All chapter and regional/national awards program should be using the Gold Quill Awards as their standard. It’s the best – just as your chapter program should be.
Call for entries/categories
This includes the call for entries and the exact same categories. If 26 categories seems overwhelming, don’t worry. It’s highly unlikely you’ll have entries in every category. Or, if you do, it’ll be just a few. Note: before putting out your chapter call for entries, check and see if IABC International made any adjustments or changes to the categories the year before. Keep abreast of changing trends and entrants’ feedback and make adjustments accordingly.
Judging forms
Again, using the Gold Quill model, entries from the 26 categories will fall into one of three divisions: Communications Management, Skills or Creative. The weighting of the work plan and work samples vary in each division: Management – work plan 50%; work sample 50%, Skills – work plan 40%; work sample 60%, Creative – work plan 25%; work sample 75%.
Naming your awards
Just as we’re trying to be consistent with how we represent the association’s brand in the Gold Quill program, this attention should be paid, by extension, to your chapter’s awards program. A number of region already have award program with “Silver” in the title: “Silver Leaf” or “Silver Quill” Awards. Similarly, many chapters have named their local awards the “Bronze Quill Awards.” Using “Quill” in the name helps extend the Gold Quill brand just as using “Bronze” in the name implies that a local awards program is a stepping stone to the “Gold” level. Consider this alignment when evaluating your local awards program.
Presentation
There are two parts to any awards program: the awards themselves and the presentation of the awards. Use Gold Quill as a template as to how your chapter might present its awards. It could be a gala dinner with a keynote speaker, a luncheon with each award recipient saying a few words at the podium, a cocktail reception with all the award winning entries on display – or any combination thereof. Be sure to put enough emphasis on the awards and award winners to celebrate their accomplishments and draw attention to your excellent program.