The 2025 ICSC MAXI Awards, unveiled during the Global Awards Ceremony on May 18 at ICSC LAS VEGAS, honored the Marketplaces Industry’s most inventive and impactful marketing campaigns implemented between June 1, 2023, and Jan. 31, 2025. From community-building activations to traffic-driving experiences, this year’s Gold winners set a new bar for the ways marketplaces connect with their audiences, while Tanger Outlets’ Hurricane Helene relief efforts earned the prestigious Best of the Best honor for their meaningful local impact.

Dive into all the standout strategies that earned Gold below, and explore all the Gold winners, Silver winners and Finalists here.

B2B

Revolutionizing Leasing With Dynamic Vacancy Webpages

Company: Total Expenses Between $10,000 and $50,000

Kimco Realty transformed its leasing property webpages to enhance user experience and streamline the leasing process. Marketing and IT teams collaborated to create dynamic, easy-to-navigate vacancy-detail pages with real-time leasing information. In 2024, these pages garnered more than 88,700 views and over 36,700 active users and generated 2,343 leads. Ten deals were completed via direct webpage leads — eight in the fourth quarter alone — and 42 additional deals closed as a result of email campaigns that linked to the pages. As deals take time to close, Kimco anticipates continued growth in conversions through the enhanced digital leasing platform.

Key Team Members

• Esther Chung, Kimco Realty
• Jennifer Maisch, Kimco Realty
• Luis Eguiluz, EO Design Group

October’s Very Own x Scarborough Town Centre

Single Marketplace: Total Expenses Between $10,000 and $50,000

Scarborough Town Centre in Toronto identified October’s Very Own, an apparel brand co-owned by recording artist Drake, as a top prospect. Initially, OVO signed on for only a five-month pop-up. To entice a longer-term commitment, co-owner and management company Oxford Properties Group’s leasing and marketing teams delivered an unprecedented onboarding package, including full in-mall and digital media domination, extensive PR support and a Drake music video shoot on-site — a level of high-impact support typically reserved for anchor brands. A four-week billboard campaign and co-branded promotions amplified buzz, while exclusive merchandise and social content deepened engagement. The elevated tenant onboarding strategy drove 49 million media impressions, exceeding goals by 63%; a 978% return on investment; and record-breaking sales and traffic. OVO committed to a permanent lease within one month of the pop-up’s opening.

Key Team Members

• Lucia Connor, Oxford Properties Group
• Hayden Moncrief, Oxford Properties Group
• Jessica Johnson, Scarborough Town Centre/Oxford Properties Group
• Karen Calibuso-Kwa, Scarborough Town Centre/Oxford Properties Group
• Leanne Campbell, Oxford Properties Group

Community

Game On, Strive for Green! Link’s Food Waste Recycling Competition

Company: Total Expenses Over $100,000

Hong Kong asset management company Link advanced its sustainability goals by expanding a gamified food waste-recycling campaign for various fresh market and food-and-beverage tenants across its Hong Kong properties in 2023 and 2024. The initiative combined tenant education, a 30-day food waste-recycling competition, a social media partnership with a local influencer and shopper incentives. The efforts helped tenants overcome operational challenges and foster long-term recycling habits. The campaign engaged 134 tenants and collected nearly 48,000 pounds of waste across its various sites, including shopping center TKO Spot, which tripled its recycled output from 5,100 to 20,310 pounds. Media coverage spanned more than 100 clippings, generating $450,000 in PR value. Notably, 100% of participating tenants reported improved knowledge and pledged to continue recycling post-campaign.

Alliances in Action

Joint Marketplace/Joint Company: Total Expenses Between $50,001 and $100,000

Via strategic partnerships with 14 charities Morguard mobilized 18 of its retail properties throughout Canada to divert 17,067 pounds of textiles, 1,515 pounds of batteries and 8,189 pairs of eyeglasses from landfills. Proceeds from the resale of clothing and textiles sent 30 kids with Type 1 diabetes to camp and provided warm clothing to more than 200 families, and reusable eyeglasses were sent to developing countries. Achieving more than 17 million impressions and a 6.2% engagement rate, which Morguard said is three times the industry average, the initiative surpassed key performance indicators by 71%, boosted traffic by 4.3% and spurred $17,600 in optical retailer sales in participating centers.

