Tomorrow, January 15, is the final entry deadline for the 2013 (7th annual) Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service, the world's top business awards for contact center, customer service, business development, and sales professionals. If you haven't yet done so, you can request your entry kit here.

The Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service feature more than 125 sales awards, customer service awards, and call center awards categories honoring sales excellence and best customer service practices for individuals, teams, and departments, plus categories this year for products and service and solution providers. Entrants may submit any number of nominations to any number of categories, which include:

• Sales Individual categories such as Senior Sales Executive of the Year and Sales Operations Professional of the Year
• Sales Team categories like Global Sales Team of the Year and Field Sales Team of the Year
• Sales Achievement categories such as Sales Turnaround of the Year and Outbound Marketing Program of the Year
• Sales Department of the Year categories in 13 industry groupings
• Customer Service and Contact Center Individual categories such as Front-Line Customer Service Professional of the Year and Customer Service Leader of the Year
• Customer Service and Contact Center Team categories like Contact Center of the Year and Customer Service Management Team of the Year
• Customer Service and Contact Center Achievement categories such as e-Commerce Customer Service Award and Award for Innovation in Customer Service
• Customer Service Department categories in 11 industry groupings
• New Product and Service categories like Best New Business Intelligence Solution and Best New Relationship Management Solution
• Solution Provider categories such as Sales Consulting Practice of the Year and Incentive, Rewards, or Recognition Provider of the Year

Information generally required for 2013 entries include an essay of up to 525 words describing the nominee’s achievements since July 1, 2011; links to any online materials that support the nomination; and a brief (125 word) biography of the nominee.

To help prepare your entries, we suggest downloading our 5 Tips for Winning Sales Awards in the 2013 Stevie® Awards tipsheet, reviewing past winners' entries, and watching our short video, How to Enter the 2013 Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service.

Finalists will be notified on January 23 and winners of the 2013 edition will be announced at an awards banquet at Paris Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, on February 25, 2013.

Have questions regarding the 2013 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service?  Email us at help@stevieawards.com or call us at + 1 703-547-8389 and we'll get back to you right away.

It's official: The 2013 (10th Annual) International Business Awards will take place on Monday, October 14 at the W Hotel in Barcelona, Spain. On the beach.

Recognized as the world’s premier business awards program, The International Business Awards honors all facets of the workplace, our award categories include: annual report awards, app awards, company/organization awards, customer service awards, human resources awards, information technology awards, management awards, marketing awards, new product awards, public relations awards, support awards, and website awards, among others. See all corporate awards categories.

Entries for the 2013 competition open in late January, join our mailing list and the entry kit will be emailed to you once it becomes available. All individuals and organizations worldwide – public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small – may submit nominations.

More than 350 entrepreneurs, executives, and their guests from around the world attended the 2012 IBA gala celebrated on Monday, October 15th, at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Seoul, South Korea. Watch the October 15th International Business Awards presentations here.

Will you be joining us on October 14 in Spain?

The final entry deadline for the 2013 (7th annual) Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service, the world's top business awards for contact center, customer service, business development, and sales professionals, is Tuesday, January 15.

If you haven't yet done so, you can begin your submission process by requesting your entry kit here. The entry kit contains all of the instructions you need about how to prepare and submit your entries.

The Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service feature more than 125 sales awards, customer service awards, and call center awards categories honoring sales excellence and best customer service practices for individuals, teams, and departments, plus categories this year for products and service and solution providers.

Information generally required for 2013 entries include:

1. An essay of up to 500 words describing accomplishments since July 1, 2011.
   
   
2. A brief biography of up to 100 words of the nominee or the leader of the nominated department or team.
   
   
3. Optional (but highly recommended), a collection of supporting files and web addresses that you may upload to our server to support your entry and provide more background information to the judges.

