Every organization has achievements worth celebrating, but turning those accomplishments into an award-winning Stevie® Awards nomination can be a challenge. Whether you’re looking to highlight your company’s innovation, leadership, or team success, it’s essential to tell your story in a way that resonates with the judges. Many organizations have what it takes to win, but struggle with the finer details of crafting a compelling narrative.

On 17 October 2024 at 2:00 PM (GMT +3) / 7:00 AM (EST), we will host a free webinar, "Secrets to Success: How to Create Impactful MENA Stevie Awards Nominations." This webinar is designed to help you overcome those challenges and boost your chances of success in one of the most prestigious business award programs in the region.

During the webinar, you’ll hear from the Stevie Awards Founder & Executive Chairman, Michael Gallagher, and two business awards consultants who will share proven strategies for winning. You’ll learn about the behind-the-scenes judging process and get tips on how to craft a standout submission, including how to ensure the judges see the full value of your work. You'll also gain insight into the Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Grand Stevie distinctions and what sets each apart.
Whether you’re an experienced entrant or considering entering for the first time, this webinar will walk you through every step of the process, from creating an entry account to finally submitting your nominations.

Now in its 6th year, the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards honor innovation across 18 nations in categories ranging from Company and Organization Awards to New Product Awards. With more than 150 categories available, this webinar will give you the tools and insights to select the right categories, organize your entries, and present your achievements in the best light.

At the end of the webinar, audience questions will be answered during a live Q&A. Attendees will have access to the webinar replay (on-demand) and presentations through the end of 2024.

Don't miss this chance to get free expert advice on how to put your best foot forward!

Stevie-winner Chum is a Dubai-based price comparison app designed to help users save money and time by allowing them to compare prices across various stores for products ranging from groceries to tech gadgets.

By aggregating data from major retailers, Chum helps users find the best deals without the need to visit multiple websites. The app is particularly helpful for frequent purchases, like groceries, where it shows price comparisons across supermarkets, allowing users to select the cheapest options.

Additionally, Chum extends its service to travel bookings, offering comparisons for flights, hotels, and car rentals, making it a versatile tool for budget-conscious consumers. Its user-friendly interface enables shoppers to quickly identify price drops, with some products seeing discounts as high as 60% to 70% from retailers like Carrefour, Amazon, and Noon.

Chum also offers valuable features tailored to enhance user experience beyond simple price comparison. For instance, the app allows users to set price alerts for specific products, so they are notified when prices drop, making it easier to snag the best deals.

The ability to create and save wish lists ensures that users can revisit and purchase desired items at their convenience, without having to search for them again. Chum also provides cart comparison across supermarkets, helping users ensure they are getting the best deals on their grocery orders from various retailers.

What sets Chum apart from its competitors is the integration of multiple verticals, combining various categories like electronics, groceries, fashion, and even travel services (flights and hotels) within a single platform.

The app stands out in the UAE market as it utilizes AI-driven tools to compare millions of products, which gives it a significant edge in ensuring accurate and up-to-date price listings. This comprehensive approach, combined with user-friendly features like deal alerts and cart comparisons, offers customers a one-stop solution for efficient and budget-conscious shopping. 

Since winning a Stevie, they are now launching a Cashback feature, which will help customers get cashback on Chum for any shopping they do. This fuels their vision of being the first touchpoint in the region—no matter where a customer shops from, they want them to first come to Chum to see the best prices and deals and initiate cashback before buying the product they want from the respective stores.

Chum won two Gold Stevie Awards for Most Innovative Startup of the Year - Consumer Service Industries, and the Award for Innovation in Shopping or E-commerce Apps in the 2024 Middle East & North Africa Stevie^® Awards.

Interesting in entering for 2025?

Stevie-winner Melodica Music Academy is a prominent educational institution in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that specializes in providing high-quality music education for students of all ages and skill levels.

The academy offers a diverse range of music programs, including instrumental lessons, vocal training, and music theory, delivered by dedicated and experienced instructors. 

