Events & Awards

Product of the Year

Product of the Year (POY)

The Plant Engineering Product of the Year program highlights some of the best new control, instrumentation, and automation products as chosen by Plant Engineering‘s print and online subscribers. Qualified subscribers are asked to select products based on technological advancement, service to the industry, and market impact. The annual reader-choice program was created to provide Plant Engineering’s readers with information about the top new product in their fields.

PRODUCT OF THE YEAR RECOGNIZE THE NOMINATIONS FOR THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES:

Actuators, Motors, Drives
Asset Management
Automated Processes
Building & Construction
Control Systems
Electrical & Lighting
Facility Type
HVAC
I/O & Networking
Industries
Information Management
Mechanical
Plumbing
Power
Safety & Security
Sensors
Services
Software
Test & Measurement

KEY DATES:

Nominations open Oct. 1, 2025, and close Jan. 30, 2026.

RECOGNITION:

All nominations that meet the eligibility requirements are named Nominees. Nominees receive an official Nominee logo to use in marketing efforts promoting their status to customers. Nominees are listed in a special eBook released in March 2026.

Based on the voting results, one Most Valuable Product (MVP) winner will be named (the product that receives the most votes overall) and each category will have a declared Gold, Silver and Bronze winner. In the event of a tie, it is possible for more than one Gold, Silver or Bronze winner to be awarded in a category. All winners receive an official Gold, Silver, Bronze or MVP logo to use in marketing efforts promoting their status. Winners are featured in a special eBook released in June 2026.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:
Products nominated into the 2026 POY program must meet the following criteria:

Products must have been made first available for purchase in the North American market between January 1, 2025, and December 31,
2025.
If the nomination is a new version of a previously available product, the nomination must represent a major modification or redesign of the product. New versions of software must offer new capabilities and significant enhancements.
Products must be available for purchase in the United States.
All information fields on the nomination form are completed and accurate regarding the product and the manufacturer.
Products for the 2026 POY program cannot have been previously nominated for the 2025 POY program.

Engineering Leaders Under 40

The Engineering Leaders Under 40 program* recognizes manufacturing professionals under the age of 40 who are making a significant contribution to their plant’s success, and to the Plant Engineering and/or plant engineering professions. Our research shows that finding, training and retaining workers is the biggest issue facing manufacturing today. The goal of the Engineering Leaders Under 40 program is to call attention to these successful young engineers in manufacturing and to show how manufacturers are recruiting and developing the next generation of manufacturing professionals.

NOMINEES MUST HAVE CONTROL AND/OR PLANT ENGINEERING PRODUCTS OR SYSTEMS PURCHASE OR SPECIFICATION RESPONSIBILITIES FROM AMONG THE FOLLOWING:

Control systems including HMIs, PLCs, PACs, DCSs, single-loop or PCbased controllers
SCADA, historian, alarm management or data acquisition systems
Design, analytics, PLM, ERP, MES, batch, scheduling, SCM or IOT systems
PCs, IPCs, mobile devices, embedded components, edge computing or other computer equipment
Process, discrete or vision systems, sensors, transmitters, relays, timers, RFID, bar code, power supplies
Motors, drives and actuators
Wired or wireless networking (Ethernet, switches, routers), device bus, fieldbus networks, I/O modules and systems
Motion control systems and robotics
Safety for process or machine systems
Power distribution systems or power protection systems, and enclosures
Analytical instruments, test or calibration equipment
Pumps, valves, positioners

KEY DATES:

Nominations for open April 1, 2026, and close June 26, 2026.

RECOGNITION:

Winners will receive recognition from Plant Engineering and Plant Engineering magazines and will be announced in the print and online editions of the magazines as well as in Plant Engineering and Plant Engineering e-newsletters. Winners grant WTWH Media the right to use his or her nomination, name, likeness, hometown, and biographical information in advertising and promotion in all media without further compensation or permission, except where prohibited by law. All expenses, including taxes, if any, related to winning are the sole responsibility of the winner. Winner releases WTWH Media, affiliates, suppliers, and agents from any and all liability for any loss, harm, damages, cost or expense, including without limitation property damages, personal injury and/or death, arising out of participation in this contest.

SELECTION CRITERIA:
Some of the qualities and characteristics the editors will be looking for (in no particular order):

Leadership skills
Inventiveness
Sustained career progress
“People” skills
Academic training
Dedication
Personal integrity
Technical skills
Community outreach/volunteer work

System Integrator Giants

The System Integrator Giants program (SI Giants) lists the top 100 system integrators among companies listed in the WTWH Media Global System Integrator Database, ranked solely on total system integration revenue.

KEY DATES:

System Integrator Giants submissions open June 1, 2026 are due by Friday, Aug. 28, 2026, at 5 p.m. CT
Early December 2026: 2027 System Integrator Giants announced online and featured in the Global System Integrator Report

RECOGNITION:
The annual list of SI Giants will be released in December with WTWH Media’s Global System Integrator Report. Intended as a 12-month reference guide, the Report celebrates recent achievements by highlighting integrators who will make a difference in the years to come.