To make the most out of your entries, we suggest:

1. Review past winners' entries.
   2012 Gold Stevie Awards winners include: Adam Bain, Chief Revenue Officer, Twitter, Inc. (Senior Sales Executive of the Year), Direct Alliance (Government Sales Team of the Year), Joey Romaine, Customer Service Role Model and Innovator, Groupon (Young Customer Service Professional of the Year), United Parcel Service, Inc. (Front-Line Customer Service Team of the Year), and eCornell (Customer Service Department of the Year), among others. A complete list of 2012 honorees is available at www.StevieAwards.com/Sales.
   
   
2. Download our 5 Tips for Winning Sales Awards in the 2013 Stevie® Awards tipsheet.
   Our tipsheet will provide helpful tips and tools for making the most out of your entries. 
   
   
3. Watch our short video, How to Enter the 2013 Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service.
   The brief video offers a comprehensive overview of the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service.

Don't hesitate to contact us with your questions about how to prepare and submit entries to the 7th annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Email us at help@stevieawards.com  or call us at + 1 703-547-8389 and we'll get back to you right away.

January 15 is the final entry deadline for the 2013 (7th annual) Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service, the world's top business awards for contact center, customer service, business development, and sales professionals. If you haven't yet done so, you can request your entry kit here.

The Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service feature more than 125 sales awards, customer service awards, and call center awards categories honoring sales excellence and best customer service practices for individuals, teams, and departments, plus categories this year for products and service and solution providers.

Entrants may submit any number of nominations to any number of categories, which include:

• Sales Individual categories such as Senior Sales Executive of the Year and Sales Operations Professional of the Year
• Sales Team categories like Global Sales Team of the Year and Field Sales Team of the Year
• Sales Achievement categories such as Sales Turnaround of the Year and Outbound Marketing Program of the Year
• Sales Department of the Year categories in 13 industry groupings
• Customer Service and Contact Center Individual categories such as Front-Line Customer Service Professional of the Year and Customer Service Leader of the Year
• Customer Service and Contact Center Team categories like Contact Center of the Year and Customer Service Management Team of the Year
• Customer Service and Contact Center Achievement categories such as e-Commerce Customer Service Award and Award for Innovation in Customer Service
• Customer Service Department categories in 11 industry groupings
• New Product and Service categories like Best New Business Intelligence Solution and Best New Relationship Management Solution
• Solution Provider categories such as Sales Consulting Practice of the Year and Incentive, Rewards, or Recognition Provider of the Year

Information generally required for 2013 entries include:

1. An essay of up to 500 words describing accomplishments since July 1, 2011.
2. A brief biography of up to 100 words of the nominee or the leader of the nominated department or team.
3. Optional (but highly recommended), a collection of supporting files and web addresses that you may upload to our server to support your entry and provide more background information to the judges.

To make the most out of your entries, we suggest reviewing last year's Gold winning entries. 2012 Gold winners include: Adam Bain, Chief Revenue Officer, Twitter, Inc. (Senior Sales Executive of the Year), Direct Alliance (Government Sales Team of the Year), United Parcel Service, Inc. (Front-Line Customer Service Team of the Year), and eCornell (Customer Service Department of the Year), International Checkout Inc. (Telesales Team of the Year), Office Depot, Inc. (Customer Service Complaints Team of the Year), OppenheimerFunds Inc. (Contact Center of the Year), and SquareTrade Inc (Customer Service Department of the Year - Financial Services), among others. A complete list of 2012 honorees is available at www.StevieAwards.com/Sales.

Winners of the competition will be announced at an awards banquet at Paris Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, on February 25, 2013.

Need help deciding which categories to enter?  Email us at help@stevieawards.com  or call us at + 1 703-547-8389 and we'll get back to you right away.

The final entry deadline for the 2013 (7th annual) Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service, the world's top business awards for contact center, customer service, business development, and sales professionals, is quickly approaching on January 15.

To begin your submission process, you should:

1. Request an entry kit.
You can begin your submission process by requesting your entry kit here. The entry kit contains all of the instructions you need about how to prepare and submit your entries.

