AV Awards 2008
Click here to view the shortlist
Who should enter?
Entry is open to any company that is involved in the a-v industry, from manufacturers of any kind of equipment or software used in a-v communication to media production companies. You will find more in-depth information in the category definitions.
Eligibility
All projects completed after 1 July 2007 are eligible for entry.
How to enter
You may submit entries in any number of appropriate categories. A completed entry from must accompany each entry, even when it has been entered in any other category. If you wish to submit multiple entries, you may make photocopies of this form.
Entries must include
• A completed entry form plus three additional copies
• A completed performance matrix form for Company category entries
• 12 copies of a single-page 300-word management summary (please note: the 300 words do not include the Performance Matrix to be filled in for the Company Awards)
• 12 copies of further information about the company or project and its performance against the criteria given
• Three copies of any supporting a-v or graphics material
Performance matrix
The performance matrix is required by entrants into the Company Awards. The Company Awards include categories from J to N. The information given should relate to the trading year covered in the entry. Figures given will be treated as strictly confidential
The management summary
Each entry must be accompanied by a single A4 page 300-word summary for distribution to the judges, detailing:
• The company and category entered
• The scope of the company’s activities or the project
• Technologies/techniques used
• Results, including research data
• A brief statement saying why the entry should win an award
Evidence
The judges will pay particular attention to evidence of a company or communication project achievement. The entry must detail:
• The objectives and overall strategy
• The target audience or buyers
• How projects or plans were implemented
• Distinguishing technical or marketing features of the project or campaign
• How the project was designed to be measured
• Formal research or independent evidence of achievements
Copyright and confidentiality
Entry materials will be used in issues of AV Magazine, on www.avinteractive.co.uk, during the Awards ceremony and in event promotional material. Copyright clearance for these uses should be secured before including video, stills or other material in support of your entry. If a client project is being entered, please make sure that a client contact is provided and that prior clearance has been obtained!
Support materials
Digital copies of videos or stills to support your entry must be supplied for use within AV Magazine or at the Awards ceremony, as well as during judging. Video or multimedia materials must be accompanied by screening notes and any relevant password information must be included. Stills must be provided as highresolution .jpg files with a minimum resolution of 300dpi x 20cm minimum dimension.
How much does it cost to enter?
The fee per entry is £80 plus VAT (£94). A cheque covering any entry fees must be sent with the entries, made payable to AV Awards. No fees are refundable but any entry may be withdrawn before July 4 2008 without penalty. Thereafter, an additional withdrawal fee of £50 plus VAT will be charged, to cover the cost of extra administration and revisions to the judging packs. There is a penalty for late entry. If any entry is received after the official closing date for entries, without prior approval, the organisers reserve the right to charge £50 plus VAT per late entry.
Closing date for entries
The closing date for entries is 4 July 2008.
Please note that entries will not be returned after judging. Please download and complete the entry form below and return it, together with 12 copies of your submission, four copies of your entry form, your entry fee and three copies of any additional material in support of your entry to:
Lucy McLaughlin
Assistant Events Manager
AV Awards
174 Hammersmith Road
London W6 7JP
Please remember the closing date for entries is Friday 4 July 2008.
Please don’t forget to include your completed performance matrix for the Company categories.
If you are unsure as to which categories you should enter please call Lucy McLaughlin on 020 8267 8057 or email at lucy.mclaughlin@haymarket.com.
Please note: Entries cannot be returned. In addition, the organisers reserve the right to retain entries for reproduction and subsequent publications.
Checklist
Before you send in your entry, please ensure you have included:
• Four copies of the entry form
• 12 copies of your submission
• Three copies of any support material
• Performance matrix (Company categories only)
Here’s a list of things that can and are often included in successful entries, that other entrants sometimes forget or ignore. Please make sure you tick the required items off!
• Financial information
There is a performance matrix on the entry form. Please ensure it is filled in for company category entrants (it is not applicable to project-based entries). Please make sure the figures apply to the company or division entering, not to a bigger group whose other activities may not be relevant.
• Market research and customer feedback
Vitally important for most project-based entries, but still very important for company category entries. Properly conducted research, especially if externally validated, is a potential winning element.
• Marketing plans and initiatives
Innovative and well-targeted marketing is a key criteria. The entry should highlight target markets, how they were approached, show examples, and highlight results achieved.
• Sales and profit performance
Please make sure you quote like-for-like figures!
• Training and development
Fast growing companies need personnel and training strategies as well as business plans. Explaining how training and development is approached, why, and what results have been achieved is a great idea.
• Project objectives and results
In the project based category make sure you say what the project was designed to achieve, how it was measured and what the results were.
• Supporting visual material
Make sure that any disk-based material (or web entries) sent in will play back on a normal XP Pro laptop, and make sure that any playback instructions, passwords into websites etc are clear and prominent.
• Confidentiality
No entry material or notes made by the judges leaves the building, but entry material may be used to explain why a company or project won, once we come to write the awards brochure and present the awards. So make sure that any confidential content within an entry is clearly marked as such. If the whole entry is marked confidential that means we can’t explain why it won, if it did.
