Public Relations Awards

The 2013 American Business Awards, the premier business awards competition in the U.S.A., feature a wide selection of categories to recognize the achievements of PR professionals and we thought it would be helpful if we highlighted five additional awards categories that should be of interest to PR individuals. (March 27 is the entry deadline for the 2013 ABAs. If you haven't yet done so, you can request your entry kit here.)

In addition to submitting entries specifically labeled as PR awards, there are several communications awards categories including:

1. Annual Report Awards Categories
   These categories recognize excellence in annual reports, brochures, marketing and sales kits, house organs (corporate magazines), and other publications issued since January 1, 2012.
2. App Awards Categories
   These categories recognize excellence in apps for handheld and tablet devices, and for PCs, issued or updated since January 1, 2012.
3. Live Event Awards Categories
   These categories recognize excellence in live events staged since January 1, 2012.
4. Video Awards Categories
   These categories recognize excellence in videos produced for a business- or work-related purpose that were first released or otherwise made public since January 1, 2012.
5. Website Awards Categories
   These categories recognize 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.

Leave us a comment and let us know which categories your organization will be submiting entries to in the 2013 ABAs.

Marketing 24/7, Inc., of Birmingham, Alabama, USA, received the Gold Stevie® Award for Communications or PR Campaign of the Year in the PR awards categories of the 2012 Stevie Awards for Women in Business. (Entries for the 2013 Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the world's top honors for female entrepreneurs, executives and the organizations they run, will open in May. Request an entry kit for the 2013 awards and it will be emailed to you when entries open.) Here Marketing 24/7, Inc's CEO, Ruwena Healy, shares her tips for winning Stevie Awards.

What are your top tips for winning business awards in the Stevie Awards?
The opportunity to be recognized as a Stevie Awards-winner has me thinking about the importance of pursing these kinds of business awards and honors. What does it take to always push yourself to be an award winner in your business? Obviously, it takes a great deal more than just applying for them.

For years, I have employed a variety of good business practices that have helped my company succeed:

1. Keep focused on what’s to come in your business.
   Look forward at least 12 months and have a plan for each of those months and what you want to have accomplished two years from now.
2. Always execute work with perfection.
3. Deliver “creative” results for clients or customers.
   Don’t do only what is expected. Focus on the unexpected, what’s unique and how you can make that happen in a successful way.
4. Give your work 110 percent always and then some.
   100 percent or less doesn’t make one an award winner.
5. Discover the awards process from the inside out.
   Becoming a judge for a variety of awards opportunities helps you learn more about the process and exactly what is expected from winners.
6. Benchmark your business against people who are winning awards.
   Get familiar with the winners’ circle and observe what they do. Why did they win? What are they doing differently? Use business award winners as the companies to benchmark your staff and customer processes.

What item of news recently caught your eye and why?
A recent article on FastCompany.com focused on why good writing is essential for business. In this age of social media driven communication, we all strive to deliver strong messages in 140 characters or less. But the true art of writing can get left behind. Good business requires good communication. I think it is crucial that we continue to stress the importance of proper pros to the young professionals coming up behind us.

If you could choose another profession, what would it be?
If I had to choose another profession, I would want to be a physician. As I’ve aged, I realized the importance of health and our family’s health.  If I were a doctor, I would know more about the basics of good medical care and be in a better position to help family and friends when important health issues arise.

As someone at the top of your profession, what keeps you inspired or makes you hit the ground running in the morning?
I have always been driven to achieve perfection. Sometimes I wish I wasn’t quite as driven. But I like being successful at whatever I set my sights on. This allows me to maintain my focus and hit the ground running every day.

About Ruwena Healy:
Ruwena Healy is the CEO of Marketing 24/7, Inc., a full-service marketing firm that specializes in developing marketing plans and executing the details of them. Founded seven years ago, Marketing 24/7, Inc. has become one of Birmingham’s Top 10 PR firms. Healy and Marketing 24/7 are the recipients of numerous national and international awards for excellence including most recently the Gold Stevie Award in the 2012 Stevie Awards for Women In Business.  Earlier in 2012, Healy was honored with the Bronze Stevie Award for Communications or PR Campaign of the Year - Low Budget in The American Business Awards and named 1^st runner up in the Birmingham Business Journal’s Social Madness competition.

Healy maintains a blog at www.mastermarketing247.com and has authored numerous published articles that have appeared in PR News’ 2011 Crisis Management Guidebook, Birmingham Business Journal, The Birmingham News, Alabama Business News and al.com.  Healy is a sought after speaker and trainer covering topics on marketing, branding, social media and public relations.

