(11/15/16)

By Kim Nix, Alabama Department of Conservation & Natural Resources

After extensive research, the ACI board voted to purchase the use of an online platform for the next awards contest. What exactly does this mean? In short, it means no physical paperwork to fill out and no relying on the U.S. Postal Service or costly overnight delivery services to send in your entries. To help offset the cost of the online system, the awards entry fee will be raised from $30 to $40.

When the contest is announced in January, you will be directed to a website where each entry is created and submitted electronically. Because the system is paperless, you will have to either upload PDFs or provide a URL for the judges to evaluate the project online.

Awards Coordinator Julie Hammonds has been working with omniCONTESTS to create the platform and has put in many hours to make sure it works seamlessly. She’s also had the help of several members who volunteered to test the system, so I want to thank everyone who has participated in this process.

With a couple of exceptions, the contest categories will stay the same. We’re bringing back the Television PSA category and splitting Graphics into two categories: one for less complicated items like logos, and the other for more complicated layouts.

To enter the contest, your agency must be a member in good standing, which means your dues must be paid by Dec. 31, 2016. I don’t want you to miss out on entering just because someone forgot to pay the dues, so check with Treasurer Judy Stokes if you have any question about whether your agency is a member in good standing.

The next awards contest will evaluate projects that were completed in 2016, so start thinking about what your agency has done during the year that is worthy of recognition.

As we say goodbye to 2016, I wish each of you a happy holiday season. 2017 brings a new year, and with it a new contest and a significant step forward for ACI.