Distributor category criteria

A full rundown of the criteria for this year's Distribution categories - please note the newly added 'Distributor of the Year - sub £100m' category.

CRN Staff
24 April 2017

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Distributor Awards

Award Name Cloud Distributor of the Year

Eligibility Is this the Award for you?

Distributor Awards

The Distributor Awards will recognise the overall service and support provided to reseller and vendor partners in that area of the market, taking into account product focus and choice, availability and distribution services, pre- and post-sales support, market development assistance and online capabilities.

Cloud Distributor of the Year

Open to distributors that have developed a dedicated cloud business either for one particular vendor, or a growing stable of vendors, and are helping resellers either get into cloud services, or further develop their cloud offerings. The ability to aggregate multiple cloud solutions and simplify the confusion surrounding the amount of cloud technology in the market, will also be taken into account. Entrants must prove that they have assisted their reseller and vendor partners to build a profitable business in 2017, and are really adding value around cloud services.

Entry Criteria: Your entry should be based around the following criteria, which is what the judges will be using as a basis to score each entry. Please do not address each point separately and just base the entry on these points alone -try to add some colour/personality and just incorporate them into your entry as you see fit. Also bear in mind that the judges are accepting PDF or multi-media entries, but at the very least please make sure your entries that are easy to read and digest if in plain text format.

Outline why you are entering this category and provide stats and figures to describe the size of your business in this category - ie turnover and growth, and any investment made in this area of your business over the past 12 months.
Provide evidence of the value provided to both your reseller partners and your vendor partners over the past year - use stats and growth figures to back up points. Why does your business stand out from the competition in this category? What successful campaigns have you run (using MDF) that has borne fruit for both your reseller and vendor partners?
Outline any particular cloud-focused initiatives that you have launched or that you run/develop each year which helps resellers maximise sales and keep their customers happy, but which also appeals to your vendor partners. This can include licensing, credit facilities, support, training, logistics and of course, events.
Do you have examples of outstanding service provision from your teams in this area that show real value-add? How have they overcome any challenges? How do they operate?
Pick a particularly successful reseller or vendor case study demonstrating where you have helped them grow their business/grow their channel presence, supported by figures and testimonials from the chosen partner.

Entries are actively encouraged to include hard facts and figures - all of which will be kept strictly confidential and used for judging purposes only. All campaigns and initiatives must have been new or further developed in 2017 to qualify. Distributors are actively encouraged to enter for more than one award if they so wish, and if the category is relevant to their business. But every entry MUST be different.

Maximum word count: 1,200.
Please read the criteria before submitting your entry. Relevant partner testimonials and supporting materials are welcome but must not exceed the 1,200 maximum word count.

Award Name CyberSecurity Distributor of the Year - RENAMED

Eligibility Is this the Award for you?

Distributor Awards

The Distributor Awards will recognise the overall service and support provided to resellers in that area of the market, taking into account product focus and choice, availability and distribution services, pre- and post-sales support, market development assistance and online capabilities.

Cybersecurity Distributor of the Year

The category is aimed at distributors offering cybersecurity solutions, including hardware, software or peripherals within the cybersecurity arena. Entrants must prove how they have assisted their reseller and vendor partners to build a profitable business in 2017. Entrants can either be fully dedicated to cybersecurity, or have a cybersecurity division within their overall business.

Outline why you are entering this category and provide stats and figures to describe the size of your business in this category - ie turnover and growth and any investment made in this area of your cybersecurity business over the past 12 months.
Provide evidence of the value provided to both your reseller partners and your vendor partners over the past year - use stats and growth figures to back up points. Why does your business stand out from the competition in this category? What successful campaigns have you run (using MDF) that has borne fruit for both your reseller and vendor partners?
Outline any particular cybersecurity focused initiatives that you have launched or that you run/develop each year which helps resellers maximise sales and keep their customers happy, but which also appeals to your vendor partners. This can include licensing, credit facilities, support, training, logistics and of course, events.
Do you have examples of outstanding service provision from your teams in this area that show real value-add? How have they overcome any challenges? How do they operate?
Pick a particularly successful reseller or vendor case study demonstrating where you have helped them grow their business/grow their channel presence, supported by figures and testimonials from the chosen partner.

