International Awards Blog

Winners in the fifth annual Asia-Pacific Stevie® Awards, the only awards program to recognize innovation in business throughout the entire Asia-Pacific region, were announced today.  The list of Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie Award winners is available at http://Asia.StevieAwards.com.

The Stevie Awards are considered to be the world's premier business awards, conferring recognition for achievement in the workplace over the past 16 years in programs such as The International Business Awards® and The American Business Awards®. 

The 2018 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards have recognized organizations in 15 nations including Australia, China, HOng Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, the U.S.A. and Vietnam. More than 800 nominations about innovative achievements in the 22-nation APAC region were considered by the judges this year.

This year’s top overall winner, with 14 Gold, 30 Silver and 12 Bronze Stevie Awards is Telkom Indonesia.  This is the fourth year in a row in which Telkom Indonesia has led the competition.  Close on their heels this year is PT PETROKIMIA GRESIK (Indonesia), with three Gold, 17 Silver and 17 Bronze Stevie wins.

Winners of more than two Gold Stevie Awards include Australian Attorney General's Department and Icon Agency, Freelancer.com, Manage Damage, The Female Social Network, HGC Global Communications Limited, Hong Kong Tourism Board, Strategic Public Relations Group Limited, HP Inc. Customer Support APJ, PT Bank Ganesha Tbk., eDENT, Gyeonggido Job Foundation, Korea Electric Power Corporation, KT, Seocho-Gu, MERALCO, Shopping Center Management Corporation and DHL Express Vietnam.

Stevie winners will be presented their awards at a gala banquet at the Mira Hotel in Hong Kong on Friday, 1 June.  Tickets for the event are now on sale.

More than 100 executives around the world participated in the judging to determine the Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie Award winners. 

Details about the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards and the list of Stevie Award winners are available at http://Asia.Stevieawards.com.

“We congratulate the Stevie Award winners for their innovations this year and look forward to celebrating their achievements in Hong Kong in June,” said Michael Gallagher, founder and president of the Stevie Awards.

The Stevie® Awards, organizer of the world’s premier business awards programs, announced today that they have extended the final entry deadline for the fifth annual Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards to April 11. No additional late fees will be charged.

 “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 March 14. Gallagher emphasizes that no additional late fees will be charged for entries submitted through April 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 in hopes of winning a Stevie award for their achievements.

REVIEW THE ENTRY KIT HERE

The Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards is the only business awards program to recognize innovation throughout the entire Asia-Pacific region.  The competition is open to all organizations in the 22 nations of the Asia-Pacific region: Large and small, for-profit and non-profit, public and private. The awards focus on recognizing innovation in all its forms, wherever it is achieved in the workplace. Entries are accepted in eight languages – Chinese, English, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Thai and Vietnamese - in the following category groups:

• Annual Report Awards & Other Publication Awards
• Customer Service Awards
• Company/Organization Awards
• Human Resources Awards
• Information Technology Awards
• Management Awards
• Marketing Awards
• New Product Awards
• Corporate Communications, IR, and PR Awards
• Website Awards and Smartphone and Tablet App Awards
  …and more

New categories introduced for 2018 include Award for Innovative Management in Government, Award for Innovative Management in Non-Profit Organization or NGOs and Award for Innovative Management in Public Enterprises.

Asia-Pacific Stevie Award winners will be announced on April 18. Winners will be celebrated and presented their awards during a gala banquet on June 1 at the Mira Hotel in Hong Kong.

Scores of professionals from throughout the region will participate in the judging process to determine the Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie winners.

Some of the Asia-Pacific region’s most innovative organizations have won Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards in the past four years including ABS-CBN Corporation, Bangkok Health Research Center, Delta Air Lines, Dentsu, Freelancer.com, GE Indonesia, Globe Telecom, Hong Kong Tourism Board, Huawei, Maras Group, MetLife Asia Ltd., MSLGROUP China, Ooredoo, PT Petrokimia Gresik, Samsung, Seoul Metropolitan Government, Singapore Power, Sony, Telkom Indonesia, Xiaomi and more.

The name Stevie is taken from the name Stephen, which is derived from the Greek for "crowned".

* PR Newswire Asia is the official news distribution partner of the 2018 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards.

As a local self-governing body in Gyeonggi-do Province, Yongin in South Korea performs a variety of civil services for its citizens so that they may enjoy a happy life in a convenient, safe, and clean environment. The city’s land area has reached 98% of Seoul, and the city has achieved unprecedented growth in the past 20 years with the population growing four folds and the fiscal scale growing 6.3 folds. Especially, Yongin became the fourth city to have a population exceeding one million as of August 2016 in South Korea. In addition, the city is home to Everland, a theme park, and the Korean Folk Village which play a pivotal role in attracting more than 10 million tourists, both domestic and foreign, to the city.

Thanks to the debt repayment and innovative management of the city by Mayor Chan-min Jung, Yongin City received the Grand Stevie Award in the 2017 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards.  They also received the Gold Stevie in Award for Innovative Management in Government or Non-Profit. As an organization, Yongin City won Silver Stevie in Award for Excellence in Innovation in Non-Profit or Government and in Award for the Innovative Use of Technology in Customer Service respectively with "Creative City Brand Creation" and "Desired Book Borrowing System".