Key Team Members

• Andrea Tushingham, Morguard
• Kristin Schemenauer, Prairie Mall
• Cindy Papa, Mingle Marketing
• Eleni Koukoulidis, Morguard
• Sharon Quigley, Centerpoint Mall

Denim Days

Joint Marketplace/Joint Company: Total Expenses Over $100,000

JLL Retail Property Management united sustainability, community and commerce to amplify back-to-school and fall shopping at 20 properties across the U.S. Shoppers connected over a shared cause, donating 1,519 denim pieces to local charities and participating in upcycling workshops, contests and events that fostered a sense of belonging. The campaign spotlighted more than 60 denim retailers while driving 5,547 new website users and achieving a digital reach of nearly 2 million. QR code scans for a denim giveaway converted at 48.8%, and social, email and mobile platforms saw a 102% engagement rate. Email click-throughs hit 7.98%, far above industry norms. The two-week initiative lifted traffic 5.6% year over year and grew sales 4.6% in women’s and family apparel categories at the participating centers.

Key Team Members

• Ashlyn Booth, JLL
• Corbett Guest, Imaginuity
• Jen Augustyn, The Dealey Group
• Daniel Wagstaff, Pocketstop

HeyBoob

Single Marketplace: Total Expenses Under $10,000

Rødovre Centrum in Copenhagen’s western suburbs partnered with HeyBoob to raise awareness of breast self-examination through a welcoming, nonclinical event that blended education and community engagement. Women used silicone models to learn how to check for lumps and engaged with breast cancer survivors and nurses. With creative marketing and cozy in-center activations, the campaign generated 1,100 sign-ups to HeyBoob’s free app during the event and 2,268 total by year’s end. Social content earned 360,000 views in two weeks, and return on investment soared to 11,286%. The initiative sparked national media attention and influencer support, and Denmark Technical University’s X-Tech later selected HeyBoob for its incubation program.

Key Team Members

• Louise Hammerich Larsen, We Love Ads
• Jeppe Larsen, Beyond11
• Anna Hestad Abildå, Beyond11
• Nina Ferrit, We Love Ads
• Malene Brandt, HeyBoob

Jack London Square Presents DOGFEST

Single Marketplace: Total Expenses Between $10,000 and $50,000

The monthlong DOGFEST campaign at Oakland California’s Jack London Square, a waterfront mixed-use neighborhood co-owned and managed by CIM Group, spotlighted Canine Companions, a nonprofit that provides free service dogs to people with disabilities. The initiative featured educational activities, donation drives and a lively final event with service dogs showing off their skills, crafts and a canine costume contest. PR and marketing efforts generated more than 115 million impressions and raised $18,240, which was 265% above the goal. On event day, traffic at the property soared 85% over the same day the previous year and sales at retailers rose between 10% and 45% over the same day the previous month. The campaign’s creative, inclusive approach — from its Doggie Selfie Studio to community art — deepened local connections and showcased marketplaces’ ability to foster meaningful impact. Using just 1.4% of its marketing budget, DOGFEST delivered standout return on investment while making a tangible difference for disabled community members.

Key Team Members

• Heath McCue, CIM Group
• Sherrie Martinez, CIM Group

Single Marketplace: Total Expenses Over $100,000

In the wake of Hurricane Helene’s devastation beginning last September, Tanger Outlets Asheville transformed into a lifeline for the North Carolina community, welcoming more than 2,000 relief workers within 24 hours. It hosted Duke Energy’s massive, 23-day staging site, supported the Asheville Police Department’s drone rescue operations and provided critical aid to retailers. Tanger also donated 2,100 square feet to displaced local artists and contributed $10,000 to local nonprofits, along with $100,000 to the Asheville Police Foundation to support long-term recovery efforts. Nationwide, Tanger centers organized blood and donation drives, while employees collectively logged more than 300 volunteer hours in October to support Asheville. To bring community members together, the center hosted its annual Halloween Boo Bash just a month after the hurricane made landfall, drawing a 38% increase in traffic over the previous year. Forty retailers participated in trick-or-treating during the event.

Key Team Members

• Miranda Bowman, Tanger Outlets Asheville
• Megan Thorp, Tanger Outlets Asheville
• Jodi Hoag, Tanger corporate
• Doug Taylor, Tanger corporate
• Tina McCuddin, Tanger corporate

Experiential

Celebrating the Year of the Dragon: Yorkdale & Scarborough Town Centre

Joint Marketplace/Joint Company: Total Expenses Over $100,000

For Lunar New Year 2024, Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre delivered a culturally authentic, visually spectacular activation anchored by a 40-foot dragon installation, and Scarborough Town Centre did the same with a 15-foot dragon. Created with a local designer trained in China, the campaign celebrated the Year of the Dragon with immersive experiences, including calligraphy demos, a lion dance, an indoor Lunar New Year market at STC and a digital photo booth at Yorkdale. Strategic partnerships, influencer campaigns and community engagement drove 91 million media impressions, which were 52% over goal; 18.4% traffic growth at STC; 3.5% growth in Instagram followers for Yorkdale and a 316% return on investment overall. Yorkdale also offered a special visit to its installation for Asian seniors. Together, both centers became the premier Lunar New Year destinations in Toronto, blending retail theater with cultural connection.

