The Insurance Marketing & Communications Association (IMCA) announced its 2017 Showcase Awards program is open for submission through March 31, 2017. This is the 59th annual rendition of IMCA’s prestigious awards competition.
“IMCA’s Showcase Awards have been celebrating excellence in insurance marketing and communications for nearly 60 years,” said Anna Hargis, director of advertising at Shelter Insurance, and chair of the IMCA board of directors. “Every year, I am amazed by the innovative and effective ideas submitted to our awards program.”
“This is considered the premier awards program in the insurance industry,” said Mark Friedlander, head of corporate communications at The Main Street America Group and immediate past board chair of IMCA. “It is a great honor to win a Showcase Award. Main Street America has earned several over the past decade and we proudly display all of them at our corporate headquarters.”
Award categories range from Corporate Social Responsibility to interactive employee communications to annual reports to social media. The awards are open to IMCA members and non-members. This includes insurance agencies, carriers, graphic design firms, advertising agencies and other organizations that support the insurance industry.
All entries receive feedback from a panel of judges to help improve the effectiveness of future marketing and communications efforts. “Early-Bird” entry fees for the 2017 competition are $100 per entry for members and $250 per entry for non-members for any entries that are completed by March 10, 2017. Fees increase to $125 for members and $275 for non-member for entries completed by March 24 and then top out at $150 for members and $300 for non-members for entries completed by the final deadline of March 31, 2017.
All entries that win an Award of Excellence or Best of Show award in one of the 33 categories are eligible for the prestigious SAMMY Award, which is the “Special Award from Members,” voted on by 2017 IMCA Annual Conference attendees using an online voting gallery. Winners are also invited to create a display at the 2017 IMCA Annual Conference, for a chance to receive a new award for 2017 - the TaDa! Award.
All 2017 IMCA Showcase Award winners will receive their awards during a formal presentation 2017 IMCA Showcase Gala on June 27, 2017 at The McCormick Ranch Resort in Scottsdale, Ariz.
There are four types of awards that will be presented this year:
Award of Excellence: Presented to as many as two qualified winners in each category, assuming an overall minimum score has been met (based on total number of entries in the category).
Best of Show: Awarded to one entry in each category receiving the highest score, assuming the threshold scores are met.
SAMMY Award: Awarded to the entry voted to be the best overall work among all 2017 Showcase Awards entries that will be winning either a Best of Show or Award of Excellence. Attendees registered for the 2017 IMCA Annual Conference are eligible to cast one vote for their choice of the SAMMY Award using an online gallery.
TaDa! Award – New for 2017! Anyone who qualifies for the SAMMY Award is invited to create a display to be showcased onsite during IMCA’s 2017 Annual Conference. Displays will be reviewed and voted on by attendees during the conference. The winner will receive the TaDa! Award (Tabletop, At-conference Display Award).
More detailed information about the IMCA Showcase Awards entry guidelines, requirements, categories and judging criteria are available via the IMCA website. Questions can be directed to the IMCA management office at (952) 928-4644 or via email at info@imcanet.com.
About the Insurance Marketing & Communications Association
IMCA (www.imcanet.com) is the oldest association for insurance marketing and communications professionals in North America with roots tracing back to 1921. Membership includes leading international and domestic multiline insurance companies and brokerage firms, regional and specialty companies, general agencies, and prominent industry suppliers. The organization represents over 120 companies, including the industry’s top five property/casualty writers. Members include senior level management and professional staff working in the areas of corporate communications, advertising, public relations, marketing communications, marketing and sales promotion, marketing research and technology.