Award Name Storage Distributor of the Year

Eligibility Is this the Award for you?

Distributor Awards

Storage Distributor of the Year

The award is open to all distributors that operate within the storage marketplace, be that software, hardware or peripherals or even cloud-based/datacentre storage. Distributors must show how they have helped reseller and vendor partners grow and maintain profitable business in 2016. Entrants can be fully dedicated to storage, or have a storage division within their overall business.

Outline why you are entering this category and provide stats and figures to describe the size of your business in this category - ie turnover and growth, and any investment made in this area of your storage business over the past 12 months.
Provide evidence of the value provided to both your reseller partners and your vendor partners over the past year - use stats and growth figures to back up points. Why does your business stand out from the competition in this category? What successful campaigns have you run (using MDF) that has borne fruit for both your reseller and vendor partners?
Outline any particular storage-focused initiatives that you have launched or that you run/develop each year which helps resellers maximise sales and keep their customers happy, but which also appeals to your vendor partners. This can include licensing, credit facilities, support, training and logistics.
Do you have examples of outstanding service provision from your teams in this area that show real value-add? How have they overcome any challenges? How do they operate?
Pick a particularly successful reseller or vendor case study demonstrating where you have helped them grow their business/grow their channel presence, supported by figures and testimonials from the chosen partner.

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Award Name Specialist Distributor of the Year

Eligibility Is this the Award for you?

Distributor Awards

Specialist Distributor of the Year

The category is open to distributors that are focused on a ‘specialist' area of the market that often gets ignored - such as specific product sets, product areas and skills. Any distributor that considers itself a true ‘specialist' can enter - (50 per cent or more of their business is dedicated to this particular specialism), and must show how it has helped its resellers to develop and grow profitable business in 2017.

*DISCLAIMER NOTE: Companies that the judges consider too broadline or not specialist enough, or eligible to enter the other distribution categories, may not be shortlisted and could be moved to different categories at the judges' request.

Outline why you are entering this category and convince the judges why you should be considered as a specialist distributor in your chosen field - provide stats and figures to describe the size of your specialist business, and why you fit into this category rather than the other categories on offer.
Provide evidence of the value provided to both your reseller partners and your vendor partners over the past year - use stats and growth figures to back up points. Why does your business stand out from the competition in this category? What successful campaigns have you run (using MDF) that has borne fruit for both your reseller and vendor partners?
Outline any particular initiatives that you have launched or that you run/develop each year which helps resellers maximise sales and keep their customers happy, but which also appeals to your vendor partners. This can include licensing, credit facilities, support, training and logistics.
Do you have examples of outstanding service provision from your teams in this area that show real value add? How have they overcome any challenges? How do they operate?
Pick a particularly successful reseller or vendor case study demonstrating where you have helped them grow their business/grow their channel presence, supported by figures and testimonials from the chosen partner.

Award Name Emerging Technology Distributor of the Year

Eligibility Is this the Award for you?

Distributor Awards

Emerging Technology Distributor of the Year

Please do not make this a very technical/technology-based entry - the purpose is to identify a distributor that is outstanding in the field at recognising new technology and openly promoting it to the channel. Those distributors that class themselves as true incubators of technology that is new and disruptive to market. The ability to identify new technology trends and harness them to benefit their business and that of their partners will also be taken into account. Entrants must prove that they have assisted their reseller and vendor partners to build a profitable business in 2017 using this technology.

Outline why you are entering this category and why your business is classed as a technology incubator. Feel free to provide some examples of the technology that you have brought to market in the past year.
Describe how that technology has been helped by you to be a success in the UK market. Were you the first to spot it? How did you discover the technology? Why have you invested in it? How does it fit into your portfolio? What successful campaigns have you run with the technology that has borne fruit for both your reseller and vendor partners?
Do you have examples of outstanding service provision from your teams in this area that have really helped this technology take off? How have they overcome any challenges? How do they operate?
Pick a particularly successful reseller or vendor case study demonstrating where you have helped them grow their business/grow their channel presence, supported by figures and testimonials from the chosen partner.