Over the past two years, Melodica Music Academy has undergone significant growth and expansion. Initially starting with a few branches in Dubai, the academy has increased its presence by opening additional locations in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, now totaling 25 branches.

Increase in Student Enrolment
Melodica Music Academy's growth is reflected in its notable increase in student enrolment. Starting with 10,000 students, the academy’s programs and skilled instructors have attracted a diverse range of learners across various age groups and skill levels. The rise in enrolment from 10,000 to over 50,000 indicates a heightened interest in music education and a recognition of the academy's teaching methodologies and curriculum.

Diverse and Dedicated Workforce
In tandem with its student growth, Melodica Music Academy expanded its workforce to maintain effective instruction. The academy employs over 300 teachers to ensure a favorable teacher-to-student ratio, facilitating personalized learning experiences.

Additionally, the administrative and support staff has grown to more than 1,200 employees. This diverse workforce plays a crucial role in delivering a comprehensive educational experience.

The growth of Melodica Music Academy extends beyond enrollment and staffing; it has also influenced the cultural landscape of the UAE. With an expanded capacity, the academy has been able to organize numerous events, concerts, and performances, showcasing the talents of its students. These activities contribute to the cultural experiences available to the community and foster a greater appreciation for the performing arts in the UAE.

Melodica Music Academy won a Silver Stevie Award for Innovative Achievement in Growth in the 2024 Middle East & North Africa Stevie® Awards.

Interested in entering the 2025 program?

Stevie-winner Trupanion is a leading medical insurance provider for cats and dogs in North America. With over 1,200 global employees, they help pet parents budget and care for their pet’s veterinary bills when they face unexpected sickness or injury.

Trupanion stands out for its simple, customizable plans, offering up to 90% reimbursement on eligible veterinary expenses and no annual or lifetime payout limits, making it a preferred choice for many pet owners.

In contrast to competitors, they feature a per-condition deductible rather than an annual one, meaning once a customer meets the deductible for a particular condition, they won’t have to pay it again for that condition's treatment during their pet's lifetime. Another key feature is the Vet Direct Pay system, which allows Trupanion to pay participating veterinarians directly at the time of treatment, minimizing the upfront costs for pet owners. This system is supported by their proprietary software, Trupanion Express, which streamlines the claims process and ensures fast payment.

Tactics for Telesales and Call Center Teams
With only 3% of cats and dogs having insurance in North America, they have consistently needed to scale their Telesales team to support Trupanion’s reach.

Pet parents are not required to insure their cats and dogs and often don’t realize that there are insurance options to help cover the cost of their veterinary bills. With that in mind, they have built a team of sales representatives who can explain how covering pets with Trupanion’s insurance is so impactful in extending the time families can have with their furry family members.

Trupanion has been operating since 1999, but the telesales team established itself within Trupanion’s contact center in 2011 due to the rapid growth of its member base. In 2021 the team was around 30 sales agents and has doubled in size to 60 agents.

Unique to other telesales teams, Trupanion’s only focus on warm leads. Converting leads to members in the discovery phase also ensures that members are enrolling their pets before any medical emergencies arise, contributing to the best experience they can have with any pet insurance product. 

Since 2021, Trupanion’s Inbound Sales team has been handling approximately 17,000 inbound leads per month with a consistent conversion rate of 45%. Year over year, Trupanion grows by at least 20% net new pets and the Inbound Sales team brings in over 90k of those new pets each year.

Their product covers Canada, the United States, Puerto Rico, and Australia, with a 150-person customer service team providing 24/7/365 support for global members and over 937,000 pets.

Some may consider the call center at Trupanion as untraditional in that they don’t use scripts or have handle time goals. They believe that team members shine the best on every call without rigid guidelines and that they need the time and flexibility to take care of the customer in a manner that feels authentic to them.

Since the pandemic, their contact center has evolved to be a remote-first environment, with team members working from home across the United Stastes and Canada. If team members prefer to have an office experience, the Seattle headquarters is open to all, including team members’ cats and dogs.