Mayor Chan-min Jung spoke about the effects the Stevie Awards had on Yongin. "The Awards provided an opportunity to internationally promote our innovative achievements and major policies such as zero-debt, prenatal education city, special city for moms, investment attraction, and industrial complex development that Yongin has pursued up until now and to enhance the brand value of the city. In addition, I felt the importance of policy networking along with insight from various perspectives through examples of innovative and creative policies implemented in various countries around the Asia-Pacific region.”

From Debt City to ‘Zero Debt’

The situation at the time when Chan-min Jung was inaugurated as Yongin mayor was comparable to the darkness of the night. The city's finance which boasted as being the best in Korea was disgraced with the title, "the city of debt", while citizens endured severe discomfort due to various projects and services that were stopped due to financial difficulties. All of these problems were not only damaging the image of the city but the shame and distrust public officials and citizens felt were at where highest.

Mayor Jung had to do something even if it had little hope of success. He instilled awareness toward the crisis to constituents within the organization while seeking patience and participation from the citizens. The employees of Yongin City Hall worked hard going as far as to purchasing used goods and forfeiting their salaries. As a result, Yongin City paid back all of its debt amounting to 784.8 billion KRW two years ahead of plan and achieved a state of "zero-debt". We are now on the starting line to leap forward leaving our difficult past behind.

The public officials and citizens of Yongin learned the valuable lesson that they can overcome any difficulties or crises if they unite and work together as one. The story of Yongin was a case which demonstrated that a spark of hope will always appear from somewhere and that it is possible to overcome any difficult situation as long as people do not become discouraged and give up.

Priority in Attracting Businesses and Creating Jobs

According to Mayor Jung, "Research results recently introduced in the media showed a highly probability of small provincial cities disappearing in the next 20 years due to declining populations. Social structural factors such as an aging population and declining fertility rate may play a major role in this, but what we need to pay more attention to is that population transfers between cities are occurring due to combined factors such as urban environment, welfare and jobs. Migration to a city with a lot of job opportunities and a good environment to raise a child would be an irrefutable result. Alongside nationwide solutions, local organizations should also put great effort into improving the quality of life for their citizens through outstanding policies. As local autonomy and decentralization are gradually expanding, local autonomous entities are now entering an era of infinite competition. This is why I am prioritizing business attraction and job creation. This is also the case with the newly inaugurated U.S. President Trump, who is preventing companies from leaving the country and requiring US export companies to expand local factories. It is easy to come across stories from around world about declining cities left behind by companies."

Performance of ‘On-site’ and ‘Communication’-oriented Administration

The words 'on-site' and 'communication' are two things recently being emphasized by the administration. Mayor Jung has a philosophy that the answer to the settlement of pending municipal businesses lies in ‘on-sites’. He emphasizes, "The solution to every problem can be found on-site. People possess the answers to all problems. That is why you must work together with citizens out in the field and seek the answers from them. For this reason, I have emphasized and practiced the "Three Pum Administration", which sells balpum (legs), nunpum (eyes), and guipum (ears) at all times since my inauguration."

Although Yongin had a population 1 million strong, it has never had an industrial complex. Despite its outstanding accessibility and location, it was held up under heavy regulations. However, overcoming this obstacle was merely difficult and not impossible. The efforts of city officials, running around the central government and related organizations, are finally reaping the fruits of its labor with the creation of 23 industrial complexes. The project costs amount to 1.40 trillion won with a total land area of 3.435 million square meters. The direct and indirect corporate investment effect is estimated to be upwards of 4.6 trillion won.

Perhaps, the greatest achievement was that urgent issues in the poorly supported areas have been resolved one by one. Yongin Industrial Complex, the first public industrial complex in Yongin, which has been delayed for more than 10 years, recently changed its name to Yongin Techno Valley. Sales of the real-estate has been successful and the complex is sailing towards completion by the end of 2018. The construction of the first university hospital, something which citizens had longed for a long time, is being resolved through the creation of an integrated high-tech medical industrial complex. Construction has recently resumed and the facility is due for completion by 2020.

Attracting Investment through Regulatory Reform and Sales Administration

In Yongin, the mayor personally holds corporate briefing sessions (Investor Relations, IR), communicates with company executives in face-to-face meetings, and goes anywhere he is needed to resolve all sorts of problems. Through efforts such as these, Yongin was not only able to attract top foreign companies but managed to also keep existing companies that have decided to increase investments within the region rather than transferring elsewhere leading to investments totaling 4.564 trillion KRW.

Based on their diverse efforts and achievements, Yongin City was awarded with the Presidential and Ministerial Award for Excellence in Regulatory Reform among Local Governments and Excellent Institution Award for the installation of certification and licensing departments for two consecutive years in 2015 and 2016. Evident from such achievements, the city is being recognized as a city that is “good for business” and “the best for licensing”.