Entries are actively encouraged to include hard facts and figures - all of which will be kept strictly confidential and used for judging purposes only. All products and intiatives must have been new or further developed in the qualifying period of July 2016-July 2017. Distributors are actively encouraged to enter for more than one award if they so wish, and if the category is relevant to their business. But every entry MUST be different.

Award Name Innovative Project Award - RENAMED

Eligibility Is this the Award for you?

Distributor Awards

Innovative Project Award

Open to distributors who have overseen true innovation in their field over the past year - this can be the launch of a new event that has benefited its partners and customers, a new platform to aggregate technologies, a new finance scheme, the launch of a new team that has made life easier for partners or anything that can be classed as true innovation in its field. Please focus on ONE project only and tell the judges everything they need to know.

Outline why you are entering this category and why you feel your particular project deserves recognition. Please describe what the project is, why you think it is innovative, how it came about and how it works within your business.
Provide evidence of the value this particular project has provided to both your reseller partners and your vendor partners over the past year - use stats and growth figures to back up points. Why do you stand out from the competition? Have you run any particularly unusual campaigns or events to promote this specific project?
How have your internal teams contributed to this innovative project - has anyone been particularly outstanding? How have they overcome any challenges? How do they operate?
Pick a particularly successful reseller or vendor case study demonstrating where your particular innovative project has helped them grow their business/grow their channel presence, supported by figures and testimonials from the chosen partner.

Distributor of the Year Awards - two categories in 2017

As in previous years, these awards will be entered, shortlisted and then the shortlisted companies will have to present their case to a panel of judges face-to-face on Wednesday 7 October 2017 at Incisive's offices in central London.

Award Name: Distributor of the Year - sub £100m - NEW

Distributor Awards

Distributor of the Year - sub £100m turnover

This category is encouraged to give the smaller distributors a platform on which to showcase their excellence. It is open to all distributors with a TOTAL turnover of £100m or less that feel they have done a particularly outstanding job over the past 12 months to deserve this prestigious new award. Any distributor, regardless of specialisation or focus is eligible to enter this award.

Demonstrate why you feel you qualify for the Distributor of the Year (sub £100m turnover) Award, use stats and figures to back up your claims and convince the judges you deserve to win.
What has your business achieved in the past 12 months that makes it stand out from the competition? ie This can be a mix of initiatives launched to help your customers maximise their business, reorganisation of reseller/vendor facing teams, exceptional service in a difficult or challenging situation, significant expansion of the business through organic or acquisitive growth, or simply punching above your weight in terms of business offerings and most of all results. Back up all claims with stats and figures.
What has been your company's biggest achievement over the past year? Why are you proud of it, how have your people contributed to that and what extra resources did you dedicate to achieving this success?
Pick a particularly successful case study (can be either reseller partnership or vendor partnership) from the past year (using stats and figures again) and explain to the judges why it was such a success, and why you think it will help you win this award. A reseller/vendor testimonial can be used to back up the case study.

Award Name: Distributor of the Year

Distributor Awards

Distributor of the Year

This category is open to all distributors that feel they have done a particularly outstanding job over the past 12 months that deserves the top accolade at the CRN awards. Any distributor, regardless of size, specialisation or focus is eligible to enter this award. But please note the new category aimed at smaller distributors means the bigger players will be given priority.

Demonstrate why you feel you qualify for the Distributor of the Year Award, use stats and figures to back up your claims and convince the judges you deserve to win.
What has your business achieved in the past 12 months that makes it stand out from the competition? ie This can be a mix of initiatives launched to help your customers maximise their business, reorganisation of reseller/vendor facing teams, exceptional service in a difficult or challenging situation, significant expansion of the business through organic or acquisitive growth, or simply punching above your weight in terms of business offerings and most of all results. Back up all claims with stats and figures.
What has been your company's biggest achievement over the past year? Why are you proud of it, how have your people contributed to that and what extra resources did you dedicate to achieving this success?
Pick a particularly successful case study (can be either reseller partnership or vendor partnership) from the past year (using stats and figures again) and explain to the judges why it was such a success, and why you think it will help you win this award. A reseller/vendor testimonial can be used to back up the case study.