Business Awards Program to Celebrate Excellence Worldwide at London Event

High-achieving organizations and executives around the world have been recognized as Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie® Award winners in The 15th Annual International Business Awards®, the world's only international, all-encompassing business awards program.

Nicknamed the Stevies from the Greek word "crowned," the awards will be presented at a gala event on Saturday, 20 October at the InterContinental London Park Lane Hotel in London, United Kingdom. Tickets for the event are on sale now at www.StevieAwards.com/IBA.

Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie winners were selected from more than 3,900 nominations received from organizations and individuals in 74 nations. All organizations worldwide are eligible to compete in The International Business Awards, and can submit entries in a wide range of categories, including management awards, company of the year awards, marketing awards, public relations awards, customer service awards, human resources awards, new product awards, IT awards, web site awards and more. 

More than 270 executives worldwide participated on 12 juries this year to determine the Stevie winners.

Among the top winners of Gold Stevie Awards are Telkom Indonesia with 14; Switching-Time, China (six); ASDA’A BCW, United Arab Emirates (five); Makers Nutrition, USA (five); PJ Lhuillier, Inc, Philippines (five); and Reklam5 Digital Agency, Turkey (five). Winners of four Gold Stevie Awards include Akbank, Turkey; Cisco, worldwide; FIS, USA; GXEVER, China; Jeunesse Global, USA; LLORENTE & CUENCA, Spain; Magnet20, Turkey; Ooredoo Group, worldwide; PT Petrokimia Gresik, Indonesia; Ribose, Hong Kong; Thai Life Insurance, Thailand; Turk Telekom, Turkey; and Yapi Kredi Bank, Turkey.

DHL Express, worldwide, have 46 Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award wins. Other organizations with eight or more Stevie wins include CROWDCONSULTANTS 360 Gmbh, Germany; Manila Electric Company, Philippines; Marco de Comunicación, Spain; Port It Global, Kenya; Sahibinden.com, Turkey; Thai Life Insurance, Thailand; Twenty Twenty Media Pvt. Ltd, India; and Vakifbank, Turkey. The five countries that have the most winning nominations are the United States, Turkey, South Korea, the United Kingdom and Indonesia.

A complete list of all 2018 Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie Award winners by category is available at www.StevieAwards.com/IBA.

During the week of 20 August the winners of the Best of the IBA Awards, five best-of-competition prizes, will be announced.  Winners will be determined by a tally of the total number of Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevies won by organizations, and will be presented with Grand Stevie Award trophies in London.

For high-resolution photos of the Stevie Award trophy or International Business Awards logo, visit http://stevieawards.com/iba/photos-and-logos. Other information and resources for press are available at http://stevieawards.com/iba/media-inquiries-news-service-list

Stroll through the Personal Growth Expo on Australia’s Gold Coast, and you’ll likely see exhibits hosted by reiki practitioners, nutritional supplement companies, and even psychics. You could easily mistake it for an alternative medicine conference if not for the fact its attendees are mostly small business owners.

All the spirituality-based presenters at this expo, however, have one very down-to-earth goal in mind: to help entrepreneurs increase their bottom line. The expo is the brainchild of Susan Jane, who believes personal wellness and business success are inextricably related. A few years ago, she developed the event to help small business owners in all aspects of their lives.

“The original tagline was ‘Get your head right, get your body right, and get your business right,’” says Jane.

The expo focuses on three aspects of success: health, wealth (gained from business skills), and what Jane calls “stealth.” With the expo, Jane seeks to emphasize all the aspects of life that tend to go below the radar, such as one’s mind-set, emotions, relationships, and spirituality.

Next to the stalls for personal trainers and relationship specialists, participants can find presenters imparting more conventional business skills, such as finance, information technology, and intellectual property. Each year, attendees can listen to an array of professional speakers, participate in workshops, and network with other operators.

“A big part of what we do is allowing small businesses the option of showcasing the amazing things they do in their communities,” Jane says.

The unique event earned a devoted following on Australia’s Gold Coast, and Jane expects between four hundred and six hundred attendees at this year’s expo on the 4th of November. Attendees will find more than seventy exhibitors, ranging from business service providers to practitioners focusing on health and wellness.