About Marketing 24/7:
Marketing 24/7, Inc. celebrated its 7^th anniversary in 2012 of providing professionals with marketing and business development solutions. CEO Ruwena Healy founded the firm with the mission of providing high-level marketing and business development consulting; marketing plan development and execution; and strategic planning services to companies, entrepreneurs and professionals.  Marketing 24/7 offers unique expertise in personal branding and company branding as well as improving marketing and business development effectiveness for the purpose of increasing revenues. Marketing 24/7 has a diverse client base and is currently ranked as Birmingham’s 11^th largest PR firm. For more information, visit www.marketing247.net.

There are 21 PR awards categories in The 2013 American Business Awards, the top business awards competition in the U.S.A., to help you highlight your PR successes. (Friday, November 16, is the first early-bird entry deadline for the 2013 ABAs, request your entry kit here  and you'll receive it right away.)

The public relations awards categories for Communications or PR Campaign/Program of the Year include:

• Community Relations
  Campaigns/programs that aim to improve relations with communities in which the sponsoring organization has an interest, need or opportunity.
• Crisis Communications
  Campaigns/programs undertaken to deal with an unplanned event and requiring immediate response.
• Events & Observances
  Campaigns/programs that generate awareness of or document commemorations, observances, openings, celebrations, and other types of events.
• Global Issues
  Campaigns/programs that demonstrate effective global communications implemented in at least two countries, one of which must be the United States.
• Internal Communications
  Campaigns/programs undertaken to inform or educate an internal audience, such as employees or members.
• Investor Relations
  Campaigns/programs undertaken to communicate information to a company's investors and the investment community and/or to manage the company's relationship with investors.
• Issues Management
  Campaigns/programs undertaken to deal with issues that could extraordinarily affect ongoing business strategy.
• Low Budget (under $10,000)
  Campaigns/programs that cost no more than $10,000 to plan and implement.
• Marketing – Business to Business
  Campaigns/programs designed to introduce new products or promote existing products or services to a business audience.
• Marketing – Consumer Products
  Campaigns/programs designed to introduce new products or promote existing products to a consumer audience.
• Marketing – Consumer Services
  Campaigns/programs designed to introduce new services or promote existing services to a consumer audience.
• Multicultural
  Campaigns/programs specifically targeted to a cultural group.
• Reputation/Brand Management
  Campaigns/programs designed to enhance, promote or improve the reputation of an organization with its publics or key elements of its publics.
• Public Affairs
  Campaigns/programs specifically designed to influence public policy and/or affect legislation, regulations, political activities or candidacies.
• Public Service
  Campaigns/programs that advance public understanding of societal issues, problems or concerns.
• Social Media Focused
  Campaigns/programs designed to be implemented primarily through online social media. 

There are a number of other communications awards categories including:

• Public Relations Agency of the Year
• Communications Department of the Year
• Communications Team of the Year
• Communications, Investor Relations, or PR Executive of the Year
• Communications Professional of the Year(for non-executive communications, PR, and IR professionals)

Looking for more ways to showcase your organization's PR triumphs? There are a number of other ABA categories that should be of interest to communications professionals, including many of the corporate literature awards, annual report awards, website awards, video awards, and live event awards categories.

The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, USA, received the Stevie® Award for Best Communications or PR Campaign of the Year–Community Relations in the PR awards and communications awards categories of the 2011 Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the world's premier awards for women executives, entrepreneurs, and the organizations they run. (The final entry deadline for the 2012 Stevie Awards for Women in Business is quickly approaching on September 28; request your entry kit today.) Here we look at how the university enhanced its brand through a Centennial Celebration.

As the ninth president of The University of Southern Mississippi, Dr. Martha Saunders saw its 2010 centennial anniversary as an ideal opportunity to enhance its brand, reinforce relationships with key publics, and celebrate a rich past while turning the focus to its future.

With an overall goal of increased engagement among target audiences through “telling our story,” the university employed integrated strategies successfully to create awareness of its strengths, raise its national profile, and increase private giving, alumni membership, and enrollment.

Despite the tough economic climate, the Centennial campaign rallied the spirit of the university community and positioned the Southern Miss brand for the next level of national prominence.