Yongin is a young city which has rapidly grown over the recent years and still possess the potential for continued growth into the future. Mayor Jung stated, "In the future, we will do our best to implement innovative and creative policies to transform Yongin into an elegant metropolis for our one million residents. We hope you will look forward to seeing Yongin's new beginning and leap forward into a better future with her unique city brands such as ‘Prenatal Education City’, ‘Special City for Moms, 'Safety City' and 'Enterprise City'. 

The International Business Awards, the world's premier business awards competition, which attracts nominations from organizations in more than 60 nations and territories each year, is currently accepting nominations. The early-bird deadline is February 1 with discounted entry fees.

The final entry deadline is May 10 but late entries will be accepted through June 14 with the payment of a late fee.

All individuals and organizations worldwide -- public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small -- may submit nominations to The International Business Awards.

REVIEW THE ENTRY KIT HERE.

Today we will highlight the Website Awards categories of The 2017 International Business Awards. 

Recognizing excellence in web sites and blogs.   There is no eligibility timeframe for these categories - it doesn't matter when the site or blog was first published.

Information to be submitted online for entries in these categories in the 2017 competition include
a. An essay of up to 200 words describing the site's purpose and achievements
b. A link to the site, which you must attach to your entry through our attachment/link uploading tool.  If your site is not publicly available (i.e. it's private or password protected), upload a video of up to three (3) minutes that demonstrates the features and functions of your site
c. Optionally, you may list creative and production credits for your site - a list of the people and organizations that contribute to its development

Industry Categories

P05.    Accounting
P06.    Advertising, Marketing, & Public Relations
P07.    Aerospace & Defense
P08.    Automotive & Transport Equipment
P09.    Banking
P10.    Business or Professional Services
P11.    Chemicals
P12.    Computer Hardware
P13.    Computer Software
P14.    Computer Services
P15.    Conglomerates
P16.    Consumer Products - Durables
P17.    Consumer Products - Non-Durables
P18.    Diversified Services
P19.    Electronics
P20.    Energy
P21.    Financial Services
P22.    Food & Beverage
P23.    Health Products & Services
P24.    Hospitality & Leisure
P25.    Insurance
P26.    Legal
P27.    Manufacturing
P28.    Materials & Construction
P29.    Media & Entertainment
P30.    Metals & Mining
P31.    Non-Profit Organizations, including Charities and Government
P32.    Pharmaceuticals
P33.    Real Estate
P34.    Retail
P35.    Telecommunications
P36.    Transportation
P37.    Utilities

Specialty Categories

P40. Best Blog
P41. Best Email Newsletter
P42. Best Events Website
P43. Best User Experience (new category for 2017)
P44. Best User Interface (new category for 2017)
P45. Best Web Writing/Content
P46. Best Home/Welcome Page
P47. Best Investor Relations Site
P48. Best Overall Web Design
P49. Best Online Press Room
P50. Best Training Site
P51. Best Use of Video or Moving Image
F52. Best Facebook Fanpage or Group
F53. Best Use of Instagram
P54. Best Twitter Feed

Winners of the 2016 International Business Awards in the Website Categories include: 

Advertising, Marketing, Public Relations & Business Services
GOLD STEVIE WINNER:
Accenture, Chicago, IL USA: Accenture Corporate Website

Automotive & Transport Equipment
GOLD STEVIE WINNER:
Indivirtual Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Mercedes-Benz Middle East and Levant - Luxury Passenger Cars

Banking
GOLD STEVIE WINNER:
Türk Ekonomi Bankasi A.S., Istanbul, Turkey: CEPTETEB

Computer Services and Software
GOLD STEVIE WINNER:
CallidusCloud, Dublin, CA USA: CallidusCloud Website

Diversified Services
GOLD STEVIE WINNER:
Reklam5 Digital Agency, Istanbul, Turkey: Istanbul Akvaryum Web Site

Energy & Utilities
GOLD STEVIE WINNER:
PWW, London, United Kingdom: Low Carbon website

Financial Services
GOLD STEVIE WINNER:
Garanti Bank, Istanbul, Turkey: Garanti Bank / Garanti.com.tr

Hospitality & Leisure
GOLD STEVIE WINNER:
GuestCentric, New York, NY USA: The Leathes Head Website

Insurance
GOLD STEVIE WINNERS:
Delvinia, Toronto, ON Canada: SureHealth
Real Integrated, Bloomfield Hills, MI USA: Burns & Wilcox Website

Legal
GOLD STEVIE WINNER:
Go To Court Lawyers, Brisbane, QLD, Australia: Go To Court Lawyers Website Award Nomination

Media & Entertainment
GOLD STEVIE WINNER:
AttitudeLive, Auckland, New Zealand: AttitudeLive

Non-Profit Organizations
SILVER STEVIE WINNER:
Dubai Statistics Center, Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Dubai Statistics Center Website

Real Estate
GOLD STEVIE WINNER:
Ayala Land, Metro Manila, Philippines: Ayala Land Corporate Website

Retail
GOLD STEVIE WINNER:
Harvey Norman Australia, Homebush West, NSW, Australia: Harvey Norman Digital - Omnichannel Driven

Telecommunications
GOLD STEVIE WINNER:
Telkom Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia: Increase a Business Experience through Telkomtelstra Website

Rebekah Hurworth, Director of Your Architect in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, won a Gold Stevie Award for Female Entrepreneur of the Year in Asia, Australia or New Zealand in the Individual categories of the 2015 Stevie Awards for Women in Business.

