Agency Showcase - 10th Anniversary

Agency Showcase - 10th Anniversary
Agency Showcase is celebrating 10 years! Taking place at the annual Soaring to New Heights Conference, Agency Showcase is a spirited competition spotlighting bright ideas exhibited by park, recreation, and conservation agencies. This competition recognizes Illinois agencies for their marketing and communication efforts ranging from print to multimedia. To commemorate its 10th anniversary, this year's competition will include two divisions comprised of 14 traditional categories and 2 anniversary categories in which to enter. The Overall Showcase and Individual Categories Divisions are professionally judged, while both anniversary categories will be judged by a panel of executive directors, board members, and distinguished industry professionals. Come join in the fun and showcase your agency to industry professionals throughout Illinois!

General Entry Rules: Each agency is responsible for bringing their entries to conference and setting them up. All entries must have been created during the 2019 calendar year. Label your entry with your District's name. If entries are double-sided, mount both sides on black foam board. All descriptions should be 12-point font, legible font. Requirements for each category's description content can be found in the specific guidelines for that category. The description is your opportunity to provide background on your agency, including if you have in-house work, contracted work, etc.

Agency Showcase Division: Entries must have two copies for each category in which you enter - one to be integrated in the display and the other mounted for individual categories. Displays must be set up in Columbus A-B, East Tower, Gold Level by 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, January 23, 2020. Displays must be removed between 4:00-5:00 p.m. on Friday, January 24, 2020. Agencies that do not remove their displays will be charged a $50 clean up fee. Displays are not to be removed prior to the scheduled pick-up time.

Individual Categories Division: Entries must have one copy for each category in which you enter. Table-top easels are not allowed - all submissions must lay flat on the tables. Displays must be set up in Columbus A-B, East Tower, Gold Level by 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, January 23, 2020. Displays must be removed between 4:00-5:00 p.m. on Friday, January 24, 2020. Agencies that do not remove their displays will be charged a $50 clean up fee. Displays are not to be removed prior to the scheduled pick-up time.

Anniversary Categories: Participants must be registered for the Overall Agency Showcase or Individual Categories Division to be eligible for the anniversary categories. There is an additional $15 fee for each anniversary category. Table-top easels are not allowed - all submissions must lay flat on the tables. Displays must be set up in Columbus A-B, East Tower, Gold Level by 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, January 23, 2020. Displays must be removed between 4:00-5:00 p.m. on Friday, January 24, 2020. Agencies that do not remove their displays will be charged a $50 clean up fee. Displays are not to be removed prior to the scheduled pick-up time.

Awards and Recognition: Friday, January 24, 2020, notification will be displayed on the outstanding submission for each category. All entries will be on display in Columbus A-B, East Tower, Gold Level until 4:00 p.m. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place Overall Agency Showcase winners and the outstanding submission winners for each category will be presented during the C&M Section Meeting on Thursday, January 23, 2020, at 5:15 p.m. The winners of the People's Choice Award / Best in Show will be announced during the IAPD Annual Business Meeting on Saturday, January 25, 2020, at 3:30 p.m.

Informational Webinar: On November 5th, 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., Agency Showcase Committee Chair Jessica Cannaday of the Community Park District of LaGrange Park covered all of the competition changes, tips and tricks, and highlights for this year's 10-year anniversary celebration. If you missed the live webinar, CLICK HERE to access the recording.

Judging: If you know a professional outside the parks and recreation field who works in print, web, photography, or other related disciplines, let us know! Volunteering as a judge for Agency Showcase provides professionals with a great opportunity to network, receive free admission to educational sessions, and access to the conference exhibit hall. To apply to be an Agency Showcase judge for the 2020 conference, click here . Note: Park and recreation professionals, board members, or others affiliated with your agency are not eligible to be judges. 

To Register: Login to your IPRA account, then select "Register Myself". If you do not have one, create an account, then register for the event. After selecting your Division, you'll be prompted to answer three (3) questions specific to your registration and select the categories that you wish to correspond with your entry.

      Division                                                       Fee                           # of Categories  
      Overall Agency Showcase Division     $175.00          8 (of choice)  
      Individual Categories Division     $95.00          4 (of choice)  
       
      Anniversary Categories     Fee         # of Entries  
      Anniversary Celebrations      $15.00                  1  
      Retro Brochures     $15.00                  1  

Cancellations: Refunds will be issued to requests received on or before December 20, 2019, less a 20% administrative fee (capped at $25). No refunds will be issued after December 20, 2019.

CEUs: Event is not approved for CEUs (Continuing Education Units are for CPRE and CPRP certification).

Questions: Contact Agency Showcase Chair Jessica Cannaday at [email protected]. 
When
1/23/2020 8:00 AM - 1/24/2020 4:00 PM
Where
Hyatt Regency Chicago Columbus A-B, East Tower, Gold Level 151 East Upper Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60601 UNITED STATES

Program


Thursday, 23 January 2020

Description
Overall Agency Showcase
What to Enter: The Overall Agency Showcase competition includes the scores from your individual submissions plus a table-top display. Your display must integrate all eight of your Agency Showcase entries. The display should showcase how each entry works together to represent the agency. You also may include other marketing pieces for this display but please note these pieces will not be judged.
Time
1/23/2020 8:00 AM - 1/24/2020 4:00 PM
1/23/2020 8:00 AM

Anniversary Category: Anniversary Celebrations
Park and Recreation anniversaries are meant to be celebrated! Whether you just partied like it was 1999 or have executed a special centennial celebration, enter your favorite moments from your anniversary.
Time
1/23/2020 8:00 AM - 1/24/2020 4:00 PM
1/23/2020 8:00 AM

