What is new for the 2024 Sales and Marketing Awards (SMAs)?

What is new for the 2024 Sales and Marketing Awards (SMAs)?

There are just over FIVE WEEKS to go until the 2024 Sales and Marketing entry deadline is upon us, but that time will soon fly. We look below at what categories are new/amended for this year.

The awards categories for the CRN SMAs are constantly evolving following feedback from the industry, and 2024 has been no exception.

Since the Covid pandemic, when we had to take the awards virtual, we have had a category in each section that rewards individuals for going over and above during difficult times, or who made a massive impact to both the company and the community during the pandemic. Thankfully Covid is now behind us, but the individual awards have evolved slightly over the past couple of years into the ‘over and above' category for people who had gone above and beyond their duty in the years following the pandemic.

However this year, to bring them back in line with the theme of the SMAs, the individual awards are now aimed at people who are excelling within the field of sales or marketing - the new rising stars of your company. Someone who is constantly smashing targets or who has gone above and beyond to hit targets, or make a particular campaign a roaring success.

We hope all companies in the vendor, reseller and distributor worlds will want to recognised their high flyers and celebrate their success with them on the night.

We also have a brand new category this year - Best Use of Data/AI in a Marketing Campaign - we know AI is here to stay and we are excited to see how channel firms are harnessing this technology and using it to their advantage - this is open to all vendors, resellers and distributors as well.

Our other new category this year - Best Operations Team - replaces Best Warehouse Team after feedback that Ops is a better description to encapture all those people working hard behind the scenes in distribution to keep orders fulfilled and the company running smoothly.

Finally, the new ‘Best Talent Acquisition Agency' has replaced ‘Best Channel Recruitment Firm' - we know there are more than two players in the market, and we hope the new category name will encourage those who perhaps haven't considered entering before.

All our other categories remain the same because they have proved popular with the industry, so we are looking forward to seeing who puts their names forward for those.

With 24 categories available there is definitely something for everyone to enter this year and help us celebrate the brilliance of the IT channel.

As ever, our detailed criteria will give you all the information you need to craft an entry that strikes a chord with the judges. Please do have a read of them before starting your entry - they really are there to help! We also have some top tips to help with entries.

All categories are free to enter, and it is ONE entry PER category for each company/individual.

Remember the deadline is Thursday 28 March at 5pm and the event itself will be taking place on Thursday 27 June at the Marriott, Grosvenor Square in London.

The very best of luck to you all! To start your entry and read the criteria, please click here.