To receive information about the 2016 Stevie Awards for Women in Business, register here.

The 2016 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards is currently accepting entries.

REVIEW THE ENTRY KIT HERE.

In Australia, less than 1% of architecture practices are led by female directors. Rebekah Hurworth, Director of Your Architect, an architecture practice specializing in new homes, renovations, and extensions, is making ripples across this male-skewed industry.

After seven years working at four practices, Rebekah identified that whilst the practices were proficient in delivering on professional expertise, there was a distinct gap in the methodologies used, hindering business growth potential. She knew she could provide an additional level of business services through implementing systems and ideas new to the industry that would generate more leads, increase marketing reach, and increase revenue. In 2008, she established Your Architect.

Breaking the Mold

In addition to the Gold Stevie Award, Rebekah also won the Silver Stevie for Female Entrepreneur of the Year in a Business Services with 10 or Less Employees. We asked Rebekah what winning these awards had meant to her and the Your Architect team.

“Most businesses in our industry do things the same way,” she told us. “In fact, most architecture businesses look virtually the same. We’ve broken away from this mold and do things very differently, but as a business owner you always have a level of trepidation about change. Winning a Gold Stevie Award provided reassurance to me as a business owner—and gave our whole team a lot of confidence—that the changes we’ve made and the new ideas we’ve pioneered are worthwhile.”

Continued Rebekah: “Having this peer recognition has given us the courage to share our ideas and approach with our local community. We’ve started a proactive PR campaign for 2016 and updated and rebranded our website in order to share these concepts and explain why we do what we do—all driven by my team and their desire to celebrate our differences with their new-found confidence.”

B2B and B2C Marketing

Rebekah recognized the power of B2B and B2C marketing and the dividends networking would yield. She created a series of workshops, which she delivers to real estate agents, educating them on architecture and how to use this knowledge to educate their buyers, which in turn reaps rewards through word of mouth referrals to her business. She has climbed the ladder of Business Networking International to become a Director, and her insight and knowledge in lead generation through networking has led to various keynote speaking engagements. As a result, 80% of her business is generated through networking.

In comparison to architects’ general practice of charging initial consult fees, Rebekah introduced a free 30-60 minute consult. Additionally, clients are guaranteed a maximum three-week time frame for turnaround, and each client project is managed systematically with a transparent fee structure for each stage of the project, a practice uncommon in the industry.

Wholesale Drafting

As a result of her tactical foresight, Rebekah has identified a gap in the market and created a secondary revenue stream to her business called Wholesale Drafting, a sub-contracting service to others within the business delivering a faster turnaround on design drawings for a greater return on investment.

Additionally, Rebekah implemented an hour-long training session on Friday mornings for her architects, which helps ensure the business is abreast of industry changes. This greatly exceeds the minimum professional requirements of 20 hours per year. Introducing this as mandatory has ensured the retention of quality staff who reap the rewards of professional development.

Rebekah also engaged in her own development through training courses at the National College of Business (NCB) and Business Blueprint, and was awarded Business of the Year by NCB in December 2014.

Big Plans for 2016
“In 2016, Your Architect is starting an educational series under the banner of The Family Home Experts, providing a three-hour workshop and two-day master class,” Rebekah told us. “This program will be focused on teaching our potential clients how to buy the right house or property to start with, and how to weigh up these important decisions.   A house is the biggest financial investment most people will make in their life, and we want to share our knowledge to help people do this right, regardless of whether or not they use our services to renovate or build.”

“Most architects only get involved once the house or land has been purchased,” explained Rebekah. “Often this is too late, and we regularly see people buying the wrong property. These seminars will also be open to university students, as this material is not taught at architecture school.”

No Longer A Dream
We asked Rebekah what she thought about the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards and how they might help in broadening awareness of a company such as hers in the region.

Her response: “I had intended one day to take Your Architect and The Family Home Experts national throughout Australia, and then eventually into Asia. With the response we have had from winning our Stevie Award, as well as the interest we’ve had in our behind-the-scenes arm, Wholesale Drafting, this is no longer a dream. It is now written into our business plan.”

Explained Rebekah: “I’ve now re-written our business plan to start to go national by the end of this year, and start to go international into Asia within two years. I already have my first meeting booked to discuss this, and will be visiting Singapore and the Philippines in April! We’ve also had venture capital interest which may help in how we go about broaching the international market.”

Concluded Rebekah: “The Stevie Awards have certainly given us the recognition to be able to approach bigger companies with confidence and back up the success of what we do.”

Rebekah has already invested heavily in training a Philippines-based faction of her business to complement her three Brisbane-based architects, flying out to meet them and sharing her vision and her long-term goals for her business. Taking this risk proved to be a success: the Philippines business has expanded to two administrators and four draughtsmen, and is growing.