Key Team Members

• Rachael Tang, Scarborough Town Centre/Oxford Properties Group
• Vianna Ko, Yorkdale Shopping Centre/Oxford Properties Group
• Lucia Connor, Oxford Properties Group
• Leanne Campbell, Oxford Properties Group
• Karen Calibuso, Scarborough Town Centre/Oxford Properties Group

Emotional Carnival: Redefining Experiential Retail and Delivering Social Impact

Single Marketplace: Total Expenses Over $100,000

The Exchange TRX in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, created a family-focused, transformative activation in partnership with Disney-Pixar inspired by the animation studio’s “Inside Out 2” film. The weeklong campaign addressed rising mental health concerns via immersive installations, workshops and interactive zones that blended emotional education with entertainment. A central piece by artist Pamela Tan and an exclusive “Inside Out 2” premiere screening at the center’s Aurum Theatre drew widespread attention. The campaign attracted 3.3 million visitors, a 32% increase in foot traffic; generated $12.3 million in PR value for an estimated $35.9 million in advertising value equivalency; reached 9.4 million people digitally; and gained 13,363 new loyalty members. All that activity drove $3 million in tracked spending and achieved a return on investment of 8,306% for the shopping center.

Key Team Members

• Jessica Leong, The Exchange TRX
• Cassandra Tan, The Exchange TRX
• Eunice Ng, The Exchange TRX

Pavilion KL – Dragon Dynasty

Single Marketplace: Total Expenses Over $100,000

Malaysia’s Pavilion Kuala Lumpur ushered in the Year of the Dragon with its most ambitious Lunar New Year campaign to date. Dragon Dynasty delivered a record-breaking celebration that fused luxury and local brand partnerships, art, entertainment and cultural authenticity, anchored by a 328-foot-long golden dragon installation. A celebrity-studded launch drew massive crowds and social buzz. Highlights included Lancôme’s augmented reality-powered Dragon Tunnel, an exclusive shopper-rewards program and the Bukit Bintang-KLCC Prosperity Walk celebrating the Lunar New Year. The campaign attracted 9 million visitors, a 10% increase over 2023; delivered $15.6 million in publicity value and achieved a return on investment of 9,232%, with over 4 million social media interactions and $4.5 million in sales.

Key Team Members

• Kung Suan Ai, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur
• Lara Rowena, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur

Yorkdale’s Journey to the North Pole

Single Marketplace: Total Expenses Over $100,000

Faced with common area spatial limitations and the pressure to redeem a 2023 holiday display that was deemed disappointing at 10 feet wide, Toronto’s Yorkdale created the immersive Journey to the North Pole. A 35-foot-tall spaceship, equipped with 360-degree screen and motion technology, took guests on a virtual spaceflight above Toronto before landing in Santa’s North Pole control station, complete with costumed actors, boarding passes and NASA-inspired branding. Tickets for a VIP preview featuring Canadian influencer Vanessa Giuliani sold out in 24 hours and sparked viral buzz with 3 million social media views. The entire holiday campaign delivered 23.5 million media impressions, grew Yorkdale’s number of Instagram followers by 14% and generated $246,000 in photo sales, with additional photo sales lift at Yorkdale’s Santa Pet Studio.

Key Team Members

• Rachael Tang, Yorkdale/Oxford Properties Group
• Leanne Campbell, Oxford Properties Group
• Lucia Connor, Oxford Properties Group
• Michael Renaud, Yorkdale/Oxford Properties Group
• Jeff Tsuji, Yorkdale/Oxford Properties Group

Integrated

Game Changers: An Impactful NIL Partnership

Single Marketplace: Total Expenses Under $10,000

To reenergize its retail momentum amid declining population trends and shifting foot traffic, Franklin Park Mall in Toledo, Ohio, launched a name, image and likeness, or NIL, campaign featuring five standout local athletes. Athlete-led appearances, social media content, influencer partnerships and in-mall advertising — including a donated photo shoot-turned-billboard and a bold Toledo City Paper advertorial — drove a 1,542% return on the campaign’s $3,900 investment, a 54% surge in Instagram followers and more than 1 million impressions. Athletes’ presence at events like KixCon, the mall’s sneaker culture event, fueled a 23% year-over-year increase in traffic; generated $26,000 in direct sales; sparked sales spikes at retailers like J.Crew Factory, Foot Locker, and H&M; and influenced key lease renewals.

