2021 Categories & Criteria
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Written entries must be no more than 1,000 words , and try to think about the judges when composing them. Use plenty of spacing, bullet points and paragraphs to construct your entry to make them easier on the eye. PDF and other multimedia entries are encouraged, and you can add personality to your entry too to make it stand out. If you are submitting a video, please keep it to FIVE minutes or less. Videos longer than five minutes are likely not to be watched in full.
The bullet points in the criteria are just guidelines and don’t have to be answered individually in order – use them as a basis to create your entry and as a GUIDE ONLY . But please read them carefully as they will help you craft an entry that meets all the judges’ criteria. Don’t just feel you have to submit blocks of text, feel free to submit a PDF or even video entry if you are feeling adventurous – make your entry stand out.
But remember, word counts and time limits still apply to multimedia entries – judges will mark down if over word count or approved time.
Reseller Categories
Best New Business Win - Reseller
This award is open to any UK-based firm that falls under the Reseller category – whether an integrator, MSP, system builder, VAR or service provider. The business win – which can be in any vertical sector in any space, must have taken place between Jan 2020 and Jan 2021 to qualify for entry.
Best Sales Team - Reseller
This award is open to any firm that falls under the Reseller category – whether an integrator, MSP, system builder, VAR or service provider – that has a standalone sales team. The period the award covers is between Jan 2020 and Jan 2021– so please detail successes of sales teams during that period only to qualify for entry.
Best Marketing Campaign - Reseller
This award is open to any firm that falls under the Reseller category – whether an integrator, MSP, system builder, VAR or service provider – that has engaged in proactive marketing activities during the year. The period the award covers is between Jan 2020 and Jan 2021– so please detail an end user marketing campaign that successfully ran during that period only to qualify for entry. It can be a social media campaign or a more traditional campaign. Images can be used.
Best Company to Work For – Sub £100m turnover - Reseller
This award is open to any firm that falls under the Reseller category – whether an integrator, MSP, system builder, VAR or service provider - with a turnover of £100m or below. The company must pride itself on being a great place to work both in terms of results/growth, staff/employee satisfaction/motivation, CSR and general company culture. The period the award covers is between Jan 2020 and Jan 2021, so please bear this in mind when talking about particular incentives offered to employees. Images can also be used if you like.
Best Company to Work For – £101m+ turnover - Reseller
This award is open to any firm that falls under the Reseller category – whether an integrator, MSP, system builder, VAR or service provider - with a turnover of £101m or above. The company must pride itself on being a great place to work both in terms of results/growth, staff/employee satisfaction/motivation, CSR and general company culture. The period the award covers is between Jan 2020 and Jan 2021, so please bear this in mind when talking about particular incentives offered to employees. Images can also be used if you like.
Best Graduate and/or Apprenticeship Scheme - Reseller
This award is open to any firm that falls under the Reseller category – whether an integrator, MSP, system builder, VAR or service provider. The Graduate or Apprenticeship scheme must have been running from or further developed since January 2020.
Best Online/Hybrid event - Reseller – NEW for 2021
This award is open to any firm that falls under the Reseller category – whether an integrator, MSP, system builder, VAR or service provider – that has engaged in proactive marketing activities during the year. The period the award covers is between Jan 2020 and Jan 2021– so please detail an event that you created for your customers that successfully ran during that period only to qualify for entry. Due to Covid restrictions this category covers physical events that were forced to become online events, or brand-new online events launched over the past year. Images can be used.
The ‘Over and Above’ Award - Reseller – NEW for 2021
This is a new award for 2021 aimed at highlighting the amazing work by an individual, the company as a whole, or a division/team during the ongoing challenges of the global pandemic. It is a chance to give those individuals or teams some credit for going ‘over and above’ their duties to ensure a customer was served, or a project was completed, or they managed to keep everybody’s spirits up by being an exceptional manager or supportive colleague or even a community-minded individual/team.
