Guidelines for entering the IBC2012 Innovation Awards

1       The IBC Innovation Awards celebrate the partnership between technology companies and their customers: broadcasters, production companies and other end users. Each award is presented to the end user company, but the honour is shared with their technology partners who will be invited to join them on stage in recognition of the collaboration which makes for an outstanding, innovative solution.

2       Entries can be made either by the end user or by a technology supplier (or its PR agency). Because the award goes to the end user, if you are entering on behalf of a supplier it is important that you discuss it with the end user before submitting the entry.

3       A winning entry will demonstrate an innovative and imaginative solution to a real technical, creative or commercial challenge. The most important factor is to demonstrate real collaboration between user and technology partner, so a simple, low-cost system is just as likely to win as a multi-million dollar redevelopment project.

4       Projects can involve one technology supplier or bring together a large number of partners. The project can be led by a supplier or by an in-house team. There is space on the entry form for you to list the technology suppliers.

5       There are three categories: for the most innovative project in Content Creation, Content Management and Content Delivery. You will nominate which category you think your project best fits on the entry form, although the judges may move it to another category if they think it fits their vision best.

6       The Judges’s Prize is entirely in the gift of the judging panel. It may go to one of the category winners, or it may be awarded to another significant effort during the year.

7      Your entry should be for a system which has been implemented and is in routine use (or will be by 31 July 2012). The nature of innovation means that systems which have gone live more recently will naturally be more attractive to the judges. There are systems which are cumulative in their success and so will have been developed or implemented over an extended period, perhaps even years, and these entries will be welcomed.

8       Your entry will be judged on the information you provide on the entry form, so make sure this is complete and compelling. You should describe the technical, creative or business challenge faced by the user, and how the project uses innovative technology to solve it. Occasionally the judges may ask for clarification, but in general they form their opinion on what they read on the form.

9       There is space in the entry form for about 1,500 words describing the project. Please make sure this is a detailed and accurate description. Do not use brochure copy or other marketing-speak: the Judges need to know how the team collaborated to solve the challenges, how successfully the project met those challenges, and the experience of the end user. Remember this is your one chance to excite the Judges, so make sure it tells the full story.

10     As well as the complete description we ask you for a summary of the project challenges and success, in 100 words.

11     To add to your entry you may want to supply a short video which shows the project and its effectiveness. We are happy to accept videos of up to five minutes in length, either on a DVD or as a video file. Only submit videos if they add to your explanation of the project: again, generic marketing material is not appropriate and will not help your cause.

12     After the initial judging process a shortlist of entries in each category will be announced. This announcement is normally made in mid-May. If your entry is on the shortlist you will receive support from IBC to help you maximise the publicity benefits in the run-up to the convention. IBC will also invest in publicity featuring the shortlisted entries. The timescale of the IBC Innovation Awards programme is set up to ensure successful entrants get the maximum marketing benefit from it.

13     All shortlisted projects will feature in the IBC2012 Awards Ceremony, which takes place during the convention. As part of the ceremony we will need a one minute video from you which will be shown on the main screen in the Auditorium at the RAI, Amsterdam. These videos form a critical part of the ceremony, so start thinking now about how you will produce your video and how you can encapsulate the project in one minute.

14     If you are on the shortlist you may also want to supply additional video material which can be used on the IBC website, on IBC TV News and other outlets.

15     The IBC Innovation Awards are judged by an independent panel of journalists and editors, under the chairmanship of Michael Lumley. While the judging process is managed by IBC the panel remains completely independent and includes no IBC staff representative.

16     Please do not contact any member of the judging panel directly, at any stage of the judging process. If there is any inappropriate contact then it may lead to disqualification from the awards, both this year and in the future. If you have any questions about the awards and how they are judged, please contact the IBC office.

17     The IBC Innovation Awards have developed a reputation as the most prestigious in the industry, with vendors and broadcasters keenly vying for the prizes each year. 2012 could be your year – good luck with your entry.