Key Team Members

• Julie Sanderson, Franklin Park Mall
• Casey Pogan, Franklin Park Mall
• Erin Falbo, Pacific Retail Capital Partners

Lulu Little Games

Single Marketplace: Total Expenses Between $10,000 and $50,000

Timed to align with Olympics excitement and capitalize on India’s $21.7 billion children’s retail boom, a dynamic, 360-degree marketing initiative drove engagement, foot traffic and sales across Lulu Mall Lucknow’s newly expanded kids’ retail mix. The two-weekend event in a custom-built arena featured interactive Olympic-style games for toddlers and babies. Robust promotions before and during the event, influencer partnerships and hyperlocal outreach supported the initiative. Drawing participation from 1,232 children, the event delivered a 21.4% spike in traffic, a 55-minute increase in dwell time, a 12.7% boost in kids category sales and 19.2% growth in food-and-beverage sales. It also onboarded more than 1,000 loyalty members, generated more than 37 million paid media impressions and a 130% return on investment, ultimately scaling to six additional Lulu malls.

Key Team Members

• Sameer Verma, Lulu Mall Lucknow
• Zain Rizvi, Lulu Mall Lucknow
• Shahzeb Ameen, Lulu Mall Lucknow
• Aiswarya Babu, Lulu Malls, India
• Naveen Sukhija, Lulu Mall Lucknow

Launch

Tanger Outlets Nashville – Grand Opening Celebration

Single Marketplace: Total Expenses Over $100,000

The marketing campaign for Tanger Outlets Nashville’s October 2023 opening positioned the center as a vibrant community hub. Leading up to the launch, the team hosted more than 30 Tanger Around Town outreach events, engaged 35 influencers and promoted the center’s mural program featuring local artists. Opening weekend featured a ribbon-cutting, preview night and community-driven activations like food trucks, fitness classes and a meet-and-greet with local celebrities Joanna Teplin and Clea Shearer of The Home Edit. The grand opening, held in time for the 2023 holiday shopping season, generated 1.2 million social media impressions; $3.4 million in sales surpassing its goal by 13%; 112 million earned PR impressions and $138,500 in sponsorship revenue. It also drove 515 new sign-ups for the TangerClub loyalty program.

Key Team Members

• Mackenzie Reagan, Tanger
• Lauren Krumlauf, Tanger
• Kathryn McDonald, Tanger
• Tina McCuddin, Tanger

Revenue

The Cirque Italia Experience!

Joint Marketplace/Joint Company: Total Expenses Under $10,000

Morguard’s specialty leasing team brought water circus performance Cirque Italia to Canada for the first time in 2024, launching a five-center tour across Alberta and Ontario to activate underutilized parking lots and drive revenue in smaller markets. One hundred total performances of the Cirque Water Circus Gold and Paranormal Cirque shows attracted 45,823 spectators. The campaign generated $265,371 in revenue, which was 136% over target; 6.4% traffic growth; and a 5.1% average increase in food court sales. Local marketing teams promoted the events with minimal spend, while Cirque Italia managed operations and publicity. With 5 million impressions, strong influencer engagement and a 143,173% return on investment, the initiative exemplified cost-effective experiential leasing that boosted brand visibility, foot traffic and customer engagement across all five centers.

Key Team Members

• Jennifer Thomas, Morguard
• Jackie Walker, Cambridge Centre
• Biara Morais, St. Laurent Shopping Centre
• Mark Toneguzzi, Intercity Shopping Centre
• Heather Kane, Parkland Mall
• Sarah Hunnisett, Northgate Shopping Centre

Lulu Flower Fest – A Celebration of Nature, Beauty, and Community

Single Marketplace: Total Expenses Between $10,000 and $50,000

Lulu Mall Kochi launched Lulu Flower Festival in February 2024 to combat seasonal footfall drops and rising competition, transforming the mall in southwestern India into a floral wonderland. The six-day event boost engagement and sales with local-vendor pop-ups, interactive workshops, live performances and installations. It drew more than 297,000 visitors, a 22% year-over-year increase, extended dwell time by 1.4 hours and lifted retail sales by 17%. Social media reach exceeded 3 million, as influencer partnerships drove a 7% increase in followers and over 120,000 interactions. The campaign also increased loyalty visits by 82% and achieved a 108% return on investment.

Key Team Members

• Sanu S, Lulu Mall Kochi/Lulu International Shopping Malls
• Aswathy K K, Lulu Mall Kochi Lulu International Shopping Malls
• Ajinas M, Lulu Mall Kochi/Lulu International Shopping Malls
• Aiswarya Babu, Lulu Malls India
• Vishnu Reghunath, Lulu Mall Kochi