Nominations are now open for the 2014 AV News Awards. You can nominate yourself or your company, a supplier or other business associate and, if you are a PR or marketing agency, a client. Entries can be made using the PDF template that can be downloaded here.
The closing date for Award nominations is the 30 November 2013. Entries made before the closing date are free. Thereafter, entries are accepted at the organisers’ discretion and attract a late submission charge of £175 plus VAT. Nominations will go before the judges in December 2013. Winners will be announced at a presentation at ISE 2014 staged at the RAI Amsterdam on the 4 February 2014.
DOWNLOAD A NOMINATION FORM
AV News Awards Nomination Form 2014
Instructions
1. Right click the PDF form and save it to your PC before completing it. If you complete the form before saving it you will lose your data.
2. Please use a separate form for each nomination.
3. Complete the form and rename it as “Nomination [name of nominee]”.
4. Email the saved form to: nominations@avnewsonline.com
AV News Awards 2014: the categories
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
► AV Technologist of the Year
The AV Technologist of the Year recognises an outstanding achievement by an individual in advancing AV technology. The Award is open to nominations for individuals responsible for the development of a new technology, solution or application, and which is either currently available on the market or which will be demonstrated as a working prototype up to and including ISE 2013.
► AV Sales Professional of the Year
The AV Sales Professional of the Year recognises the contribution that the individuals who lead or make up the sales teams of resellers, integrators, distributors or manufacturers make to advancement of the AV industry. The winner of the Award must demonstrate success in AV sales over a period of at least two years, a professional approach and innovation in sales technique.
► AV Support Professional of the Year
Support plays a vital role in customer retention and winning repeat business at every level in the channel. The AV Support Professional of the Year Award recognises the importance of the support and service functions in the running of a professional business, and is open to representatives of resellers, integrators, distributors and manufacturers. The winner must be able to demonstrate a commitment to the support role, and to provide evidence of positive customer interaction.
► AV Marketing Professional of the Year
Communication of the benefits and applications of a continuing stream of new products, solutions and services have seen the marketing function increase in influence. The AV Marketing Professional of the Year Award recognises excellence in marketing and marketing communications. The winner must be able to demonstrate effectiveness, creativity and success over a period of not less than two years and innovation in marketing communications.
COMPANY AND ORGANISATION AWARDS
► AV Market Development Initiative of the Year
Sponsored by RGB Communications
The AV Market Development Initiative of the Year category acknowledges success with end-user programmes that contribute to the development of new business opportunities for the AV industry. Examples of qualifying entries might include end-user marketing or education campaigns; end-user events; customer promotions; new technology applications and deployments and other market development initiatives by AV resellers and systems integrators.
►AV Environmental Initiative of the Year
Sponsored by Casio Projectors
The Environmental initiative of the Year recognises the role that companies and individuals from the AV industry play in reducing the environmental impact of AV technologies and lowering customers’ total cost of ownership. The winners will be required to demonstrate an environmentally sensitive approach to product manufacturing, distribution and disposal as well as energy savings achieved over the life of the product. Further considerations will include the environmental benefits enjoyed by users by applying the product or solution within their home or organisation.
► AV Integrator of the Year
Sponsored by Micro-P
The AV Integrator of the Year Award is available to those companies capable of delivering a full service for large scale or complex installations, often using cutting-edge AV technologies and techniques. These high-end specialists have the capability to integrate IT, networking and telecommunications technologies into custom solutions, developing interfaces and software to bring the solution together. This Award category is designed to show AV at its pinnacle. The winner will be required to demonstrate technical excellence in system configuration and performance, creativity in design and customer satisfaction with completed solutions.
► AV Employer of the Year
Sponsored by AV Jobs
The AV Employer of the Year Award recognises the role of audio visual technology companies in training and developing their staff, encouraging innovation and fostering an entrepreneurial culture. The judges will be looking for commitment to a structure approach to recruitment, appraisal and Continuing Professional Development (CPD). This category is open to all levels of the industry including resellers, integrators, distributors and manufacturers or service providers.
► AV Innovation of the Year
Sponsored by Peerless-AV
The AV Innovation of the Year Award marks the development of new technologies that will have a significant effect on the AV industry going forwards, providing the basis for new products, solutions or applications. The Award can be made to companies recognised as currently active within the AV sector or those involved in the development of enabling technologies on which future AV solutions might be based.
► AV Reseller of the Year
Sponsored by BenQ UK
The AV Reseller of the Year Award recognises excellence in the transaction of the vast majority of AV business – skilled specialists delivering the right product or solution for their customers’ needs, with purchase decisions based on appropriate advice, installed with a high degree of competence and supported with due consideration. The winner of this Award will be required to demonstrate effectiveness at each stage of the buying process, with evidence provided in the form of projects completed within the last 12 months.