The Personal Growth Expo is currently looking at holding expos on Australia’s Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba region, and northern New South Wales. The expo then hopes to move into Victoria, Australia, and further north toward Cairns, Australia.

The expo earned a string of accolades, including two Stevies at the fifth annual Asia-Pacific Stevie^® Awards. In addition to winning a bronze award for Innovation in Consumer Events, Jane won the bronze for Most Innovative Communications Professional of the Year.

An Unexpected Career Turn

Despite all her recent success, being an expo developer wasn’t exactly what Jane had in mind when she returned to school in 2009 to get a degree in public health promotion. When the state government dissolved many public health positions shortly after her graduation, however, it became clear Jane needed a new plan.

Sensing she still had plenty of insight to offer, she wrote, published, and marketed her first book on personal development—all on a shoestring budget. She then wrote three more books focusing on how readers can grow in their personal and professional lives. In addition to the writing, she is also a mentor, public speaker, and coach for young athletes in her area.

The expo, she says, was an extension of her desire to help people reach their full potential, and getting the first one off the ground was very much a group effort.

“Someone suggested I do a live video callout on Facebook,” she recalls. “Within an instant, I had a photographer, a professional speaker, and an event organizer willing to assist. When the expo went from ‘I’ to ‘we,’ planning blossomed with new ideas from the team.”

Over the years, the event snowballed, bringing in small business owners who saw the need for a more holistic approach to their development strategies. Part of its success, Jane believes, is her team’s insistence on balancing the needs of the exhibitors and attendees.

“Everything we do has a win-win result,” says Jane. “If only one side wins from a program, display, or action, it’s stripped back down and reassessed until we know all parties win in some way, shape, or form.”

With two Stevie Awards now on her shelf, Jane hopes to continue attracting enthusiastic crowds and getting more service providers to back the expo.

“Winning the awards has certainly given us more credibility, especially when seeking sponsors for the events,” she says.

Real estate is about more than just helping people buy and sell houses; it’s about building communities where families and friends can thrive. Long & Foster (L&F) has guided people home since 1968, and it has become the no. 1 independent brand, by sales volume, in the United States. The productive commercial and residential business has sold more than $31.1 billion worth of buildings, and they helped people buy and sell homes nearly 85,000 times in 2017 alone. To cap it off, they also produce and publish Long & Foster magazine that won the Silver Stevie® Award for Best Print Publication in The 2018 American Business Awards.

Pushing the Boundaries

L&F is a full-service brokerage firm that offers residential and commercial real estate, mortgage, settlement, insurance, property management, corporate relocation, and vacation rental services.

Over the last year, they overhauled and improved their magazine by pushing the boundaries with art, design, and editorials. Winning the Silver Stevie helps validate those important changes.

“We'll continue to push the magazine in this direction by adding quality content and leading-edge design that serve our readership,” says the magazine’s managing editor, Spencer Macli.

L&F Real Estate has over 230 offices, stretching from Raleigh, North Carolina, United States, to Fair Haven, New Jersey, United States, and from Martinsburg, West Virginia, United States, to the Atlantic Ocean. It represents nearly 11,000 agents in seven Mid-Atlantic and Northeast states, plus the District of Columbia in the United States.

Starting Small with Big Aspirations

L&F has been around for 50 years, and naturally they’ve witnessed many major changes in the real estate industry. However, they consistently adapted and evolved to remain a leader in the marketplace. In recent years, they’ve experienced firsthand how technology has had a significant impact on real estate—specifically on the way buyers and sellers conduct research.

“There is an abundance of web and mobile apps that have altered the real estate industry in a positive way,” Macli says. “Staying ahead of trends and being a technology leader are at the heart of our mission, and that is why we continue to adapt to the changing ways our clients and potential clients access information about real estate.”

Two guys in a tiny office originally founded the company with little more than a desire to be the best real estate company for agents, employees, and clients. This idea grew into the largest independent real estate brand in the country.

“Cofounder Wes Foster still comes into the office, and he is regularly spotted in the cafeteria talking with employees and offering ideas and encouragement. Without his dedication and commitment, this award-winning magazine would never have been possible. If there's one person to thank for the Stevie, it's likely him,” states Macli.