Dr. Saunders attended the 2011 Stevie Awards for Women in Business awards dinner in New York last November, and commented:  “I was thrilled to win the Stevie Award, primarily because it put me in the company of some pretty amazing women.  The awards ceremony was first-rate.   I met people from all over the world who had flown in for the event.  It was, in a word, humbling. Universities aren't often considered for business awards, so this was a great validation of the hard work of my talented staff.”

Objectives
Dr. Saunders and her team identified the following measurable objectives for the campaign:

1. Create awareness of the history and rich traditions of the university among target audience members by December 2010 as measured by pre-and post-Centennial surveys.

2. Increase national media coverage of the university by 20% as of December 2010.

3. Increase website traffic by 20% by December 2010.

4. Increase membership in the Alumni Association to 20,000 by December 2010.

5. Generate donations of $1,000,000 for the Centennial Scholarship by December 2010.

6. Increase freshman enrollment by 6% from fall 2007 to fall 2010.

An overall budget of $477,000 came from university support ($312,000), corporate sponsorships ($135,000) and the Southern Miss Alumni Association ($30,000).

Execution
Campaign tactics included the development of a visual brand, a logo, and a website. Other campaign initiatives included:

1. Special Events
   Numerous special events were organized, including “Renée Fleming—The Voice of the Century,” a concert with the Southern Miss Symphony Orchestra.  Other events included Founders’ Day/Centennial Celebration Day; The Big Event (a community service day); the Centennial Commencement Celebration; the Centennial Arts Gala; Affinity Group Reunions; a Centennial Homecoming; and a Centennial Lecture featuring Madeleine Albright.
   
   Additional events included a Centennial Exhibit in the city library; a Centennial Museum in the university library; the 100 Alumni Museum of Art Exhibit; a Centennial Sculpture Celebration; and the Centennial Gateway (a brick-and-mortar giving opportunity).  Further initiatives included a Centennial Scholarship Endowment Fund and an Alumni Centennial Membership Campaign.
   
   Publications included The Talon (the alumni magazine) Centennial edition; Centennial Drawl, a handbook of the university’s history and traditions; and a Centennial history book, authored by a noteworthy historian.
   
   

2. Advertising:
   The Centennial Gold Ad Campaign included Black and Gold banners on campuses; Black and Gold banners along city highways; advertising in targeted national publications; billboard campaigns in selected cities; “The Southern Miss Story” presidential tour; and the “I Belong” Campaign.
   
   

3. Promotional Items:
   These included Centennial Birthday Cards, a Centennial Coke bottle; Centennial pins, stickers, and medallions (for 2010 graduates); coloring books; and cups/can holders.

Exceeding Expectations
The program exceeded all objectives: Awareness of the university’s history and rich traditions showed positive change in all categories over pre-Centennial benchmarks. National media coverage increased more than 800% (from 13 national hits in 2007-8 to 122 in 2009-10). Website traffic increased 107% by December 2010. Alumni Association membership grew to 21,088 (1,088 more than the 20,000 goal). Centennial Scholarship donations totaled $3.9 million in December of 2010 ($2.9 million more than the $1 million goal). Freshmen enrollment increased by 14%, exceeding the goal of 6%.

About Dr. Martha Saunders:
Dr. Martha D. Saunders served as the ninth president of The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, from 2007 to 2012.  She was the first woman to hold that position.  She continues to serve the university as Distinguished Professor of Communication and Founding Co-Director of the Evelyn Gandy Center for Women in Leadership. Her philosophy of education follows three simple guiding principles: know your students; connect them to bigger things; and set a good example.

Dr. Saunders' experience in the field of communication has led to numerous publications on crisis communication and public relations, widely anthologized published speeches, and national awards.

About The University of Southern Mississippi:
Founded in 1910, The University of Southern Mississippi is a comprehensive doctoral and research-driven university with a proud history and an eye on the future. In just 100 years, Southern Miss has grown from a small teachers' college into a premier research university with a national reputation for excellence in both academics and athletics.  For more information go to: http://www.usm.edu.

The entry deadline for the 2012 Stevie® Awards for Women in Business is quickly approaching on August 29 and we thought it would be helpful for communications professionals if we highlighted the many PR awards categories available. (Don't fret if you can't make the entry deadline, entries for the 2012 Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the world's premier business awards for women executives, entrepreneurs, and the organizations they run,  can still be submitted through the final entry deadline of September 28 with a late fee of $35.00; request your entry kit today.)