Trupanion won two Silver Stevie^® Awards and a Bronze Stevie for Front-Line Customer Service Team of the Year - Financial Services Industries; Contact Center of the Year (Over 100 Seats) - Financial Services Industries; and Inside or Telesales Team of the Year, respectively, in the 2024 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service.

Interested in entering the 2025 awards program?

Stevie-winner Simply Contact is a customer support outsourcing company, originally founded in Dnipro, Ukraine, in 2013.

Over the past decade, the company has grown significantly, expanding its operations across Ukraine with offices in Kyiv, Lviv, and Poltava, as well as establishing a presence in Warsaw, Poland. With a team of over 600 employees, Simply Contact provides multilingual and multichannel customer support services to clients worldwide, handling operations in more than 18 languages.

The company's client roster includes a diverse array of organizations, from established brands like Wizz Air and government entities such as the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the Ministry of Digital Transformation to innovative startups like Bolt, Wheelshare, and Ditto Music. Simply Contact’s ability to serve such a broad range of clients is a testament to its versatility and commitment to delivering high-quality customer service solutions.

One of the key strengths of Simply Contact lies in its ability to adapt and scale its services efficiently, especially during periods of fluctuating demand. The company has implemented a blended support model, which allows for dynamic agent allocation based on immediate needs. This approach has proven particularly effective in reducing call center abandon rates and improving response times. For instance, on the Wizz Air project, Simply Contact managed to reduce the average handling time by 30%, while ensuring that 80% of calls are answered within 35 seconds and all emails are addressed within five days. This level of efficiency not only enhances customer satisfaction but also optimizes operational costs, saving clients up to 10% in total cost of ownership.

Another notable achievement is the improvement in customer satisfaction (CSAT) for Bolt, one of Simply Contact's key clients. By retraining agents, developing a dynamic monitoring system, and implementing targeted strategies for specific scenarios, Simply Contact was able to elevate Bolt’s CSAT from 64% to over 80%, surpassing the industry standard. This significant improvement is indicative of the company’s systematic and thoughtful approach to customer service, which continues to drive positive results for its clients.

Simply Contact's ability to adapt to client needs and improve operational efficiency has made it a strong contender in the customer service outsourcing industry. Through innovative practices like the blended support model and a focus on reducing handling times and increasing customer satisfaction, the company has consistently delivered cost-effective solutions. These strategies have proven successful in enhancing the customer experience for clients across various sectors, from established brands to emerging startups.

As the company continues to evolve, it remains focused on delivering tailored, high-quality services that address the unique challenges of each client, reinforcing its position as a leader in multilingual and multichannel customer service.

Simply Contact won a Bronze Stevie^® Award for Contact Center or Customer Service Outsourcing Provider of the Year in the 2024 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service.

Interested in entering the 2025 awards program?

Stevie-winner Accela provides a unified suite of cloud solutions trusted by governments across the globe to accelerate their digital transformation, deliver vital services, and build stronger communities. 

The company offers agile, purpose-built solutions and the power of a platform that provides users with a consumer-like experience, shares data across departments, and ensures world-class security. With over 600 jurisdictions worldwide, Accela’s products manage critical tasks efficiently and effectively.

The Challenge
Accela implemented a Salesforce-powered community where members sought fast, relevant information. However, there were some challenges. Customers and support representatives had to juggle between multiple content repositories to find all available information. At times, they ended up with irrelevant or missing results due to the many content silos. The team knew gaps existed in their published knowledge repositories but had no way to identify all of them or understand which ones were having the biggest impact on their customers. Consequently, their support team was flooded with customer support requests. The management team wanted to reduce the load by improving the self-service experience.

All things considered, Accela was looking for an overarching solution that could not only enable users to self-serve but also provide access to all documented information from a single search point.

The Solution
Enter SearchUnify, a unified cognitive search platform. Its out-of-the-box support for 60+ enterprise platforms helped Accela index all its disparate content repositories and integrate them seamlessly with its customer community. This created a unified discovery experience for their customers within the online community.