► Outstanding Achievement in AV
Sponsored by Sahara Presentation Systems
The Outstanding Achievement in AV Award recognises the product of a lifetime contribution to the development of the AV industry. The winner will hold, or will have held, a senior position within the industry for not less than five years, and will be a well known figure at the manufacturer, distributor or reseller level.
AV News Awards 2014: the sponsors
The following leading AV companies are the sponsors of the AV News Awards in 2014:
AV Jobs provide a highly specialist Recruitment Service for Audio Visual manufacturers, distributors and resellers. We also work within the broadcast, events and unified communications industries providing quality and experienced staff at all levels – from board members through management, field service and sales, as well as on site technical and sales people. All of our Consultants have experience within the AV industry and fully understand all areas from sales through system design and installation, hire and events, operations and service. We will continually focus on your needs and requirements rather than just trying to place available candidates.
BenQ is the No.1 DLP projector brand, with models including filter-free greener SmartEco technology for low TCO and the first laser projectors with BenQ’s BlueCore lamp-less engine, all without compromising the user experience. BenQ’s latest in education technology sees the addition of interactive large format HD screens offering humanised and intuitive group collaboration. Local support, bundled solutions and excellent tailored warranties that offer peace of mind.
Casio has been creating many of the world’s most trusted and iconic electronic devices since 1957. Casio products – watches, calculators, keyboards and other essentials – have become staples of everyday life, whether at home, at work or at school. Casio’s lamp-free range of projectors consists of four distinct families: Green Slim, Short Throw, Pro and Signature. Equipped with Casio’s own environmentally friendly Laser & LED Hybrid light source, the projectors deliver high brightness projection at up to 4,000 ANSI lumens, with advanced connectivity and long-life performance. The unique Casio Laser & LED Hybrid light source delivers a consistently bright light output for the life of the projector and, with a life expectancy of approximately 20,000 hours, there’s no need for expensive replacement lamps.
Micro-P is a leading B2B and retail distributor with a growing presence in professional AV. After 31 years of profitability, Micro-P continues to outperform the market, doubling its business in the last 4 years, with revenues in excess of £850m in 2011. Micro-P’s progressive approach, and ability to provide turnkey solutions through converged technologies, makes it the technology partner of choice. Micro-P is ideally positioned to support AV integrators, broaden their scope and enable them to capture larger client spend. With a product portfolio spanning 150 manufacturers, and 20,000 products across AV, computing, consumer electronics, networking, servers and solutions, communications and mobile, Micro-P has everything you would expect and a whole lot more.
Peerless-AV is a leading designer and manufacturer of award-winning high quality audio-visual mounting, accessory and digital content delivery solutions for commercial and residential applications. The company’s innovative product line includes flat panel mounts, projector mounts, digital signage and video wall solutions, environmental enclosures, flat panel carts and stands, interactive kiosks, AV racks and an expanding range of technology products to simplify today’s complex digital installations. Peerless-AV works closely with professional installers and integrators, to create solutions that are simple to install, provide incredible versatility, are packed with essential features and deliver universal compatibility. High quality in-house manufacturing and comprehensive UL safety testing ensure that Peerless-AV products are trusted by installers and integrators around the world for use in a wide range of vertical markets and applications.
RGB Communications was established in 1991 as an audio visual distributor, when laser discs were all the rage, when Sharp launched the first LCD wall-mounted colour TV and the world waited with baited breath for the advent of Dolby Digital Surround Sound. We’ve come a long way since then, and at RGB we’re proud to have been at the forefront of these developments. Twenty years on, and we’re still as passionate about our products and the world they live in as we were back then. Our audio visual dealer training program is unparalleled, and our award winning technical support has secured our position as one of the top audio visual technical distributors in the UK.
Sahara Presentation Systems has a team of approximately 70 personnel and over 50,000 square feet of office and warehouse space. Sahara has a strong commitment to manufacture and production in the UK. In 2010 we added an assembly line to our manufacturing, producing traditional whiteboards – something the company was associated with a number of years ago. We are proud of our low turnover of staff; in fact more than half of our workforce has been employed by Sahara for over a decade, longevity that our customers appreciate and is instrumental in the high standard of service we offer. Sahara has been established in its current identity for over 35 years but the company’s foundations date back to 1924. The company continues to grow yearly and has been influential in shaping the AV industry – we are leading the way in the interactive touchscreen market with our flagship range of Clever products.