Our PR award categories for Communications or PR Campaign of the Year which recognize excellence in public relations, press relations, and publicity programs by or for women since July 1, 2011 include:

1. Community Relations: campaigns/programs that aim to improve relations with communities in which the sponsoring organization has an interest, need or opportunity.
2. Crisis Communications: campaigns/programs undertaken to deal with an unplanned event and requiring immediate response.
3. Global Issues: campaigns/programs that demonstrate effective global communications implemented in at least two countries.
4. Internal Communications: campaigns/programs undertaken to inform or educate an internal audience, such as employees or members.
5. Issues Management: campaigns/programs undertaken to deal with issues that could extraordinarily affect ongoing business strategy.
6. Low Budget (under $10,000/€7000): campaigns/programs that cost no more than $10,000/€7000 to plan and implement.
7. Marketing – Business to Business: campaigns/programs designed to introduce new products or promote existing products or services to a business audience.
8. Marketing – Consumer Products: campaigns/programs designed to introduce new products or promote existing products to a consumer audience.
9. Marketing – Consumer Services: campaigns/programs designed to introduce new services or promote existing services to a consumer audience.
10. Multicultural: campaigns/programs specifically targeted to a cultural group.
11. Reputation/Brand Management: campaigns/programs designed to enhance, promote or improve the reputation of an organization with its publics or key elements of its publics.
12. Public Affairs: campaigns/programs specifically designed to influence public policy and/or affect legislation, regulations, political activities or candidacies.
13. Public Service: campaigns/programs that advance public understanding of societal issues, problems or concerns.

Entries in these categories require an essay of up to 500 words describing the nominated campaign: its genesis, development, planning, commission, and performance to date, a biography of the leader of the team that developed the campaign (up to 100 words), and optional (but highly recommended), a collection of supporting files and web addresses that you may upload to our server to support your entry and provide more background information to the judges.

Other website awards, blog awards, app awards, and video awards that may be of interest include:

• Website of the Year: Recognizing excellence in web sites created and maintained by or for women. There is no eligibility period requirement for this category - it doesn't matter when the site was first published.
• Blog of the Year: Recognizing excellence in individual or company blogs created by or for women. There is no eligibility period requirement for this category - it doesn't matter when the blog was first published.
• Smartphone or Tablet App of the Year: Recognizing excellence in smartphone and tablet apps produced by or for women. There is no eligibility period requirement for this category - it doesn't matter when the app was first published.
• Video of the Year: Recognizing excellence in videos produced by or for women since July 1, 2011.

These categories only require an essay of up to 100 words describing the nominated work: its purpose and results to date, the nominated work itself, which you should upload to our server via the new uploading tool on our online entry form, and optionally, you can provide creative and production credits for the work, such as writers, creative directors, and programmers.

Not sure where to begin? All communications awards entries are submitted directly online through your account. You can begin by registering here.

DiGennaro Communications (DGC) of New York, New York, USA won a Stevie® Award for Best Overall Company of the Year/Service Businesses with up to 100 Employees - Advertising, Marketing, and Public Relations in the company awards categories of the 2011 Stevie Awards for Women in Business. (The early-bird deadline for the 2012 Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the world's premier awards for women executives, entrepreneurs, and the organizations they run, is July 25. Request your entry kit today.) Here we asked DGC founder, Samantha DiGennaro, why PR is so important for business.

Why is PR such an important business tool?

1. PR is a powerful tool that helps build enterprise value.
   Enterprise value can ultimately help a company to be bought or sold.
2. PR creates pride of place among both clients and employees.
   Winning organizations attract the best of everything and everyone.

Do you have a favorite app or blog?
My favorite blog is www.thehitboard.com … because it’s written by the best and brightest in the communications industry—DGC!

What item of news recently caught your eye and why?
“Snooki Pregnant!” The amount of coverage that this story has received is a terrible commentary on the state of our society, our values, and of journalism in general.

If you could choose another profession, what would it be?
I’d be an art therapist working with children of abuse in the inner city.                  

What quality or qualities do you most value in your business associates?
Honesty, integrity, an individual voice, self-expression, critical thinking, intelligence, and fearlessness.

As someone at the top of your profession, what keeps you inspired or makes you hit the ground running in the morning?
Duty, loyalty, and the desire to provide the best service to my team, to our clients, to our partners, and to society.

The Stevie Awards for Women in Business offer several business awards categories including PR awards and marketing awards. See all communications awards.

About Samantha DiGennaro:
Samantha DiGennaro launched DiGennaro Communications (DGC) in January 2006. Since then, she has built DGC into a highly reputable business-to-business public relations agency that boasts a roster of clients ranging from global media companies to full-service advertising agencies to digital and design outfits.  