The Ripple Effect

L&F serves an audience that spans the entire Mid-Atlantic region and is comprised of an engaged readership interested in all aspects of luxury living. To provide the best product for that audience, L&F team members habitually research ideas, discuss their creative direction, and challenge each other.

One particular partnership has been influential in the publication’s success: Christie’s, one of the world’s most recognizable luxury brands. Last year, L&F earned Christie's Affiliate of the Year, which, no doubt, had a positive ripple effect on the magazine.

“Our team strives to surprise and to delight our targeted audience on every page of every issue,” says Macli. “This is the core of our mission as we offer unique insight into luxury living.”

Stevie-Award winner HGC Global Communications Limited (HGC) is a leading Hong Kong and international fixed-line operator. The company owns an extensive network and infrastructure in Hong Kong and overseas and provides various kinds of services such as telecom infrastructure service to other operators and is a service provider to corporations and households.

The company provides full-fledged telecom data center services, ICT solutions and broadband services for local, overseas, corporate and mass markets. This telecom company proved their successes in the industry with three Stevie Awards in the 2018 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards. They won the Gold Stevie for Innovation in Technology Management, the Silver Stevie for Innovation in Branded Entertainment, and the Bronze Stevie for Innovation in Media.

HGC owns and operates an extensive fiber-optic network; four cross-border telecom routes integrated into tier-one telecom operators in mainland China and connects with hundreds of world class international telecom operators. The company is committed to further investing and enriching its current infrastructure and, in parallel, adding on top the latest technologies and developing its infrastructure services and solutions. 

Throughout the years, HGC has established a leading position in the local and international fixed network industry. HGC is positioned as the carrier’s carrier solution provider, and corporate ICT solution provider.

When you combine all HGC’s capabilities — international carrier, integrated systems, complex telecom and digital delivery experience, and closeness to emerging markets — you begin to understand why HGC is emerging quickly in the competitive market. For instance, HGC is known for the ability to deliver complex and customized solutions, like pulling fiber and solution into places that many operators regard as challenging and complicated. Curiously, it’s these hard-to-do things HGC plans to replicate. At HGC, the goal is to maximize global business opportunities of every customer with the delivery of advanced fixed-line network technologies and unrivaled total telecom solutions.

스티비상 수상자인 HGC 글로벌 커뮤니케이션즈 (HGC) 는 홍콩 및 국제 유선통신을 선도하는 업체입니다. 이 회사는 기업 및 일반 가정을 대상으로 서비스를 제공하는 기업으로써, 홍콩 및 해외에 광범위한 네트워크를 소유하고 있으며 다른 통신업체들에게 전기통신 인프라 서비스 등의 다양한 서비스를 제공하고 있습니다.

이들은 지역, 해외, 기업, 대중시장을 대상으로 전면적 통신 데이터 센터 서비스와 ICT 솔루션, 광대역 서비스를 제공합니다. 이 통신 기업은 2018 아시아-태평양 스티비 어워즈에서 세 개의 스티비상을 수상하며 업계에서의 성공을 입증했습니다. HGC는 기술관리 혁신 부문에서 스티비 금상, 브랜드 엔터테인먼트 혁신 부문에서 스티비 은상, 미디어 혁신 부문에서 스티비 동상을 수상하였습니다.

HGC는 광범위한 광섬유 네트워크를 소유하고 운영합니다. 4개의 국가간 전기통신 루트는 중국 본토의 1차 통신업체에 통합되어 수백개의 세계 정상급 국제 통신업체들을 연결합니다. 이들은 현재의 인프라에 더욱 투자하고 이를 강화하는데 최선을 다 하고 있으며, 동시에 더욱 최신의 기술을 추가하고 인프라 서비스와 솔루션을 개발하고자 노력하고 있습니다.

HGC는 수 년 동안 국내외 고정 네트워크 업계에서 최고의 위치를 유지해 왔습니다. 이 기업은 통신업체의 캐리어 솔루션 제공업체이자 기업 ICT 솔루션을 제공하고 있습니다.

