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.”

The Stevie® Awards, organizer of The International Business Awards®, announced today that the final entry deadline for the 15th annual IBAs has been extended to Wednesday, July 11. Recognized as the world’s premier business awards program, The IBAs attract nominations from organizations in more than 50 nations and territories each year.

 “We’ve received so many requests for individual deadline extensions that we’ve decided to extend the deadline for everyone,” said Stevie Awards president Michael Gallagher. The original final deadline was June 13. Gallagher emphasizes that no additional late fees will be charged for entries submitted through July 11, and late entries will not be penalized in any way in the judging process. All organizations now have an additional four weeks to prepare and submit their entries.

REVIEW THE ENTRY KIT HERE

All individuals and organizations worldwide -- public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small -- may submit nominations to The International Business Awards. The 2018 awards will honor achievements since the beginning of 2017.  Entry details are available at http://www.StevieAwards.com/IBA.

Juries featuring more than 150 executives will determine the Stevie Award winners. Results will be announced August 9. Stevie Award winners will be presented their awards at a gala banquet in London, United Kingdom on October 20.

The International Business Awards recognize achievement in every facet of the workplace. Categories including , Management Awards , Company of the Year Awards, Customer Service Awards, Entrepreneur Awards, PR Awards, Web Awards, and much more.

A variety of new categories are introduced for the 2018 competition, including a new group of categories to recognize the Entrepreneur of the Year and Founding Teams in many industries. In addition to seven new Software Solution categories in the New Product & Services section, there’s a new selection of categories to recognize Content Solutions. There is one new category, Best White Paper or Research Report, in the Publication categories and one new category, Engaged Community of the Year, in the Marketing categories. There are two new PR Campaign categories in the Public Relations section. Finally, there are four new Lifetime Achievement Awards categories in the Management section.

The organizers of the Stevie Awards announced the winners in the 2018 German Stevie® Awards. The big winner overall with a total of ten Gold Stevies is Crowdconsultants 360 GmbH from Berlin.

With ten gold, one silver, and one bronze Stevie Award, Crowdconsultants 360 GmbH is the most awarded organization of the German Stevie Awards this year. The Berlin-based company can look forward to Gold Stevie Awards for most innovative company, startup of the year, and more.

50 executives from all over Germany were named as a part of the expert judging panel who determined the Stevie Award winners. They have reviewed over 400 nominations, selected the most innovative solutions, organizations, and individuals, and finally crowned the winners of the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Awards.

Agenda Informationssysteme GmbH & Co. KG from Rosenheim and the Voith GmbH & Co. KGaA from Heidenheim each won five Gold Stevie Awards. Michael Gallagher, founder and president of the Stevie Awards, congratulates all winners on their achievements. "We are looking forward to a great award ceremony in Berlin", he says, and is proud that it takes place at the Hotel Adlon. On 27 April 2018, the winners will receive their trophies at a festive award ceremony.

All winners of the Golden, Silver and Bronze Stevie Awards are listed on the homepage of the German Stevie Awards.

Anyone wishing to be one of the winners of the German Stevie Awards next year can request an entry kit on the awards website in order to be informed in good time about deadlines and participation documents: www.stevieawards.com/Germany.

Even at companies that thrive on innovation, board meetings tend to be low-tech affairs.

Typically, directors are handed a thick stack of papers before the meeting to help them prepare. It can be a cumbersome task, one in which it’s hard to stay organized.

The Swiss firm Sherpany is transforming board meetings through Boardroom, its subscription-based software that’s designed to help members make more effective decisions, and without all the stress associated with a paper system. All the documents they need are easily accessible on their mobile device, whether it’s running iOS or Windows 10. Users can also sign in on other devices via the web using a recent browser.

The tool comes packed with user-friendly features, like a personalized dashboard that allows the user to keep tabs on multiple committee matters at once. It also comes with a question-and-answer function that provides rapid feedback from members of the management team.

Board members can annotate documents or access the history of a topic with a swipe of their hand, a clear benefit to busy corporate executives. At a time when risk management is a top priority at many organizations, Sherpany believes having that information at one’s fingertips can be an invaluable asset.

The goal is to make meetings more productive by allowing participants to focus on the outcome, not the process. The company explains that its objective is to “encourage the evolution of meeting culture through a delightful, easy-to-use and secure meeting management SaaS.”

“We reduce waste by cutting administrative, organizational and repetitive work and spare resources like paper, shipping and transportation,” says Sherpany CEO Tobias Häckermann.

A Fast-Growing Market

Sherpany got its start in 2012 by launching the first software platform in which investors could cast their votes electronically. Soon after, it unveiled Boardroom, a product it saw as a game-changer in the way board meetings get done.

The market has clearly bought into the idea. Just five years ago, the company had a total of 10 corporate clients. Today, roughly 210 companies are using its technology, and its users include some of the biggest corporations in Europe.

Sherpany’s customer base and physical presence continue to grow. In addition to its Zurich headquarters, the company now has satellite offices in Paris, Milan, Lisbon and Wroclaw, Poland.

That success, the company says, is in no small part to the programmers, designers and engineers who make up much of its small staff. In total, the company has around 50 employees who have made Sherpany the fastest-growing startup in Switzerland.

Even the company’s name, a nod to the Sherpas who guide climbers up some of the most treacherous slopes on earth, suggests its emphasis on innovation. The company’s goal, according to its website, is to grasp for new frontiers and help those intrepid customers who have come along for the journey.