Anyone can receive this award, from an exceptional sales/marketing/support team, a particular manager or staff member within any team. Anyone you feel has definitely gone ‘over and above’ their normal duties to make peoples’ lives easier during difficult times. Below are some tips for constructing the entry but please make it as personal as you like.
- Describe the individual or team that you are entering for this award – why do they deserve special recognition?
- What have they done that you feel is ‘over and above’ their usual duties? Please explain.
- What kind of a difference has their actions during the pandemic made to either individuals, customers/partners/the company or their local community?
- What would winning this award mean to them/the company?
Entries can be up to 1,000 words on why the particular individual or team deserves recognition– but shorter entries will not be penalised – if individuals want to nominate their colleagues, we will accept between 250-500 words as long as the above points are covered to some extent. Please do make sure these are personal entries as it is an emotive category.
Distributor Categories
Best Sales and Marketing Support Team - Distributor
This award is open to any company that falls under the distribution category, whether a volume player or value-added specialist working in particular vertical markets. The award is not limited to a certain size of company, so if you have thousands of customers or a few hundred, your entry will be given the same treatment. The period covered by the awards runs from Jan 2020 to Jan 2021, so please bear in mind when writing entries.
Best Marketing Campaign - Distributor
This award is open to any company that falls under the distribution category, whether a volume player or value-added specialist working in particular vertical markets. The award is not limited to a certain size of company, so if you have thousands of customers or a few hundred, your entry will be given the same treatment. The period covered by the awards runs from Jan 2020 to Jan 2021, so please bear in mind when writing entries and referring to particular campaigns. It can cover a social media/viral campaign or a more ‘traditionally’ executed campaign.
Best Company to Work For - Distributor
This award is open to any company that falls under the distribution category, whether a volume player or value-added specialist working in particular vertical markets. The company must pride itself on being a great place to work both in terms of results/growth, staff/employee satisfaction/motivation, CSR and general company culture. This award is not limited to a certain size of company, so if you have thousands of customers or a few hundred, your entry will be given the same treatment. The period covered by the awards runs from Jan 2020 to Jan 2021, so please bear in mind when talking about particular incentives offered to staff. Images can also be used if required.
Best Graduate and/or Apprenticeship Scheme - Distributor
This award is open to any company that falls under the distribution category, whether a volume player or value added specialist working in particular vertical markets. The award is not limited to a certain size of company, so if you have thousands of customers or a few hundred, your entry will be given the same treatment. The Graduate or Apprenticeship scheme must have been running from, or further developed since January 2020.
Best Online/Hybrid event - Distributor – New for 2021
This award is open to any company that falls under the distribution category, whether a volume player or value added specialist working in particular vertical markets. The award is not limited to a certain size of company, so if you have thousands of customers or a few hundred, your entry will be given the same treatment. Due to Covid restrictions this category covers both physical events that were forced to become online events, or brand-new online events launched over the past year. The period the award covers is between Jan 2020 and Jan 2021– so please detail an event that you created for your customers/partners that successfully ran during that period only to qualify for entry. Images can be used.
The ‘Over and Above’ Award - Distributor – NEW for 2021
This is a new award for 2021 aimed at highlighting the amazing work by an individual, the company as a whole, or a division/team during the ongoing challenges of the global pandemic.
It is a chance to give those individuals or teams some credit for going ‘over and above’ their duties to ensure a customer was served, or a project was completed, or they managed to keep everybody’s spirits up by being an exceptional manager or supportive colleague or even a community-minded individual/team.
Anyone can receive this award, from an exceptional sales/marketing/support team, a particular manager or staff member within any team, the CEO or a company cleaner that went the extra mile to keep the office safe during the pandemic. Anyone you feel has definitely gone ‘over and above’ their normal duties to make peoples’ lives easier during difficult times and has done something to deserve special recognition.
