstrated the ability of national projects to stand out on the global events scene.