2. Review the categories.
The Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service feature more than 125 sales awards, customer service awards, and call center awards categories honoring sales excellence and best customer service practices for individuals, teams, and departments, plus categories this year for products and service and solution providers. The 2013 awards will recognize achievements since July 1, 2011.

3. Submit your entries.
Select your categories, write your submissions according to the instructions, and submit your entries. All entries are submitted online. You can begin by registering here.

2012 Gold Stevie Awards winners include: Adam Bain, Chief Revenue Officer, Twitter, Inc. (Senior Sales Executive of the Year), Direct Alliance (Government Sales Team of the Year), Joey Romaine, Customer Service Role Model and Innovator, Groupon (Young Customer Service Professional of the Year), United Parcel Service, Inc. (Front-Line Customer Service Team of the Year), and eCornell (Customer Service Department of the Year), among others. A complete list of 2012 honorees is available at www.StevieAwards.com/Sales.

Winners of the 2013 edition will be announced at an awards banquet at Paris Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, on February 25, 2013.

Don't hesitate to contact us with any questions regarding the 2013 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service.  Email us at help@stevieawards.com or call us at + 1 703-547-8389 and we'll get back to you right away.

Becky McKinnell, President and Founder of iBec Creative in Portland, Maine, USA, was named Best Young Entrepreneur in the 8th Annual Stevie® Awards for Women in Business. (Entries for the 2013 Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the world's top honors for female entrepreneurs, executives and the organizations they run, will open in May. Join our mailing list and the entry kit for the 2013 awards will be emailed to you when entries open.) Let’s take a look at what motivates McKinnell.

Becky McKinnell describes her company, iBec Creative, as an innovator in intuitive marketing and design, combining functional technology and artistry, and drawing on a mix of traditional and emerging media.

On winning her Stevie Award last November, Becky commented: “I was humbled to be in the ranks of so many amazing businesswomen from around the country and the world."  She added: “Winning this award is a testimony to the quality work of all our iBec employees.” 

Rapid Growth
At just 27 years old, Becky McKinnell has taken iBec Creative through a tremendous period of growth. She started the company in 2006 when she recognized the need for a fresh approach to website and traditional design services in southern Maine.

At first a solo operation, iBec has now expanded to 15 employees and 260 active clients from around the country, 71 of those clients added in the past two years.

From 2010 to 2011, iBec’s rapid growth included:

• 49% increase in revenues
• 65% increase in profits, and
• 50% increase in staff

iBec Creative has become a leader in Maine for its Mobile Web technology and recently launched a new affordable intranet platform solution.

The company celebrated its 6th anniversary in May 2012.

Community Involvement
In addition to leading a successful and growing business, Becky is heavily involved in her community, focusing on the education of youth, development of her industry, and support of women business leaders.  Over the past year she has contributed in the following ways:

• As a spokesperson for the University of Southern Maine’s Entrepreneurial program, educating college students on how to be successful in business;
  
  
• As a featured speaker at Maine Youth Leadership, a 4-day seminar on leadership and service for statewide high school sophomores, on life after college;
  
  
• As Marketing Chair on the board of TechMaine, a statewide trade association for Maine's technology industries;
  
  
• As Vice President of the Board of Port Resources, a provider of specialized social services for adults and children with developmental disabilities;
  
  
• As a featured speaker for PROPEL, the young professional’s sector of the Portland Maine Chamber of Commerce;
  
  
• As a featured speaker and case study for the Maine Women’s Fund, a philanthropic and leadership community for women in Maine;
  
  
• And as an ongoing part of the USM Think Campaign to strengthen the state of Maine.

Becky also donates time and services from her business to various non-profits, and contributed some 2000 hours in pro bono work over the past year.

Commenting on her heavy commitments, Becky says: “As a young entrepreneur, I know that having a strong network of role models is vital to continued success and innovation.” 

