What's new in the 2020 Sales and Marketing Awards?

A quick run through of category additions, tweaks and what has been dropped this year

Every year the CRN Sales and Marketing Awards categories are tweaked slightly to ensure they stay relevant and inclusive.

Feedback from the judges and also those who entered the awards, has resulted in some changes to existing categories and also some new additions this year.

Categories that failed to receive enough entries to make them viable in 2019 have been dropped this year, and surprisingly it is the individual categories that seem too hot to handle - is this because there is still so much fear about staff poaching? If so, that is a shame, because individuals deserve recognition if they have done an outstanding job.

Unfortunately, this means the ‘Manager of the Year' categories, which were voted for in 2019, have been parked for 2020. If you want them back next year, please do say.

Also, following feedback, the revenue thresholds for Best Company to Work For (Reseller) have been increased to encourage more £101m+ turnover players to enter this year and unleash a real battle. The 'Up to £50m' category has been increased to 'up to £100m'.

We have also launched a ‘Best Customer Event' category for both resellers and distributors, because so many firms now hold their own customer events, and they deserve the recognition for doing such a sterling job.

And finally, a new category has been created for the ‘Best Sales/Marketing Recruitment Agency'. The skills shortage our industry is still suffering from, means that those companies that help fill those gaps deserve some recognition of their own.

So please, take a look at the categories on offer and get going on your entry - these are YOUR awards and your chance to really be seen by your customers and competitors as standing out from the crowd.

If you have any doubts about entering, have a look at our Frequently Asked Questions - we are sure you will find the answers you are looking for there. Or do feel free to get in touch.

To enter the SMAs click here, but remember to read the criteria first. It is there to help you craft the best entry possible.

The judges are looking forward to reading about all your excellent achievements in sales and marketing over the past year.

Remember, the deadline is Wednesday 8 April, and the event itself is taking place in central London (venue TBA) on Thursday 17 September.

Good luck!