Awards deadline just one month away

The 6 August cut-off for entering this year's Channel Awards will be final, says Fleur Doidge

Celebrate or commiserate with friends and partners at this year's Channel Awards

The Channel Awards absolute final deadline of Friday 6 August at 5pm is fast approaching, so those who want to be up there with the winners in the UK’s channel Oscars have a month to finish their entries.

Graham Lowes, strategic planning and product marketing director at Awards headline sponsor Oki Printing Solutions, says you do have to be in it to win it and it is about more than simply celebrating on the night and then carrying home a weighty piece of glassware.

“We believe you cannot afford to be complacent. Technology is forever evolving and we believe our partners have proved this, especially in this economic climate, with their expertise and commitment,” he says.

Lowes says that if you enter the Awards, you are one step closer to ensuring all channel players will reap the rewards of better business performance in future -- getting your team together to enter, learning about your own and your company’s strengths in the process.

“By entering the CRN awards, you not only raise the profile of your company but also the morale of your employees, who are the backbone of any organisation. Our slogan, Look What You Can Do, is a philosophy we pass onto our channel partners to show the industry what they are capable of.”

There are 19 categories to enter, the three Reseller, Distributor and Vendor of the Year Awards, and two Editor’s Choice awards chosen personally by Sara Yirrell, editor of CRN. Vendors and distributors can enter for the Systems, Networking, Software, Storage, Security or Specialist gongs – with a new prize for Audiovisual Distributor of the Year intended to recognise the British IT channel’s increasing forays into things audiovisual.

The reseller categories in particular have been restructured, with resellers and other services or solution providers able to choose from Enterprise, Mid-Market, SME, Services, Specialist, and Converged prizes.

Yirrell says the entries have been flooding in already, but she is sure that some real winners are holding back so far.

“I cannot stress too much the fact that, unlike in previous years, there really will be no deadline extension this year. You must get your entries in on time, and while we do not want anyone deserving to miss out on getting into this year’s competition, we really mean it about the deadline,” she says. “There will not be a second chance.”

She adds that it won’t be about voting this year but about the quality of your entry first and foremost. Full details are available online at www.channelawards.net , and there are categories that suit everyone – from vendors, to distributors, resellers and services providers. The judging panel will scrutinise every entry, with a second layer of judging introduced to vet the final decision.

Oki, and fellow sponsors HP, Computerlinks, LG, Comms-care, and Intel have put their hands in their pockets to ensure the 17th annual Channel Awards ceremony at Battersea Evolution will once again prove a glittering night, complete with after-party.

Tables are available for purchase through CRN’s events team – please contact James Cooper is 020 7968 4529 or email him directly.

Get in to win at Channel Awards>> www.channelweb.co.uk/2263082