Recognition & Awards
Becky was recognized in 2011 for her success as a Maine business leader and young entrepreneur with an Entreverge Award from the Portland Chamber of Commerce. This award recognizes area entrepreneurs for their innovation and contribution to the Maine business community. She also received a “Top 40 Under 40” award that recognizes Maine’s emerging stars under 40 years old for their commitment to leadership, professional excellence, and their communities. iBec Creative has received recognition for its work in web design with finalist titles for three award categories in the 2011 TechMaine awards.

Added Becky: "We are proud to be recognized for our work in bringing the latest in technology solutions to our clients. With continual advances in digital marketing, responsive design, and social media, clients can confidently rely on our team to keep their websites and social media outlets fresh and growing results.”

About Becky McKinnell:
Becky McKinnell, President of iBec Creative, located in Portland, Maine, is known as a leader of the next generation of Internet marketers. She was recently named by BusinessWeek as one of the country's “Top 25 Entrepreneurs 25 and Under”, and as the SBA's “Young Entrepreneur of the Year” in Maine. Formally trained in the arts and entrepreneurial studies, Becky brings a technically savvy and fresh sense to marketing design and the application of multi-media.

Becky graduated from University of Southern Maine with a Bachelor’s Degree in Art and Entrepreneurial Studies. She currently serves as Vice President of the Board of Directors for Port Resources.

About iBec Creative:
iBec Creative is a leading provider of website and traditional design services based in Portland, Maine. iBec Creative brings fresh ideas and an intuitive understanding of technology to its work of creating appealing websites and building online marketing campaigns. It is an enthusiastic partner with clients in creating branding and marketing solutions.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, 13 December, 2012: The International Public Relations Association (IPRA) has announced that it has engaged the Stevie Awards to manage its Golden World Awards for Excellence in Public Relations.

IPRA is the world’s leading international association for public relations practitioners.  The Stevie Awards organize the world’s leading business awards programmes, including The International Business Awards and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service.

The IPRA Golden World Awards offer world-wide recognition and acclaim to world-class public relations programmes. Inaugurated in 1990 and conducted every year since, they can lay claim to being among the most prestigious awards in the field. The competition is open to local, regional, national or international public relations programmes carried out or completed in the previous 12 months.

The 2013 edition will open for entries in mid-January.

“This partnership with the Stevie Awards will help to bring IPRA’s Golden World Awards to the next level of international prominence and prestige,” said Jim Holt, IPRA CEO.  “The Stevie Awards have shown that they can continue to grow the number of awards entries and international judge participants, year in and year out, and we’re excited that they have agreed to work with us to grow the Golden World Awards.”

Michael Gallagher, founder and president of the Stevie Awards, added, “Helping IPRA grow the Golden World Awards will help us to engender goodwill and recognition of the Stevie Awards in new global corners of the public relations industry.”

More information about IPRA’s Golden World Awards for Excellence in Public Relations is available at www.IPRA.org/GWA. 

About IPRA
IPRA strives to be the world’s most relevant, resourceful and influential professional association for senior international public relations executives. The association provides both intellectual leadership in the practice of international public relations and makes available to its members the services that will help them meet their professional responsibilities and to succeed in their careers, thus enabling the association to increase membership, grow financially and create a virtuous circle of success.
 
IPRA works at the academic level with universities as well as with global organizations such as the United Nations.  Learn more at www.IPRA.org.

About the Stevie Awards
Stevie Awards are conferred in four programs: The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service.  Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide.  Learn more about the Stevie Awards at www.StevieAwards.com.

Today is the second early-bird deadline for The 2013 American Business Awards, the premier business awards competition in the U.S.A. (Entry fees are discounted by as much as 15% for entries submitted through December 12. If you haven't yet done so, you can request your entry kit here.)

If you can't make today's deadline the final deadline is March 27, and late entries will be accepted through April 24 with payment of a late fee. You can find all entry details online, at www.StevieAwards.com/ABA. 