Before launching DGC, Samantha built and oversaw the New York, North American, and Global Communications teams at J. Walter Thompson, the world's first ad agency. During her tenure, Sam helped reposition JWT as a more nimble creative agency. Prior to JWT, Samantha was public relations manager at DMB&B.

About DiGennaro Communications:
DiGennaro Communications is a leading full-service strategic communications company specializing in the marketing, media, entertainment, and business sectors. Its clients include premiere global and boutique companies such as GroupM, David & Goliath, Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, Mr Youth, Organic, and Live Nation. In 2011 DGC was named one of the top five most entrepreneurial companies in New York City by the New York Enterprise Report, was a finalist in the HR category of the New York Enterprise Small Business Awards, and was listed on the Inc. 500|5000 list.

Beata Rozek is the Head of CSR at Tesco Poland, and Chair for final judging of the corporate communications awards, investor relations awards, and PR awards categories final judging committee in The 2012 International Business Awards, the world's premier business awards competition. (The final entry deadline for the 2012 IBAs has been extended to July 18. Get your entry kit today.) Here Beata shares three tips of creating award winning CSR programs.

What are the 3 most important things you have learned in corporate communications and corporate social responsibility?

1. Put your money where your mouth is
   The best results are achieved through long-term investment.
2. Connect to your core business
   CSR should be the logical outcome of a company’s sustainability development policy. Those that are closely connected to the core business work best in CSR as they are both more authentic to outsiders and more honest towards shareholders.
3. Be passionate about your work
   For either corporate communications or CSR projects to be successful, you have to believe in it. If you don’t have that spark inside, you won’t be able to light the fire in others.

What item of news recently caught your eye and why?
I’m an avid soccer fan, and for the last month I’ve been watching Euro 2012. As Poland was one of the co-host countries, together with Ukraine, the entire population lived and breathed the European Football Championship, and we were all proud of how well it turned out. Initially, we’d been a little worried about the organization of these big international events, but it all went without a hitch and ended up having a great positive impact on our country’s image. Not only was Poland lauded by the international press, by happy fans, and by tourists, but also we Poles started to see ourselves differently, as a country and a people that can do it. This was in no small part thanks to the tremendous efforts of volunteer services provided by the host cities. It was great to see so many well-trained volunteers.

What is your favorite app?
Of course our own new Tesco app, developed within our new CSR project “Healthy Appetite.”  It will be an app helping users to keep a reasonable diet program and advising on healthful eating. Other than that, every morning my partner and I like to check the weather forecasts in all the places we’ve ever been to and plan to visit. We love to travel, and this way we can update our travel-related dreams daily and give ourselves an energy boost. (Weatherbug Mobile is a free app available for iPhone, iPad, Android, Blackberry.)

If you could choose another profession, what would it be?
Thanks to my parents’ business I have a background in the HoReCa (Hotel/Restaurant/Café) sector of the food industry, so if I couldn’t be who I am and do what I now do and love best, then I’d like to run a little café. I’d make it into a meeting place, because I like meeting people and believe people like to hang out with other people. I’d like to run a place that would be like a second home to them.

What quality or qualities do you most value in your business associates? Honesty, resourcefulness, diligence, and enthusiasm. I like it when my associates simply have fun with their work. I relate best to people whose work is a joy because I can feel that joy both in my relations with them and in the effect it has on our work.

As someone at the top of your profession, what keeps you inspired or makes you hit the ground running in the morning?
Meeting people who have benefited from my work face-to-face, and talking to people who have profited from what we do in our Tesco Poland CSR projects. The final events in the last Tesco for Schools program gave me a great energy boost and motivation. Talking with the children, the parents, and the teachers unleashed enough positive emotions to last me for months to come. And, of course, I am inspired by the people I work with, the people who care.

About Beata Rozek:
Beata Rozek is Head of CSR at Tesco Poland and is a communications expert with a rich background in public relations and corporate social responsibility in the FMCG and retail sectors. Previous employers include Ahold Polska and Danone’s water division (Żywiec Zdrój), where she helped in the startup of several pioneer CSR projects in the Polish market. Beata is responsible for creating Tesco’s CSR strategy and implementing key CSR projects in Poland. Thanks to her contribution to Tesco for Schools, the program was recognized by the Responsible Business Forum, a CSR authority in Poland that awarded Tesco’s initiative with its “Good Practice” award. The program also received a Value Award from Tesco Group’s CEO for the efficient promotion of Tesco’s image as an environmentally friendly company, and for creating a benchmark for Tesco’s CSR programs in other countries. Beata also set up Tesco Poland’s corporate foundation, “Tesco for Children”, and serves as Chairman of the foundation’s Board.