국제적 통신업체, 통합 시스템, 복합 통신 및 디지털 제공 경험, 신흥 시장과의 친밀성 등, HGC의 모든 능력들을 결합해 보면 HGC가 경쟁시장에서 왜 이렇게 빠르게 성장하고 있는지 이해 할 수 있을 겁니다. 예를 들어 많은 기업들이 어렵고 복잡한 것이라 간주하는 곳에 광섬유를 가져와 해결책을 제시하는 것처럼, HGC는 복합적이면서 맞춤화된 솔루션 제공 능력으로 잘 알려져 있습니다. 흥미롭게도 이렇게 실행하기 어려운 것들을 HGC가 복제할 계획입니다. HGC의 목표는 발전된 유선통신 네트워크 기술과 대적할 상대가 없는 토탈 텔레콤 솔루션을 제공하여 모든 고객의 글로벌 비즈니스 기회를 극대화 하는 것입니다.

スティービー賞受賞者であるHGCグローバルコミュニケーションズ(HGC)は、香港および国際有線通信をリードする企業です。同社は企業や一般家庭向けのサービスを提供する企業として、香港と海外に幅広いネットワークを所有しており、他の通信事業者に電気通信インフラサービスなどの様々なサービスを提供しています。

同社は地域、海外、企業、大衆市場向けに本格的な通信データセンターサービス、ICTソリューション、ブロードバンドサービスを提供しています。HGCは2018年のスティービー・アジア・パシフィック賞で3つのスティービー賞を受賞し、業界での成功を証明しました。技術管理イノベーション部門でスティービー賞ゴールド、ブランド・エンターテイメントイノベーション部門でスティービー賞シルバー、メディアイノベーション部門でスティービー賞ブロンズを受賞しました。

HGCは広範囲に及ぶ光ファイバーネットワークを所有し、運営しています。4つのクロスオーバー電気通信ルートは中国本土のティア1通信事業者に統合され、数百もの世界レベルの国際通信事業者とつながっています。同社は現在のインフラにさらに投資して充実させることに尽力しており、同時に最新の技術を導入してインフラサービスとソリューションの開発に取り組んでいます。

HGCは何年も国内外の固定ネットワーク業界でトップの地位を維持してきました。通信事業者のキャリアソリューションプロバイダであり、企業ICTソリューションを提供しています。

国際的な通信事業者、統合システム、複合通信およびデジタル配信の経験、新興市場との緊密な関係など、HGCのすべての能力を組み合わせると、なぜHGCが競争市場で急速に成長しているのか理解できるはずです。例えば、多くの企業が困難で複雑だと考えている場所に光ファイバーを導入して解決策を提示するなど、複雑でカスタマイズされたソリューションを提供する能力があることで知られています。興味深いことに、このように実行しがたいことをHGCが複製する計画だというのです。HGCの目標は、高度な有線通信ネットワーク技術と他社にはないトータルテレコムソリューションを提供し、すべての顧客のグローバルビジネスチャンスを最大化することです。

史蒂夫®奖获奖者HGC Global Communications Limited (HGC)是一家领先的香港和国际固定电话运营商。该公司以企业和普通家庭为对象提供服务，在香港和海外拥有广泛的网络和基础设施，为其他运营商提供电信基础设施服务等各种服务。

该公司为本地、海外、企业和大众市场提供全面的电信数据中心服务、ICT解决方案和宽带服务。这家电信公司在2018年亚洲太平洋史蒂夫®奖中获得了三项史蒂夫®奖，证明了他们在行业中的成功。HGC赢得了技术管理创新领域的史蒂夫®奖金奖、品牌娱乐创新领域的史蒂夫®奖银奖、以及媒体创新领域的史蒂夫®奖铜奖。

HGC拥有并经营广泛的光纤网络。四条跨境电信线路被中国大陆一线电信运营商整合，公司还与数百家世界级国际电信运营商建立了联系。该公司致力于进一步投资和强化当前的基础设施，同时增加最新技术，致力于开发基础设施服务和解决方案。

多年来，HGC在国内外固定网络行业保持了领先地位。 HGC是通信企业的运营商解决方案提供商，为企业提供ICT解决方案。

如果您结合所有HGC的功能 - 国际通信运营商、集成系统、复杂的电信和数字交付体验以及与新兴市场的紧密性 - 您就会开始了解为什么HGC在竞争激烈的市场中会迅速崛起。例如，HGC以提供复杂和定制解决方案的能力而闻名，在许多运营商认为复杂的地方引入光纤，提供解决方案。有趣的是，HGC计划复制这些难以执行的事情。HGC的目标是通过提供先进的固定网络技术和披靡无敌的整体电信解决方案，将所有客户的全球商机最大化。