Considering the amount of competition hovering around the software-as-a-service market today, Häckermann is particularly proud of the business’s trajectory. “A potential customer may have to sort through hundreds of applications available in dozens of different app stores to find a solution to fit their needs,” he says. “You have to stand out from the masses, whether it be with a special feature or an outstanding service.”

Sherpany’s latest version of the app, Boardroom 3, recently earned the Silver Stevie^® Award in the “Mobile Site and App” categories at The 2017 International Business Awards, which received entries from more than 60 countries around the world.

“It gave our staff the recognition they deserved for all their hard work,” says Häckermann. “It also provides prestige for our clients, who love to be associated with the award.”

Online marketing moves at the speed of light. Customers, prospects and partners can be the lifeblood of a business, which is a sentiment that TopSpot Internet Marketing has set their sights on to differentiate themselves from other search marketing firms. As they become one of the fastest growing firms in Houston, Texas, their focus on accountability, transparency, collaboration, education and delivering meaningful results helped them win the Interactive Agency of the Year Award in The 2016 American Business Awards.

Winners in The 2017 American Business Awards were recently announced. Interested in submitting nominations for 2018? Request your entry kit here.

15 Wins and Counting

TopSpot first submitted Stevie Awards nominations in 2015, winning 15 Stevie Awards including last year’s Grand Stevie Award for the 2016 Interactive Agency of the Year. The Grand Stevie Award is the highest honor.

“Winning multiple awards for our work on websites we’ve designed and developed and then going on to win the Grand Stevie Award for Interactive Agency of the Year further solidified the fact that our efforts are meeting and exceeding industry standards in addition to driving leads for our clients.”

At TopSpot, their focal point is delivering meaningful results for their clients.

“Our culture is built around a quality-focused approach, both in our work & our customer service. Our team takes tremendous pride in having a positive impact on our clients' businesses.”

Big Changes for 2017 and Beyond

TopSpot expects to see many changes in their industry. As mobile search continues to increase and with Google’s announcement of the mobile first index, more websites built and optimized for mobile devices will take precedence.

“We are also seeing a rise in voice search because of devices like Amazon Echo and Google Home. This is something we must take into consideration more and more when optimizing websites, making sure they are optimized for conversational searches.”

They also anticipate a greater importance on user experience with, “continued site speed monitoring, getting page load times down on all sites, which contributes to both user experience and organic rankings.”

It’s Not Just Digital Marketing

Director of SEO, John Varghese highlights a story about a client’s thankfulness that shouldn’t be overlooked, even when everything runs smoothly.

“He spoke to the entire company with a lot of thankfulness and communicated to us that we do more than just build websites, develop paid search campaigns or SEO, and that we helped him, his family, his employees and his employees families build their dreams. He went on to say that he was able to spend more time with his family and the charitable work he is involved in, employ more people, give raises, that his employees were able to send their kids to college, sometimes for the first time in their family history.” He said that, “Since that time we have an internal standard of asking if we are building dreams for our clients.”

The Stevie® Awards, organizers of the world’s premier business awards programs, today announced the Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie winners in The 15th Annual American Business Awards.

All organizations operating in the U.S.A. – large and small, public and private, for-profit and non-profit - are eligible to submit nominations to the ABAs in a wide range
of categories, honoring achievement in every aspect of work life, from customer service and management to public relations and product development. More than 3,600 nominations were reviewed in the judging process this year by more than 190 professionals, whose average scores determined the winners.

2017 Stevie winners will be celebrated and presented their awards during a gala event on Tuesday, June 20, at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York. Tickets are now on sale. The presentations will be broadcast live via Livestream.

CallidusCloud (Dublin, CA) and Cisco Systems (San Jose, CA) are the leaders among Stevie Award winners, with wins in a wide range of categories, including 14 Gold Stevies. CallidusCloud and Cisco Systems are sure to be among the winners of the Grand Stevie Award trophies, the top overall winners in this year’s ABAs, who will be announced next week.

Among the other top winners of Gold Stevies are Momentum Worldwide (New York, NY) with eight, Cirkled (Redmond, WA) with five, Aflac (Columbus, GA) and Signifyd (San Jose, CA) with four, and BlueWheel Media (Troy, MI), Creative Lodging Solutions (Lexington, KY) and GTT Communications (McLean, VA) with three each.

Among all winners of Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevies, leading winners of multiple awards include Accenture (New York, NY), Amobee (Foster City, CA), BMO Capital Markets (Chicago, IL), FIS (St. Petersburg, FL), Jeunesse Global (Orlando, FL), John Hancock Financial Services (Boston, MA), LABOV Marketing Communications and Training (Fort Wayne, IN), Makovsky & Co (New York, NY), Merkle (Columbia, MD), Mitsubishi Electric Cooling & Heating (Suwanee, GA), Navicor, LLC (Westerville, OH), New American Funding (Tustin, CA), Rimini Street (Las Vegas, NV), Scout Exchange (Chicago, IL), SoftPro (Raleigh, NC) and TopSpot Internet Marketing (Houston, TX), among others.

For a complete list of the Stevie Award winners announced today, visit http://www.StevieAwards.com/ABA.

Every new product or service nominated in The 2017 American Business Awards is included in voting for the People's Choice Stevie Awards for Favorite New Products, a worldwide public vote. Voting is now open at http://peopleschoice.stevieawards.com and will conclude on June 2. People’s Choice Stevie winners will be announced the week of June 5, and will be honored during the June 20 presentations.

“Entries to the ABAs grew substantially this year in both quantity and quality.  We thank the judges for their time and interest in determining the winners, and we look forward to celebrating the winners during our gala event in New York on June 20,” said Michael Gallagher, founder and president of the Stevie Awards.