As a result, when customers searched for help, the engine scoured all of Accela's documented knowledge to find and return every relevant answer. Support reps received the same experience in their agent console. This eliminated the need to switch tabs or login to separate systems to access the right content.

SearchUnify's ML-fueled algorithms significantly improved search relevance in the online customer community. It factored in customer data such as their activity across all touchpoints and engagement patterns. This ensured every customer only saw content relevant to their profile. Its insights engine empowered knowledge teams to immediately identify and close content gaps, which further helped improve customer satisfaction scores while reducing the load on customer support teams.

Furthermore, SearchUnify’s platform bridged the gap between multiple systems to provide a real-time, end-to-end view of the customer's self-help journey. Accela teams could now follow individual customer paths starting with search terms, to search results, content clicks, and answers read to cases submitted. This provided powerful and actionable insights that allowed Accela to dramatically improve its customers’ experiences.

Accela won a Gold Stevie^® Award for Best Use of Technology in Customer Service - Computer Industries in the 2024 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service.

Interested in entering the 2025 awards program?

Stevie-winner Bigleaf Networks specializes in optimizing internet performance for businesses through a cloud-first SD-WAN (Software-Defined Wide Area Network) solution.

Their technology focuses on ensuring reliable internet connectivity by dynamically managing and prioritizing network traffic, which is crucial for businesses dependent on cloud-based applications. Bigleaf's solution detects and mitigates network issues automatically, providing consistent performance and reducing downtime for critical business operations.

The company serves various industries with a plug-and-play setup that requires minimal IT intervention, making it accessible to businesses without extensive technical expertise. Bigleaf's services include real-time traffic analysis, automated failover, and load balancing across multiple ISP connections. This approach ensures optimal internet performance and reliability, allowing businesses to maintain productivity and efficiency even during network disruptions or heavy usage periods.

Bigleaf has built a reputation for providing network optimization solutions. It offers dynamic Quality of Service (QoS) and intelligent internet traffic load balancing services designed to guarantee optimal performance for essential internet and cloud applications. Their commitment to innovation and excellence has led to the delivery of cutting-edge solutions that meet the evolving needs of modern businesses.

Founded on the goal of revolutionizing internet connectivity, Bigleaf has successfully optimized network performance for businesses of all sizes across various industries. Their dynamic QoS and intelligent traffic load balancing services ensure uninterrupted access to essential applications, enhancing productivity and driving business growth.

Since July 2021, Bigleaf has achieved significant milestones in customer service, evidenced by impressive G2 ratings and reviews. These ratings highlight the company's dedication to delivering exceptional customer service and satisfaction. Bigleaf boasts a 98% gross customer retention rate and an outstanding 114% net retention rate, demonstrating its success in retaining and expanding its customer base through effective service and support.

These achievements underscore Bigleaf's focus on prioritizing customer satisfaction and providing value-added solutions tailored to client needs. Through its proactive approach to customer service and commitment to excellence, Bigleaf Networks has solidified its reputation as a trusted partner and industry leader in delivering exceptional customer experiences.

Bigleaf Networks won a Bronze Stevie^® Award for Customer Service Success - Technology Industries in the 2024 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service.

Interested in entering the 2025 awards program?

Stevie-winner GoCo is on a mission to automate manual human resources (HR) tasks and empower HR professionals to make work a better place.

GoCo.io is modernizing HR, benefits, and payroll with its modern, all-in-one, solutions for SMBs (small-to-medium-sized businesses). Unlike other HR platforms, GoCo is built to support existing processes, policies, and providers so that SMBs don’t have to change the way they work in order to adopt a modern HR system.

GoCo's Client Success (CS) Team provides exceptional service tailored to customers' evolving needs. The department has undergone strategic expansions and process changes over the years to introduce specialized roles for each aspect of the platform and foster a culture of dedicated support.