세계 최고의 직장에 영예를 수여하는 제3회 대회 출품 가능

위대한회사 스티비®상을 주최하는 스티비®어워즈에서는 3번째 대회의 출품 마감일을 8월 9일로 연장한다고 발표했다. 이 상은 세계에서 가장 일하기 좋은 기업들, 훌륭한 직장을 창조하고 이끌도록 도운 HR팀, 전문가, HR 성취, 신제품 및 서비스, 공급자들에 명예를 수여한다.

스티비 어워즈의 마이클 갤러허 회장은 "저희는 마감일 연장에 대한 많은 개별적 요청을 받았고, 모두를 위해 마감일을 연장하기로 결정했습니다." 원래 최종 마감일은 7월 18일이었다. 갤러허 회장은 8월 9일까지 제출되는 출품작에 대해 추가 지체료가 없을 것이라고 강조했고, 늦은 출품작은 심사 과정에서 어떤 불이익도 없을 것이라고 했다. 모든 조직들은 출품작을 준비하고 제출할 수 있는 3주를 추가적으로 확보하게 되었다.   

전 세계의 개인과 조직들이 소속 기업의 상장 여부, 영리 추구 여부, 규모에 관계없이 위대한회사스티비상에 출품할 수 있다. 2018 대상은 2017년 초 이후의 성과들을 치하한다. 자세한 정보는 홈페이지(www.StevieAwards.com/HR)에서 확인할 수 있다.

35개 산업에서의 '올해의 고용주' 부문 수상자들은 공개 투표와 전문가 평가 점수의 독창적 조합에 의해 선정된다. 공개 투표는 7월 23일에 시작된다.

위대한회사 스티비상은 직장에서 일어나는 다양한 측면에서의 성취를 시상한다. 주요 카테고리는 다음과 같다.

• 올해의 고용주상
• HR 성취상
• HR 개인상
• HR팀상
• 솔루션 공급사상
• 50개 이상의 신제품 및 서비스 카테고리

세계 곳곳의 100명에 가까운 전문가들로 구성된 심사위원단이 이 스티비상 수상자를 결정한다. 본선진출작은 8월 15일에 발표된다. 금, 은, 동 스티비 수상자들은 뉴욕에서 9월 21일에 열리는 시상식에서 발표되고 상이 수여된다.

If opportunity doesn't knock, why not build a door? Entrepreneurs are always at risk of stagnation during the start-up phase. Advantage|ForbesBooks, a business-growth company based in Charleston, South Carolina, United States, is focused on helping entrepreneurs overcome that hurdle. The company uses stories, passion, and knowledge of top thought leaders to help business professionals succeed in their endeavors.

Advantage|ForbesBooks has helped over 1,000 entrepreneurs, CEOs, and professionals in 40 U.S. states and 13 countries with a wealth of resources to help those customers begin their journey. These accomplishments helped them win the 2018 Bronze Stevie® Award for Customer Service Success in the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service.

Commitment to Their Community

Becoming an authority in a given field is a new way professionals can grow their businesses. Advantage takes a seven-pillar marketing approach. This deconstructs the idea of authority marketing and helps their members thrive and take advantage of opportunities in the new media landscape. Ben Coppel is the member experience manager at Advantage, and he provides world-class service to all their members through constant interaction and check-ins.

“We spend a considerable amount of time investing in a world-class service experience across all departments in our company,” Coppel states. “This achievement helps validate those efforts and reflects our ongoing commitment to our members.”
 
Founded in July 2005, Advantage consists of a full-time staff of 68 team members and all enjoy full-service support.

A Dedicated Team

Every Advantage team member understands the importance of great service and appreciates the programs the company employs to look after its members.

“The things we’ve built are integrated into our process, so they get done every time,” says Coppel. “They also act as an extension of our team and demonstrate who we are as a company, and this makes them unique and special. The success of our members is essential to the success of the company. If not for them, we wouldn't be in business.”