Vendor Categories
Best Partner Programme - Vendor
Any firm that is defined as a vendor and operates a UK channel strategy. These can be vendors of hardware, networking and software in all vertical markets, but the business must have a significant channel presence in the UK to qualify and obviously a channel programme that has been in place for more than a year. This can be a single or two-tier channel programme. The period covered for the awards is Jan 2020 to Jan 2021 so bear in mind when talking about additions/changes to programmes and the entry MUST be UK centric.
Best Online/Hybrid Partner Event - Vendor
Any firm that is defined as a vendor and operates a UK channel strategy. These can be vendors of hardware, networking and software in all vertical markets, but the business must have a significant channel presence in the UK to qualify. Due to Covid restrictions this category covers physical events that were forced to become online events, or brand-new online events launched over the past year. It MUST be a CHANNEL focussed event and not one aimed at end users. It must be relevant to UK partners. These awards cover the period Jan 2020 to Jan 2021 so the event must fall in that timeframe.
Best Company to Work For - Vendor
Any firm that is defined as a vendor and operates a UK channel strategy. These can be vendors of hardware, networking and software in all vertical markets, but the business must have a significant channel presence in the UK to qualify. The company must pride itself on being a great place to work both in terms of results/growth, staff/employee satisfaction/motivation, CSR and general company culture. The period covered by the awards runs from Jan 2020 to Jan 2021, so please bear in mind when talking about particular activities, trips or incentives offered to staff. Images can also be used if required.
Technology Innovation Award - Vendor
Any firm that is defined as a vendor and operates a UK channel strategy. These can be vendors of hardware, networking and software and related services in all vertical markets, but the business must have a significant channel presence in the UK to qualify. This award is aimed at a particular technology or technology set that has revolutionised business for channel partners and their respective customers over the past 12 months.
PLEASE NOTE: This is not an opportunity to market or sell a particular product or descend into techie speak, the award is aimed at describing how a product has actually helped make YOUR CHANNEL PARTNERS money. Bear in mind the awards cover the period Jan 2020 to Jan 2021.
Best Graduate and/or Apprenticeship Scheme - Vendor
Any firm that is defined as a vendor and operates a UK channel strategy. These can be vendors of hardware, networking and software in all vertical markets, but the business must have a significant channel presence in the UK to qualify and the graduate/apprenticeship scheme needs to have been running or further developed since at least January 2020.
Best Marketing Campaign - Vendor
Any firm that is defined as a vendor and operates a UK channel strategy. These can be vendors of hardware, networking and software in all vertical markets, but the business must have a significant channel presence in the UK to qualify. The period covered by the awards runs from Jan 2020 to Jan 2021, so please bear in mind when writing entries and referring to particular campaigns.
The ‘Over and Above’ Award - Vendor – NEW for 2021
This is a new award for 2021 aimed at highlighting the amazing work by an individual, the company as a whole, or a division/team during the ongoing challenges of the global pandemic. It is a chance to give those individuals or teams some credit for going ‘over and above’ their duties to ensure a customer was served, or a project was completed, or they managed to keep everybody’s spirits up by being an exceptional manager or supportive colleague or even a community-minded individual/team.
Anyone can receive this award, from an exceptional sales/marketing/support team, a particular manager or staff member within any team, the CEO or a company cleaner that went the extra mile to keep the office safe during the pandemic. Anyone you feel has definitely gone ‘over and above’ their normal duties to make peoples’ lives easier during difficult times and has done something to deserve special recognition.
General Categories
Best Channel Marketing/PR Agency
This category is open to all firms that class themselves as independent channel marketing agencies. This can be specific marketing teams, or specialist channel marketing/PR firms. Any projects/successes discussed in the entry must have taken place between Jan 2020 to Jan 2021. Images and screenshots can be included in this entry to illustrate points.
Best Sales/Marketing Recruitment Specialist
Any firm that is defined as a recruitment specialist and works specifically with the UK channel. This can be a channel-focused division of a larger recruitment company, or a dedicated channel recruitment firm. Any projects/successes discussed in the entry must have taken place between Jan 2020 to Jan 2021.