Making Architecture Accessible
Rebekah is full of enthusiasm for the future. “We’re pioneering new ways to do architecture, to make it both cost effective and accessible to a wider range of people,” she told us. “Traditionally, most architects work in the high-end area with blank cheque budgets; however, we can bring a huge amount of value to real, everyday people. This has long been the focus of our practice, and we deliberately select team members without ego who are focused on great outcomes for our clients and maximizing value for money, no matter the size of the project.”

In conclusion, Rebekah explained: “Our high-end clients are still just as interested in getting value-for-money as our budget clients. It’s amazing how excited and motivated this makes our whole team. For me, personally, I see the results we get, how fulfilled my team is, and how happy our clients are, and this drives me to build what we do bigger and take it to a wider market. I’m inspired by the future and everyday work towards a point where we can take our services beyond Brisbane to Australia and Asia.”

About Rebekah Hurworth:

Often described as “not your usual architect” and a self-confessed “accidental over-achiever,” Rebekah Hurworth is Director of Your Architect, an architecture practice specializing in new homes, renovations, and extensions. A Level One Member of the Australian Institute of Architects and RAIA, she has recently completed a twelve-month training course with the National College of Business and is currently completing her ‘Business Blueprint’ course under the tutelage of Dale Beaumont. A Director of her local faction of the leading networking group, Business Networking International, she has twice been elected President, and has recently been accepted on the International Board of Advisors as one of 100 people who sit on this board worldwide.

Rebekah has a Bachelor of Architecture degree and a Bachelor of Built Environment (Architectural Studies) degree from Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane.

About Your Architect:

Your Architect is a Brisbane-based housing specialist founded in 2008 by director Rebekah Hurworth. Currently, Rebekah leads a team of three architects in her Brisbane team supported by a team based in the Philippines. Your Architect has strong networking connections and is known for its work with charities such as Salvation Army, Cardmaking For A Cause, Meals on Wheels, and Glam It Up For Charity. For more information, go to: www.yourarchitect.com.au/

Seoul Metropolitan Government won the Gold Stevie Award for Best Event in the Live Event Awards categories of the 2015 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards.

The 2016 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards will open for entries on October 28. Request an entry kit now and it will be emailed to you as soon as it's available.

We talked with Lee Hat-Nim, action officer for the Culture & Arts Division of Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG), about winning a Stevie Award, what it has meant to her team, and what SMG are currently planning.

Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) won the Gold Stevie Award with their Live Event entry, “Seoul Kimchi Festival 2014.” Lee Hat-Nim, an action officer in the Culture & Arts Division of SMG, explained the importance of this event.

Editor’s Note: For those not familiar with Korean food, Kimchi is theincredibly flavorful traditional side dish of fermented vegetables. Kimjang is the term Koreans use for the making of Kimchi before winter. There is also the Kimjang season, when Korean mothers prepare Kimchi for their families.

“First of all, it is a great honor to win a Gold Stevie Award,” Lee told us. “The Kimjang culture is a Korean tradition. It has also been designated an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. The 2014 Seoul Kimchi Festival was hosted to celebrate the one-year anniversary of this, as well as to revitalize the Kimjang culture, which is slowly fading away from our daily lives.”

Strong Motivation

Continued Lee: “Receiving the Gold Stevie Award has motivated me to work even harder to achieve global awareness of our Kimjang culture and to celebrate our unique cultural assets. This was just the beginning of many future events.”

In addition to motivating Lee, the Stevie Award for SMG has also inspired her fellow workers. Says Lee: “Not only has it been very exciting to receive this award for our 1st Seoul Kimchi Festival, but it has also made us feel much more of a responsibility for introducing the Festival to a wider audience. The award has provided an opportunity for broader publicity of the Kimchi Cultural Festival, to be enjoyed not just by locals, but also by Seoul’s many international visitors.”

Added Lee: “Korea has close ties to many countries in the Asia-Pacific region, and our Gold Stevie Award will be a great help in introducing the unique aspects of our Kimjang culture to the region. The Award also demonstrated that the city of Seoul is a great place for a cultural festival such as this.”

2015 Day of Kimjang

It has been nearly a year since the 1st Seoul Kimchi Festival was hosted by Seoul with such success. The 2nd Seoul Kimchi Festival is planned to run for three days, from November 6-8, 2015.  It will be held in the Seoul Plaza, Gwanghwamun Plaza, and the Taepyeong-ro area, and the theme will be: “Seoul, the Day of Kimjang.”  

Comments Lee: “The 2015 festival will present a new paradigm of the Kimchi industry and Kimjang culture within Seoul. Kimchi is a food that has come to symbolize well-being and healing. All citizens can participate and there will be even more exciting events, including the ‘Do-it-yourself Kimjang Party,’ a revival of traditional Kimjang culture, an exhibition, cultural programs, a children’s Kimchi experience program, and a community food market.”

Lee is looking forward to the 2^nd Seoul Kimchi Festival. “It is happening soon,” she reminded us. “We hope that the event will serve as an opportunity for global citizens to meet and harmonize with the community of Seoul.”