The company received local and national placement in New York Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Inc., Entrepreneur, Fast Company, Bloomberg, and Wall Street Journal. As a company, they’ve been honored as a “Best Place to Work” winner (2013, 2014, 2015) in South Carolina, United States, and they are a five-time consecutive Inc. 5000 list winner (fastest-growing private companies in America).
 
Better You, Better Us

Goal setting, reinforcement, and a focus on professional development comprise the DNA of Advantage. To assist goal setting, they go off-site as an entire company three times a year for a day of strategic planning.

“We set and agree on our company priorities and then craft individual priorities that align with the goal,” says Coppel. “We have scoreboards in our office that track progress, and we review where things stand each week in our company-wide, all-hands huddle.”

High importance is also placed on individual professional development. The company gives each person a $1,000 budget that he or she can use to continue growing as a professional.

Events, webinars, podcasts, certifications, and books are all fair game. The expectation is that all employees spend 120 hours each year making themselves better.

“When our employees grow as professionals, they deliver greater value to the company, which makes the company better,” says Coppel. “Better you, better us.”

There’s tailgating, and then there’s tailgating.

Meet MAXimus. He’s a 72-foot tractor-trailer outfitted with an elaborate kitchen, self-leveling stage, three giant screens, and multiple high-definition cameras. All this combines to create the ultimate go-anywhere culinary experience.

MAX (short for “mobile activation x-perience”) drew huge crowds at several culinary festivals, and it even became a favored playground for the likes of Food Network host Jeff Mauro. Chef Gordon Ramsay saw MAX as the perfect sidekick for his show 24 Hours to Hell and Back, which debuted this summer on Fox, the popular US network TV channel.

To the experiential marketing firm that created MAX, he means even more than that; he’s the future. The U.S.-based Innovative Group (IG) developed the colossal cooking rig as part of its effort to push the envelope and to develop new revenue streams.

With offices in Miami, Florida, United States, the company specializes in providing immersive marketing experiences, and they have close to two decades of experience doing so. The team developed a virtual reality program for Universal Studios locations, and they helped American Express engage audiences in Las Vegas by hiring a local illusionist to use its credit card in a physics-defying display. Its solutions have appeared everywhere from Super Bowl LI in Houston, Texas, United States, to the Major League Baseball All-Star Game last year in Miami.

“We create experiences by specializing in immersive, experiential marketing programs. These fuel and even change perceptions about a brand—all while fostering lasting relationships at every opportunity,” says Jared Shattuck, the agency’s Chief Operating Officer for Sales & Marketing. “Couple that with a passion for bringing communities together in distinctively customized and uniquely engaging ways, and you’ve got a recipe for the fantastical.”

The company, now with 87 employees, prizes outside-the-box thinking as part of its DNA. Its management team, however, wanted to take this a step further and encouraged employees to create an entirely new offering capable of shaking up the industry.

The result was three unique mobile assets the company can rent out to marketers for events and even TV programs. In addition to MAX, the team dreamed up DRAFT (the “dynamic restaurant aboard fire truck”). This features two huge Southern Pride smokers, a flattop grill, and 12 beer taps.

Rounding out the fleet is GameDay Traditions (GDT), a hospitality platform that gives event and festival guests the VIP treatment with its homey atmosphere and luxurious amenities.

“Rather than rely on traditional means of advertising and marketing, companies are always looking for the next way to create memorable experiences,” Shattuck says. “For this reason, we are always looking for ways to help our clients stand out in a sea of competitors, and that is why we created our very own exclusive assets.”

The bold investment proved to be a huge success. IG evolved from a service-only agency to a company with $2 million in rentable assets—a category that continues to grow. It also helped the company, founded in 2000, earn a Gold Stevie^Ⓡ Award for Business Development Achievement of the Year in the 2018 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service.

Shattuck says the IG staff members discovered the Stevies while Googling prestigious award opportunities where they could submit the game-changing program. Dunbar sees the company leveraging this new accolade as a powerful marketing tool.

“It means we can let our current and future clients know what separates us from the other boutique agencies out there,” Shattuck says. “We are the proud recipient of a Gold Stevie Award, and that's what makes us different.”