All individuals and organizations in the U.S.A. are eligible to submit nominations – public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small. The American Business Awards honor organizations and individuals in a wide variety of categories, types of business awards categories include: app awards, company / organization awards, customer service awards, HR awards, IT awards, management awards, marketing awards, new product awards, PR awards, and website awards. See the full list of business awards categories.

The 2013 ABA nominations should cite achievements during our eligibility period: January 2012 through April 24, 2013, the last day that late entries will be accepted. There is no eligibility timeframe for web site entries - it does not matter when the web sites were first published.

If you have questions regarding the submission process, we have several resources including past winners' entries for your review, and  7 tips on submitting winning entries to help you make the most out of your entries.

Need last minute help? Don't hesitate to contact us with your questions about how to participate in The 2013 American Business Awards.

The second early-bird entry deadline for The 2013 American Business Awards, the premier business awards competition in the U.S.A., is tomorrow, December 12. Entry fees are discounted by as much as 15% for entries submitted through December 12, download your entry kit today.

If you miss this early-bird deadline, the final deadline is March 27, and late entries will be accepted through April 24 with payment of a late fee. You can find all entry details online, at www.StevieAwards.com/ABA. 

All individuals and organizations in the U.S.A. are eligible to submit nominations – public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small. The ABAs feature categories to recognize achievement in every facet of worklife, including:

• App awards,
• Company / organization awards,
• Customer service awards,
• HR awards,
• IT awards,
• Management awards,
• Marketing awards,
• New product awards,
• PR awards, and
• Website awards.

See the full list of business award categories.

Nominations should cite achievements during our eligibility period: January 2012 through April 24, 2013, the last day that late entries will be accepted. There is no eligibility timeframe for web site entries - it does not matter when the web sites were first published.

To help you make the most out of your entries, we suggest reviewing our past winners' entries for guidance. 2012 ABA Gold winners include Bloomberg Law (Best New Product or Service - Business-to-Business Services), Carlisle & Gallagher Consulting Group (Communications Department of the Year), Fazoli's Italian Restaurants (Human Resources Department of the Year), Ford Motor Company (Company of the Year - Automotive & Transport Equipment), HubSpot (Website of the Year - Computer Software), iolo technologies (Marketing Department of the Year), Northwestern Mutual (Best House Organ/Publication - Print), SquareTrade (Customer Service Department of the Year - Financial Services), and Vemma Nutrition Company (Best App of the Year - Lifestyle), among others. You can see the complete list of 2012 Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie® Award winners here.

Have last minute questions? Don't hesitate to contact us with your questions about how to participate in The 2013 American Business Awards.

This Wednesday, December 12, is the second early-bird entry deadline for The 2013 American Business Awards, the top business awards competition in the U.S.A. (Entry fees are discounted by as much as 15% for entries submitted through December 12, request your entry kit here.)

The American Business Awards honor organizations and individuals in a wide variety of categories, types of business awards categories include: app awards, company / organization awards, customer service awards, HR awards, IT awards, management awards, marketing awards, new product awards, PR awards, and website awards. See the full list of business award categories.

The 2013 ABA nominations should cite achievements during our eligibility period: January 2012 through April 24, 2013, the last day that late entries will be accepted. There is no eligibility timeframe for web site entries - it does not matter when the web sites were first published.

If you can't make the December 12, 2012 early-bird entry deadline, March 27, 2013 is the next entry deadline and April 24, 2013 is the last day that late entries will be accepted with payment of a late fee. Finalists will be announced on May 8, 2013. All entry details are available online, at www.StevieAwards.com/ABA. 

To help you make the most out of your entries, we suggest reviewing our past winners' entries for tips and guidance, and reading our 7 tips on submitting winning entries.

Have questions? Don't hesitate to contact us with your questions about how to participate in The 2013 American Business Awards.