Anniversary Category: Retro Brochures
Seasonal brochures are the most widely utilized and recognizable marketing tool of park, recreation, and conservation agencies. Celebrate the progress of communications and marketing (and technology) by submitting your agency's best "retro" brochure!
Time
1/23/2020 8:00 AM - 1/24/2020 4:00 PM
1/23/2020 8:00 AM

Brochure Series
What to Enter: brochures created for the 2019 brochure year (including camp or other specialty brochures, if applicable).
Time
1/23/2020 8:00 AM - 1/24/2020 4:00 PM
1/23/2020 8:00 AM

Integrated Photography
What to Enter: One printout of a marketing piece that utilizes photography along with the original photo that is integrated into the design (size does not matter). Marketing pieces include but are not limited to print advertisements, posters, fliers, brochures, logos, etc. Marketing materials that integrated manipulated or edited photos are also welcome. Photo may be taken during years prior, however, marketing piece must be created in 2019.
Time
1/23/2020 8:00 AM - 1/24/2020 4:00 PM
1/23/2020 8:00 AM

Large Format Marketing
What to Enter: one large-format marketing piece created during the 2019 calendar year. This includes but is not limited to billboards, bus wraps, murals, banners, and/or large 3D displays. Original must be 24" x 36" or larger in actual size.
Time
1/23/2020 8:00 AM - 1/24/2020 4:00 PM
1/23/2020 8:00 AM

Logo Design
What to Enter: one logo created or updated during the 2019 calendar year.
Time
1/23/2020 8:00 AM - 1/24/2020 4:00 PM
1/23/2020 8:00 AM

Marketing Campaign
What to Enter: marketing campaign collateral created and executed during the 2019 calendar year. Entries must include a minimum of five marketing pieces that were utilized in a marketing campaign. The two fundamental themes of repetition/exposure and measurement/quantifiable results should be considered.
Time
1/23/2020 8:00 AM - 1/24/2020 4:00 PM
1/23/2020 8:00 AM

Paid Advertisement
What to Enter: one paid advertisement that ran during the 2019 calendar year. Ads may have been placed in any media outlet including but not limited to print, web, radio, social media, or TV.
Time
1/23/2020 8:00 AM - 1/24/2020 4:00 PM
1/23/2020 8:00 AM

Print Communication - Informational
What to Enter: one printed communication piece that was created during the 2019 calendar year. Entries may include but are not limited to posters, post cards, newsletters, fliers, annual reports, booklets, and pamphlets. Multi-page documents are not required to be mounted. Seasonal brochures are not accepted in this category. The intent of pieces submitted in this category must be informational in nature, designed to increase public education.
Time
1/23/2020 8:00 AM - 1/24/2020 4:00 PM
1/23/2020 8:00 AM

Print Communication - Promotional
What to Enter: one printed communication piece that was created during the 2019 calendar year. Entries may include but are not limited to posters, post cards, newsletters, fliers, and pamphlets. Multi-page documents are not required to be mounted. Seasonal brochures and annual reports are not accepted in this category. The intent of pieces submitted in this category must be promotional in nature and contain clear call to action.
Time
1/23/2020 8:00 AM - 1/24/2020 4:00 PM
1/23/2020 8:00 AM

Promotional Item
What to Enter: one promotional item created by your agency in the 2019 year which was used to market your agency brand or a special event/facility (t-shirt, frisbee, fan, etc). The item must be less than $15 per piece in value and your district must have purchased at least 50 of the items to be distributed for the purpose of promotional marketing. Items must have been given out for free, not for individual resale.
Time
1/23/2020 8:00 AM - 1/24/2020 4:00 PM
1/23/2020 8:00 AM

Public Relations
What to Enter: a minimum of one and maximum of four media releases for one campaign that generated media coverage in the 2019 calendar year. Media coverage includes print, radio, TV, and online outlets. Submissions may include, but are not limited to press releases, photo releases, feature stories, radio shows, and columns; advertisements are not acceptable.
Time
1/23/2020 8:00 AM - 1/24/2020 4:00 PM
1/23/2020 8:00 AM

Social Media Campaign
What to Enter: a minimum of one and a maximum of four social media outlets utilized for a specific campaign executed during the 2019 calendar year. Incorporation of paid social content may be included in this category.
Time
1/23/2020 8:00 AM - 1/24/2020 4:00 PM
1/23/2020 8:00 AM

Video - Long Form
What to Enter: one video produced and disseminated during the 2019 calendar year. Long form videos should be longer than two minutes. This category includes original video documentaries, informational videos, or other video production content that was publicly viewed and/or featured on television, YouTube, website, or social media. Pre-existing .GIF or videos that are linked from other sources are not eligible. Video commercials created for NRPA Gold Medal awards are not eligible. For videos longer than two minutes, you are required to indicate specific time stamps for judges to review.
Time
1/23/2020 8:00 AM - 1/24/2020 4:00 PM
1/23/2020 8:00 AM

Video - Short Form
What to Enter: One video produced and disseminated during the 2019 calendar year. Short form videos should be at least 15 seconds, but no longer than two minutes. This category includes original videos that were featured on television, YouTube, website, or social media. Pre-existing .GIF or videos that are linked from other sources are not eligible. Video commercials created for NRPA Gold Medal awards are not eligible.
Time
1/23/2020 8:00 AM - 1/24/2020 4:00 PM
1/23/2020 8:00 AM

Website
What to Enter: a website maintained by or for any entity of your agency. Websites do not have to be developed or launched in 2019.
Time
1/23/2020 8:00 AM - 1/24/2020 4:00 PM
1/23/2020 8:00 AM

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