Connecting With Regional Communities

According to Lee, there are an enormous number of festivals and events hosted by the city of Seoul, each of which are heavily promoted. “Our aim is to promote Seoul as a city for tourists, but it is also to enhance the co-existence and development of regional communities,” Lee explained.

“The local governments surrounding Seoul are each establishing their own plans to provide a one-stop solution, including branch stores, shopping centers, local specialty foods, and information on cultural and festival events,” Lee added.  “We are preparing many regional festivals and added-value cultural events, and we are planning to expand the communication channels between hosts and visitors in order to create a more effective communications system for visitors.”

In the meantime, anyone looking for a heart-warming event in November need look no further than Seoul and the 2nd Seoul Kimchi Festival

About Lee Hat-Nim:
Officer Lee Hat-Nim supervises various culture-related programs within the Seoul City Hall Cultural Arts Department. She supervised the 1st Kimchi Cultural Festival, which celebrated the one-year anniversary of being registered in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. She served as the coordinator and communicator for the entire event. The 2nd Seoul Kimchi Festival will also be supervised by Lee, who is working to create a global festival where various participants will be able to communicate with diverse individuals and experience different fields.

About Seoul Metropolitan Government:

The Seoul Metropolitan Government is the administrative organization of the nation’s only metropolitan city. Seoul Metropolitan Liberal City, established on August 15, 1946, after Korea’s liberation, was formerly known as Hanseongbu (Chosun Dynasty) and Gyeongseongbu (Japanese colonial era). On November 4, 1949, the city was renamed as Seoul Metropolitan City based on the enactment of Local Government law. The organizations invested by Seoul for public interest include Seoul Metro, Seoul Medical Center, Seoul Metropolitan Facilities Management Corporation, Seoul Agricultural & Marine Products Corporation, Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit, and SH Corporation. The five major tasks of the city include a warm-life welfare, an active economy, a green environment, attractive cultural facilities, and reliable administration of city policies.

About Seoul Kimchi Festival:

The Kimjang Culture stems from a sense of community based on sharing and cooperation in order to withstand the cold winter. It was registered as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2013. The Seoul Kimchi Festival was established in order to create and revive the culture which is now being forgotten in our daily lives, as well as creating a festival with global participants. The 2nd Seoul Kimchi Festival will take place from November 6-8, 2015 and will be composed of various programs including the Creating Kimjang Party (experience & sharing), Kimchi Union (Kimjang market, food market, community market), and Kimjang Cultural Village (culture, exhibition, experience).

For more information, go to: http://seoulkimchifestival.com/index.do.

Charo Santos-Concio, President & CEO of ABS-CBN in Quezon City, the Philippines, won the Gold Stevie Award for Female Executive of the Year in Asia, Australia or New Zealand in the 2014 Stevie Awards for Women in Business. She also won a Gold Stevie in the Management Awards categories of the 2014 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards. ABS-CBN itself won a Grand Stevie® Award in the 2014 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards.

The final entry deadline for the 2015 edition of the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards is March 11. GET THE ENTRY KIT HERE.

The 2015 International Business Awards' early-bird entry deadline is April 15. REVIEW THAT ENTRY KIT HERE.

ABS-CBN Corporation celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2013 in the most fitting way---on top. Since the launch of the television era six decades ago, the Philippines’ largest and leading multimedia conglomerate has never let go of its role as industry pioneer. The past year is a testament to its continuous quest to improve and find better ways to be of service to Filipinos worldwide.

Charo Santos-Concio’s rise as one of Asia’s most powerful women in media makes a great success story, but what’s more remarkable is how she has led an already established company to greater heights. As President & CEO of ABS-CBN, the former movie-fan-turned-award-winning actress-turned-producer-turned-media executive has conceptualized strategies and developed solutions to guide ABS-CBN Corporation to another level of creativity, leadership, innovation, and commitment.

We asked Ms. Santos-Concio for her thoughts on what winning a virtual Grand Slam of Stevie® Awards in 2014 has meant to ABS-CBN; on what the future holds for her company; and her views on the Asia-Pacific Stevie® Awards.

Inspiring, Informing, and Empowering Filipinos

“Winning the Stevie Award for Company of the Year is an affirmation that ABS-CBN is not just a content company, but one that produces content that can change the lives of our audiences.” Ms. Santos-Concio told us. “Our shows provide authentic transformational moments that help our viewers feel better, give them voice, show them how to respond to challenges, and make them identify with our characters who overcome obstacles. Our content is a form of public service that inspires, informs, and empowers Filipinos.”

Public Trust

“It also reflects what is important to us as an organization,” she added. “We place high importance on teamwork and service orientation, two of our company’s core values, and the award encourages us to do better and tells us that we are on the right path.

“Most importantly, the award boosts public trust in our institution that puts public service at the heart of its operations.  Through our programs and projects, we build our relationship with our audiences that is primarily founded on trust. With a prestigious recognition from the Stevie Awards, we, as a company, are reminded that we are worthy of the trust our audiences give us. The public can be assured that ABS-CBN will remain focused on serving the Filipino.”

