Innovation or Pay-to-Play? The AEC Awards Debate

KP Unpacked

In this episode of KP Unpacked—the number one podcast in AEC—Jeff Echols and KP Reddy go deep on awards, ethics, and why it’s time to rethink how innovation gets recognized in the built environment.

KP unpacks the launch of the 2025 AEC Innovators Award in collaboration with Zweig Group, and doesn’t hold back on the industry's pay-to-play culture. From shady award models to what makes innovation actually count, this episode lays out why the best ideas don’t always get the spotlight—and how that’s about to change.

Inside this episode:

• Why most industry awards don’t mean anything—and what KP’s doing about it
• How to actually evaluate innovation in AEC (hint: it’s not about buying Revit)
• The real reason RFP processes fail to recognize new thinking
• What the AEC Innovators Award will reward—and what won’t make the cut
• A call for submissions that actually matter to owners, teams, and impact

This isn’t just another award. It’s a challenge to the industry to do better—and a chance to show what real progress looks like.

Ignite what's next

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Check out one of our Catalyst conversation starters, AEC Needs More High-Agency Thinkers

Hope to see you there!

Chapters

1. Welcome to KP Unpacked (00:00:00)

2. Changing Industry Dynamics at Conferences (00:05:58)

3. Innovation Teams and Maturity (00:12:33)

4. Award Ethics and Pay-to-Play Issues (00:22:08)

5. Launching the AEC Innovators Award (00:31:40)

6. Selection Criteria and Impact Focus (00:40:59)

7. Final Thoughts and Invitation to Apply (00:49:32)