As the company has grown, the CS Team has expanded from eight team members to over 50 team members specialized in different areas of the process and product. The history of GoCo's CS Team reflects a dedication to innovation, client-centricity, and a consistent pursuit of excellence in delivering service to clients.

Unlike many players in the space, GoCo prioritizes a personalized approach. It assigns a dedicated team of named contacts to every client at each stage of the process and throughout their lifecycle as a client. This team, based 100% in the United States, offers a genuine human connection with a reachable phone number, eliminating the use of impersonal 800 numbers, offshoring, chatbots, or AI in client interactions.

Their commitment to customer success is further exemplified by having specialists dedicated to each facet of the platform, ensuring expertise in addressing specific client needs. Notably, they don't impose extra charges for any services, including group training, private one-on-one sessions, or training new client administrators, a stark departure from industry norms.

“There's never enough time for busy HR leaders to get everything done, but GoCo has an answer to that,” said Ben Eubanks, Chief Research Officer, Lighthouse Research & Advisory. “With a robust HR platform focused on small businesses and their unique needs, 100% of GoCo clients say the system saves them time each week, said Ben Eubanks, Chief Research Officer, Lighthouse Research & Advisory. "Most importantly, those employers are turning that newly freed up time toward creating workplaces that engage and support the workforce in a powerful way.”

They said these awards exemplify the company’s unwavering dedication to driving positive change in the HR technology landscape: "It's a tremendous honor to receive these accolades, which are a testament to the hard work and dedication of the entire GoCo team," said Nir Leibovich, Co-Founder and CEO at GoCo. These awards reaffirm our commitment to delivering best-in-class solutions and unparalleled customer service to our clients."

Since winning its award, GoCo has made significant strides in enhancing its platform with cutting-edge features aimed at revolutionizing HR management for SMBs. Among the notable additions to its arsenal are expense management with an AI receipt scanner, a built-in AI knowledge base, attendance management and scheduling, and employee engagement and eNPS surveys.

Additionally, GoCo proudly announced the addition of Steve Allison as the new Vice President of Client Success. With over 30 years in the Benefits and HR industry, Steve brings a wealth of experience to the GoCo team. His appointment underscores GoCo's commitment to delivering unparalleled service and support to its growing client base.

GoCo won a Bronze Stevie^® Award for Customer Service Department of the Year – Computer Software - 100 or More Employees in the 2024 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service.

Interested in entering the 2025 awards program?

Stevie-winner Tangible Words Ltd. is a marketing and sales enablement agency dedicated to helping businesses grow their revenue through strategic content marketing and sales support.

The company specializes in creating and executing comprehensive marketing plans that align with clients' business goals. They ensure that every piece of content produced is designed to attract, engage, and convert potential customers.

In addition to content marketing, Tangible Words offers a suite of services aimed at enhancing sales processes and improving overall business performance. These services include website optimization, lead generation, email marketing, and customer relationship management. By integrating marketing efforts with sales strategies, the company helps clients streamline their operations, increase efficiency, and ultimately boost their bottom line.

Education and Empowerment
A key aspect of Tangible Words' approach is their commitment to education and empowerment. The company provides training and workshops to equip clients with the knowledge and tools they need to maintain and grow their marketing and sales efforts independently. This commitment extends to their employees as well.

According to Co-founders Vicky Marrack and Alysha Dominico, working women are rarely given the privilege of personal time, so they created Tangible Words with a vision of genuine work-life balance. Long before the pandemic popularized virtual offices, the two created a work structure that supports personal life.

With minimal required weekly meetings, their remote team of 70% women contractors create personal work schedules that best fit their lifestyle. Contractors don’t sacrifice their personal goals for work goals but are encouraged to find balance, leaving room for development in both spheres. Vicky and Alysha lead by example in this pursuit of balance. The flexible work schedule gives greater freedom in work hours, allowing them to volunteer at their kids' school and cheer them on at sporting events. Vicky is an avid athlete fitting in time to play golf, basketball, and ultimate frisbee, and Alysha is a fiction writer, and both find time to develop these skills while leading a successful, growing agency.