Breakthrough Viewing Experience

Looking ahead, we asked Ms. Santos-Concio how ABS-CBN would be improving the experience for its customers in the coming year. “2015 marks a milestone for ABS-CBN and the Philippine broadcasting industry as we launch our digital terrestrial television or DTT operations,” she told us. “DTT will provide a breakthrough viewing experience for consumers.

“For years, Filipino viewers have had to settle for poor analog reception and picture quality, believing that was all there was to TV. With our DTT service, we are able to provide them what they deserve: a crisp digital picture and sound for all existing channels, plus four additional channels that will cater to the needs and wants of every family member.”

Emerging Markets

“It is also going to be an exciting year as we will be distributing our content or drama shows in new territories such as Central Asia—which is an emerging market for content buyers—and Southeastern Europe,” continued Ms. Santos-Concio. “ The past three years have been rewarding as we have established high awareness in Southeast Asia, especially in Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia, where our drama shows have developed a strong and loyal following, even among non-Filipinos.”

Multiple Delivery Systems

“We're leveraging on the multiple delivery systems of ABS-CBN both locally and internationally,” she added. “ABS-CBN is giving the Filipino viewers the convenience and the choice of accessing our strong content across online, mobile, and IPTV platforms. We are strengthening our content offering by sourcing programs specifically targeted for each platform.

“Our drama shows are distinctive for their strong narratives that deal with real social issues affecting people, and for the stellar performances of Philippine actors portraying relatable characters.  They carry elements or influences from the East and the West that make them appealing to a broad spectrum of audiences.”

Raising the Company Profile

We asked Ms. Santos-Concio for her comments on how the Asia-Pacific Stevie® Awards might be helping companies such as ABS-CBN. Her response was positive. “The Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards come at a good time for us. ABS-CBN is making its mark in the Asia Pacific region with its content or drama shows being aired and localized in different countries.  We have built our reputation in the region over the years, and receiving the Grand Stevie Award in the 2014 competition has helped raise our company’s profile and bring more awareness to our services and offerings.”

Transorming Lives

On a more personal note, we asked Ms. Santos-Concio to share with us what inspires her most about her work. “It’s really the transformative power of our business that keeps me excited about what I do,” she explained. “I always look forward to bringing our audiences something new, knowing that there are endless possibilities for content that not only inspire, inform, and empower them, but also transform the lives of Filipinos in the country and abroad. What keeps me going is the idea that in bringing out the best in Filipinos wherever they are in the world, we can shine as a nation.

After 60 years of dedicated service to Filipinos, ABS-CBN is looking forward to the next 60 years.

About Charo Santos-Concio

Charo Santos-Concio is the President and CEO of ABS-CBN Corporation. She is in charge of achieving profit margins, nationwide ratings, annual programming strategy, and customer development targets. Her command and influence emanates from free television to all its various platforms: cinema, music, star building, live events, and digital media, among others. She began her media career as an actress, debuting in Itim, a film which earned her a Best Actress award in the 1978 Asian Film Festival. She also worked as a line producer, production manager, and executive producer-in-charge, chalking up 180 pictures from many production studios.

Ms. Santos-Concio is the recipient of many industry awards. She graduated Cum Laude from St. Paul College in Manila with a Communication Arts degree.

About ABS-CBN

ABS-CBN Corporation, the Philippines’ largest multimedia conglomerate, produces entertainment and news programs that are aired on free-to-air TV and on cable and satellite TV channels. It owns Star Cinema and Star Records, the leading film, music production and distribution outfit in the Philippines, and is engaged in other businesses including print publishing, live events, and merchandising.

The 2015 (2^nd annual) Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards are the top business awards competition for the 22 nations of the Asia-Pacific region. They are currently accepting entries through January 28, and late entries will be accepted through March 11.

The Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards debuted in 2014 with a very impressive collection of Stevie winners including Billabong International Limited, Delta Airlines, Hanaro Adcom, Hyundai Steel, PT. Telekomunikasi Indonesia, Sony, and many more. While less than 50 entry categories were offered in last year’s program, over 200 entry categories are offered for 2015.

One category group in particular that we are highlighting today is the Live Event Awards. Many public relations, marketing, and event planning professionals may not even realize that the promotional events they put on throughout the year can, and should be recognized. Everyone who has ever planned a business event knows the time, dedication, and creativity that goes into making it a success. The Stevie Awards rewards the teams and organizations who prepare live events by offering 11 Live Event Awards categories.

When you submit a Live Event Award entry to the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, it will be reviewed by a panel of qualified judges who have experience in the Live Event industry.

To submit nominations in the Live Event categories, the event must have been staged since July 1, 2013.

