The Stevie Awards Blog

Eighth Annual International Business Awards Announces 2011 Call for Entries

The Stevie® Awards today issued the call for entries for the Eighth Annual International Business Awards, the world's premier business awards competition which last year attracted nominations from more than 40 nations.

All individuals and organizations worldwide -- public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small -- may submit nominations to the IBAs. The early-bird entry deadline, offering discounted entry fees, is 12 April. The final entry deadline is 11 May. Late entries will be accepted through 8 June, and results will be announced in early July. Entry details are available at www.stevieawards.com/iba.

The Stevie Award trophy, made by the company that makes the Oscar and other major international awards, is one of the world's most coveted prizes. Stevies are conferred upon top-scoring nominations in each category, as chosen by an international judging panel of more than 150 business leaders.

The International Business Awards recognize achievement in every facet of the workplace. Categories include

For a full list of categories visit: http://www.stevieawards.com/pubs/iba/awards/171_695_3021.cfm.

"The International Business Awards are the preeminent indicator of achievement in the global business community," said Michael Gallagher, president of The Stevie Awards. "Each year we celebrate the achievements of individuals and organizations who are making a positive difference for their customers, their shareholders, their employees, and their communities."

2011 honorees will be celebrated at the 8^th annual awards banquet on Tuesday, 11 October at the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi, hosted under the patronage of H.E. Sheikha Lubna Al Qassimi, Minister for Foreign Trade, United Arab Emirates.

The 7th Annual International Business Awards were presented in September 2010 in Istanbul, Turkey. Honorees included Accenture, Bank of Montreal, Cisco, Coca-Cola Icecek, Edelman in Indonesia, Nokia Corp., Samsung Electronics, and Thomson Reuters, among others. 2010 results are summarized at http://www.stevieawards.com/pubs/iba/awards/408_2633_20484.cfm.

To request an entry kit for The 2011 International Business Awards, visit www.stevieawards.com/iba.

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 http://www.stevieawards.com/, and follow the Stevie Awards on Twitter @TheStevieAwards.

Sponsors of The 2011 International Business Awards include IIR Exhibitions, the Korea Business Communications Association, Netezza Corporation, and Smart Reader Worldwide.

IBA 10 Ceremony

We staged the awards banquet of The 7th annual International Business Awards at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Istanbul, Turkey on Monday, September 27. What a weekend, what an event. The hotel is lovely, and is about two stone-throws from the Bosporus. Istanbul is a vibrant, busy, fascinating city. I had heard that Turkish food is good, but it was great and memorable!

The awards banquet was attended by more than 260 executives from 24 nations, making it the largest IBA awards banquet to date, surpassing Dublin, Ireland in 2008. Thanks to the Turkish companies who participated in the IBAs this year for their strong support. You'll find photos and video clips of the event here.

It's easy to forget that even the most powerful business executives are just men and women who want to be recognized for their achievements like everyone else does. Whether you're winning marketing awards, sales awards, public relations awards, or what have you, it's a moving experience to receive a substantial trophy, a round of applause, and a moment in the spotlight.

Here are my top five observations from this year's IBAs:

1. The Turks are on the verge of rivalling the Koreans for IBA dominance. Turkish companies took home the most awards this year, but the event was on their home turf. Nevertheless, I look for them to be a leader among IBA winners for years to come.

2. Korean companies are successful in the IBAs because they enter as a bloc. They smartly concentrate their entries on a handful of categories, and dominate those. More countries should follow their example.

3. The British give the best acceptance speeches. Always engaging, always literate.

4. Best acceptance speech of the night had to be Maxim Behar's, of M3 Communications in Bulgaria. But maybe I'm biased because he wore a tuxedo?

5. Best IBA meal ever. Caviar, fine wine, fabulous olives.