About Tesco:
Tesco Poland is the leading supermarket brand on the Polish market. There are 420 Tesco outlets, including both hypermarkets and local Tesco stores. Tesco employs over 28,000 employees and is actively engaged in regional development by investing in local produce and supporting local suppliers. The company puts great emphasis on building positive relationships with local communities.  For more information go to www.tesco.pl.

The 2012 IBAs feature a wide selection of categories to recognize the achievements of PR professionals and we thought it would be helpful if we highlighted five additional awards categories that should be of interest to PR individuals. (The final extended entry deadline for The 2012 International Business Awards, the world's premier business awards competition, is 18 July. You can request your entry kit here.)

In addition to submitting entries specifically labeled as PR awards, there are several communications awards categories including:

1. Annual Report Awards Categories
   These categories recognize excellence in annual reports, brochures, marketing and sales kits, house organs (corporate magazines), and other publications issued since 1 January 2011.
2. App Awards Categories
   These categories recognize excellence in apps for handheld and tablet devices, and for PCs, issued or updated since 1 January 2011.
3. Live Event Awards Categories
   These categories recognize excellence in live events staged since 1 January 2011.
4. Video Awards Categories
   These categories recognize excellence in videos produced for a business- or work-related purpose that were first released or otherwise made public since 1 January 2011.
5. Website Awards Categories
   These categories recognize 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.

Leave us a comment and let us know which categories your organization plans to submit entries to in the 2012 IBAs.

The final entry deadline for The 2012 International Business Awards, the world's premier business awards competition, is quickly approaching on 27 June. All individuals and organizations worldwide – public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small – may submit nominations to the IBAs. If you haven't yet done so, you can request your entry kit here.

To make the most out of your PR awards entries, we suggest the following tips:

1. Review the business awards categories.
There are several PR award categories being celebrated at the 2012 IBAs including:

• Public Relations Agency of the Year
• Communications Department of the Year
• Communications Team of the Year
• Communications, Investor Relations, or PR Executive of the Year
• Communications or PR Campaign/Program of the Year

We have many other communication awards categories that may be of interest to communications professionals including:

• Annual report awards
• App awards
• Live event awards
• Video awards
• Website awards

2. Review the entry submission criteria.
Make sure your IBA entries include all required submission information.

3. Download our 10 Tips for Winning PR Awards in the Stevie® Awards tipsheet for 2012. 
Our tipsheet contains great tips and tools for making the most out of your entries. 

4. Contact us!
If you have any questions about the 2012 IBAs, email us at help@stevieawards.com or call us at + 1 703-547-8389.

Looking for more ways to connect with the Stevies? Join us on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn for the latest IBA updates.

The entry deadline for The 2012 International Business Awards, the world's premier business awards competition is 16 May. If you haven't already done so, you can request your entry kit here. (All individuals and organizations worldwide may submit nominations to the IBAs.)

We thought it would be helpful for communications professionals if we highlighted four reasons to submit entries to the 2012 IBA PR awards categories.

1. Global recognition and free publicity.
   Gold Stevie® Award winners will have the opportunity to make a 30-second acceptance speech before an audience of executives from across the world. The cereomony will also be streamed worldwide over the Internet.
2. Earn industry status.
   Submitting IBA entries is a great way to benchmark your achievements against competitors in your industry.
3. Impress potential clients.
   Your work will not only be reviewed and honored by peers and competitors, but also by potential clients.  Show off your organization's achievements in the 2012 IBAs.
4. Low entry fees. 
   The publicity that comes with winning a Stevie® Award is well worth the low entry fees.

The 8^th Annual International Business Awards were presented in October 2011 in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates. PR award honorees included APRA Porter Novelli, ASDA'A Burson-Marsteller, IndoPacific Edelman, Inzalo Communication, MWW Group, and Weber Shandwick, among others. Winners of the competition will be celebrated at the ninth annual awards banquet on Monday, 15 October at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Seoul, South Korea. 

Entries submitted after 16 May, through the final entry deadline of 27 June, will be assessed a late fee in addition to any entry fee.

Want more communications awards? There are a number of other IBA categories that should be of interest to communications professionals, including many of the annual report awards and other literature categories, website awards categories, app awards categories, video awards categories, and live event awards categories.