Instead of molding their team into a singular work style, Vicky and Alysha embrace differences, bringing out each team member’s strengths to create meaningful results. The success of Vicky and Alysha’s workplace structure is not only seen in the company's achievements but also in the personal achievements of their team.

As pioneers of this work structure, Vicky and Alysha continue to find unique ways to connect their far-flung contractors. They implemented social Slack channels to share stories and fun personal updates and scheduled virtual escape rooms to solve excitingly complicated puzzles. Vicky and Alysha use these shared online spaces to celebrate their team loudly in all their achievements, maintaining a togetherness despite the distance. 

Supported by the successful structure they have created, Tangible Word’s flexibility allows Vicky and Alysha the time to help others achieve. In addition to their agency, the two created Tangible Help which contributes time and money to projects of change in underrepresented groups. Sponsoring the Wheelchair Basketball Canada tournament in Ottawa, Canada, and sponsoring a women-owned landscaping company are two of the many ways Tangible Words continues to give back.

Understanding the dangers of burnout, especially for women, Vicky and Alysha pioneered an online office structure that prioritizes professional and personal development. Working in a personalized way that brings out their best, the Tangible Words team aims to show that with strong leadership and care, work doesn’t have to stall life – instead, work can enhance life.

Tangible Words won a Silver Stevie Award for Women-Run Workplace of the Year in the 2023 Stevie Awards for Women in Business.

Interested in entering the 2024 awards program?

Stevie-winner The Alpha Enterprise is a leading importer of chlorine and various chemicals used for water treatment. As the sole direct importer in the Philippines, they play a crucial role in ensuring the availability of high-quality chemicals that are essential for maintaining safe and clean water supplies across the country. Their products are widely used in municipal water treatment facilities, swimming pools, and industrial applications.

In addition to importing chlorine, The Alpha Enterprise offers a wide range of chemicals for water purification and treatment processes. These include coagulants, flocculants, disinfectants, and pH adjusters, all of which are critical for effectively treating water and ensuring it meets health and safety standards. Their extensive product line caters to the diverse needs of various industries, including agriculture, manufacturing, and healthcare, helping to maintain optimal water quality.

The company is committed to providing expert technical support and consultation services to its clients. Their team of experienced professionals assists customers in selecting the appropriate chemicals and devising effective water treatment strategies. By offering tailored solutions and ongoing support, The Alpha Enterprise helps its clients optimize their water treatment processes, improve efficiency, and comply with regulatory requirements.

It also engages in corporate social responsibility initiatives through its partnership with The Persons with Multiple Disabilities Foundation Corp (PWMDFC). This foundation is dedicated to improving the lives of individuals with multiple disabilities by providing comprehensive care, support, and educational opportunities.

The Persons with Multiple Disabilities Foundation Corp
PWMDFC focuses on providing comprehensive care, support, and opportunities for people with multiple disabilities. It offers various programs and services, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, and educational support, to enhance the quality of life and independence of its beneficiaries. The foundation also works on raising awareness about the challenges faced by individuals with multiple disabilities and advocates for their rights and inclusion in society.

The Alpha Enterprise contributes to PWMDFC by providing financial support, resources, and volunteer efforts. This partnership allows the foundation to expand its programs, reach more individuals in need, and implement new initiatives that benefit the disabled community. Alpha Enterprise employees often participate in volunteer activities, contributing their time and skills to assist with the foundation’s projects and events.

Through this collaboration, The Alpha Enterprise and PWMDFC work together to create a more inclusive and supportive environment for people with multiple disabilities. Their combined efforts help empower these individuals, providing them with the necessary tools and opportunities to lead fulfilling lives.

The Alpha Enterprise and team members won a Gold Stevie, two Silver Stevie Awards, and a Bronze Stevie Award for Social Change Maker of the Year in Disability, Female Innovator of the Year, Female Executive of the Year, and Organization of the Year, respectively, in the 2023 Stevie Awards for Women in Business.

Interested in entering the 2024 awards program?