The information required per entry includes:

a. An essay of up to 625 words describing the event: its genesis, goals, development, and results. You may include detailed production notes, audience demographics, etc.

b. Any number 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. These may include video clips, photographs, press reviews, news articles, and so on.

c. Optionally, you may list creative and production credits for your event - a list of the people and organizations that contributed to its development

Live Event Award categories:

G01. Best Brand Experience Event
G02. Best Consumer Event (e.g. auto show, boat show, health & fitness expo, etc.)
G03. Best Exhibition Display, Stand or Feature
G04. Best Tradeshow or Convention
G05. Best Association Event or Meeting
G06. Best Corporate Image Event
G07. Best New Product Introduction Event
G08. Best Internal Recognition/Motivational Event
G09. Best Sales Meeting
G10. Best Sales Presentation
G11. Best Public Relations Event

To submit your nominations to the Asia-Pacific region’s top business awards competition, request your entry kit at Asia.StevieAwards.com

Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie Award winners will be announced on March 11. The 2015 winners will be celebrated at the second annual awards banquet on May 15 in Shanghai, China.

Bertelsmann SE & Co. in Gütersloh, Germany won a Gold Stevie® for their 2013 Online Annual Report in the publication awards categories of The 2014 International Business Awards.

The 2015 International Business Awards will open for entries in January. You can learn more about it here. In the meantime, the deadline for entries for the 2015 German Stevie® Awards has been extended to February 11, 2015. Find out more about how to enter here.

We asked Karin Schlautmann, Executive Vice President Corporate Communications of Bertelsmann and responsible for the Stevie® Award-winning annual report, for some comments on what winning a Stevie® Award has meant to her and an overview of the creative and media scene in Germany today.

Bertelsmann decided to publish the content of their 2013 Annual Report on as many platforms as possible when it was published in March, 2014. The report was made available in print form, as an interactive online version, and as an app. Bertelsmann also presented the report’s content on its social media platforms and on media walls at the company’s various sites.

The online versions of the Annual Report included a variety of interactive extras, such as four short films showing the progress made in implementing the Group's strategy, as well as an exclusive “making-of” on the photo shoot for the Annual Report, plus interviews with the Bertelsmann Executive Board and Group Management Committee.

Bold Concept

“We’re very happy about the various Stevie Awards that both the print and online versions of our 2013 Annual Report have won,” Karin told us. “The awards honor the unusual, bold concept we chose for our Annual Report, which serves as our company’s business card. Our heart and soul and a lot of hard work went into every page, so prizes like the Stevies are a reward for this, and also a motivation to make next year’s even better!”

Transformation to Digital

With the upcoming German Stevie® Awards, we are asking German-based companies and organizations for their expertise on a variety of topics. We asked Karin for her tips on the creative media and communications scene in Germany.

“The most important job of communications is to support a given business strategy everywhere in the world. So in this respect, the essentials of communications in Germany probably only differ marginally from communications in other countries,” Karin suggested.

“In general, of course, you should always understand and consider the individual cultural practices of the country in which you’re doing business and conducting communications,” Karin added. “At Bertelsmann, we are very eager to constantly develop innovative communications offerings, without neglecting tried and tested channels. This is especially true in the digital domain. At Bertelsmann, the transformation to digital is a core component of our corporate strategy and has long since become a reality in our businesses. We need to take this into account in communications as well.”

Understanding Digital Channels

Karin also commented on the plethora of apps and blogs that abound in her industry. “Personally, I’m a great fan of magazine apps and I’m always looking at new ones to find inspiration. But the crucial thing isn’t what appeals to me personally: what’s crucial is that you know your way around all the digital channels and develop a feel for themes, options for dialog, and ways to go about things,” explained Karin. “We’ve significantly strengthened Bertelsmann’s social media presence in the past years. For example, we now have a “Social Cloud” that pools all the social media activities of Bertelsmann companies. It currently depicts more than 6,000 channels with a total of around 636 million followers.”

Communication for Inspiration

Karin enjoys the challenges of her profession. “Communicating means connecting with people, moving them, eliciting reactions, and getting feedback–that’s what I love about my work,” she told us. “And nothing’s going to change about these basic elements, regardless of what channels they takes place on in the future.”

About Karin Schlautmann

Karin Schlautmann is Executive Vice President Corporate Communications, Public Affairs, and Marketing at Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA. She became Head of Communications of the Bertelsmann Foundation in May 2007 and a member of the Group Management Committee (GMC) in December 2011.

As a student, Karin studied literature and history, and completed an internship at the Westfalen-Blatt newspaper in Bielefeld, Germany. She then joined Bild newspaper in Chemnitz in 1991 and in 1994 she became a member of the editorial team of Thomas Gottschalk’s late night show on German television.

In 1995, Karin was appointed chief reporter of “Bild” newspaper in Munich, followed by posts in Hamburg and Berlin as chief reporter and head of the entertainment desk. In 2001, Karin became an editor for the women’s magazine Bunte. She joined Gala magazine as Deputy Editor-in-Chief in 2002 before taking up successive executive roles at Frau im Spiegel magazine in October 2002, where she served as Editor-in-Chief from March 2003.

About Bertelsmann
Bertelsmann is an international media company encompassing television, book publishing, magazine publishing, media services, and media clubs in more than 50 countries. Bertelsmann’s claim is to inspire people around the world with first-class media and communications offerings–entertainment, information, and services–and to occupy leading positions in its respective markets.