Nomination Categories
Do I have to be an IABC member to nominate someone for the Communicator of the Year or Rising Star awards?
- No, any communications or marketing professional can nominate a Saskatchewan-based peer.
Do I need to submit a specific form for the Communicator of the Year or Rising Star awards?
- No, you can submit your written nomination directly to iabcsaskatoon@gmail.com.
- For more info on what you should consider in your nomination, visit our Saskatchewan ACE Divisions and Categories page.
Submission Categories
Where can I get help to prepare my entry?
- IABC International has created How-To guides, which provide a detailed reference to the criteria used to evaluate your entry. How-To guides and other helpful documents are available on our Resources page.
- You can always preview the ACE Submission Entry Form here, for more details.
- The work plan templates for Divisions 1,2,3 and Division 4 are also available.
Can I resubmit an entry used in a previous awards program?
- Yes, if both the following two conditions apply:
- Your entry must not have won an award in the previous year’s program.
- Work on the project and/or measurement must extend into the current year.
What is the eligibility period for an entry?
- All work must have originated in Canada and be implemented, published or broadcast between Jan. 1, 2023 and the day of submission. If a long-term strategy was developed prior to Jan. 1 of the award program year, and hasn’t been entered in this competition, it is eligible for entry.
Can I submit the same entry in more than one category?
- You may submit the same entry in any category where it fits the category description. For example, if you are submitting a multimedia campaign targeted at several audiences, you may enter it in Marketing Communication, Community Relations, Multi-Audience Communication and Customer-Member Relations. You may submit elements of the campaign in different categories within Communication Skills. You must pay a separate entry fee for each category you enter and provide separate supporting documents with each entry.
Can I enter several different projects?
- You may submit as many entries as you wish. If you are entering several different projects, submit a separate entry form, work plan and work sample for each entry. A separate fee applies for each entry.
If my project was created by a team, what name do I use as the entrant’s name? How do I ensure our team receives credit for the project?
- The entrant should be the person who is principally responsible for the development, management and execution of the entry. If you want to recognize your team, submit the entry form and the work plan with your name and refer to the team, such as Jane Oliver and Team Canada. The name on the entry form must match the name on the work plan.
If a project was created by an agency and a client, who enters it?
- Either one can enter, if the entrant includes a letter of consent acknowledging the distinct roles in the project, and written permission to disclose corporate information as part of the entry requirements. If the material is proprietary, be sure to clearly indicate this on your entry and entry form. Entries that do not include this letter of permission will be disqualified.
If I’m part of an agency submitting work done for a client, is it compulsory to provide a written permission from the client?
- Yes. You need to provide an authorization letter signed by your client. The letter can be uploaded as a PDF file and can either be a letter or an email. Entries without this permission will be disqualified. A template letter is available for your use.
Can we order additional trophies for the team?
- Each entry that wins receives one trophy. However, following the awards ceremony, you may order as many additional trophies as you need.
Can students submit entries?
- A student or a group of students may submit entries. At the time the work was created, the student must have been attending school full time or part time, working toward a degree at a college, university or other educational institution. Entrants who were enrolled as a student but have professional communication experience or are employed in the communication profession must submit their entry as a professional member or non-member.
- Work produced for educational courses, a club or volunteer association, an internship, or commercial and non-commercial activities, including work for an IABC chapter or region, is eligible for submission.
- If the assignment was not fully implemented, please make note of this to the evaluators. It will not disadvantage your entry, however you must show how the program would have been evaluated, had it been implemented in practice.
- Professors, lecturers or advisers may not enter on behalf of a student.
How do I know if my entry has been received?
- You’ll receive a confirmation email from us within 48 hours of submitting your entry form, work plan and other supporting documentation. A paid entry fee is also required for a submission to be accepted. For any questions regarding your entry status, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the Saskatchewan ACE Award administrators at iabcsaskatoon@gmail.com.
How are entries judged and types of awards determined?
- Evaluators evaluate entries on a seven-point scale with zero being the lowest score and seven being the highest. An entry is considered to be competent if it scores at least four. Entries must receive 5.25-5.74 to receive a Merit award. Entries scoring at least 5.75 receive an Award of Excellence. We’ve modelled the evaluation forms after the ones used for the IABC Gold Quill and Silver Leaf Awards. See Evaluation Criteria to check out the judging forms.
How are entries scored?
- Winning entries must demonstrate that they met clearly stated objectives, show originality and demonstrate results based on measured outcomes. Evaluators consider how well a program was conceived and executed, how appropriate the chosen strategy and objectives were for the desired results, and how the outcomes are measured and achieved. For Communication Management, Communication Research Management and Communication Training and Education entries, 50 per cent of the score will be based on the work plan and 50 per cent on the work sample. For Communication Skills and student entries, 35 per cent of the score will be based on the work plan and 65 per cent on the work sample.
Do entrants receive feedback?
- For each entry submitted, entrants receive a completed evaluation form with scores and brief comments from evaluators. All evaluation forms will be emailed to entrants by early September.
What if I believe an error was made in the scoring/feedback for my entry?
- All scoring decisions made by evaluators are considered final at the time of reconciliation. If you have a dispute with the scoring or feedback for your entry please email iabcsaskatoon@gmail.com within seven business days of the scores and feedback being released by IABC. Scoring questions will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Awards Committee. No scoring review will be considered after the seven-business-day period.
How are winners notified and recognized?
- Winners will be notified in September 2024 and recognized at the IABC Saskatoon Annual General Meeting and Awards Gala.
What happens to the entries once the competition is over?
- Entries are electronic, so they will not be returned. This is also true for the Publications category for which hard copy work samples are accepted. Please do not send irreplaceable material. We are not responsible for lost or damaged entries.
Which category or division should I enter?
- For questions about specific categories and divisions, please email the Saskatchewan ACE Awards administrators. We will help you find the category and division that best fits your submission.
Do evaluators really pay attention to details such as the permitted font size and the length of the work plan?
- Yes, they do! Entrants are allowed four pages for work plans across Divisions 1-3. For Division 4, entrants must fully complete the brief entry form. Margins must be at least 0.5 inch or 1.27 centimeters on all sides using the standard paper size (8.5”x11” or A4), and fonts may be no smaller than 10 points. Work plans exceeding the maximum length will be disqualified.
I’m submitting a large campaign. How can I make sure that my entry fits the size limit? Can I submit my work sample as a microsite or e-magazine?
- Please email iabcsaskatoon@gmail.com for further instructions if your submission isn’t in Word or PDF format.
When do I pay my entry fee?
- You’ll pay the registration fee through our Eventbrite page and then you’ll be asked to submit your documentation via email. To receive the IABC member rate, the entrant must be an IABC member.
Is there a discount if I submit the same entry in multiple categories? Or if I submit multiple entries?
- There is no discount for multiple entries – each entry must pay the full applicable submission fee.
What if I need to cancel and get a refund after I submit my entry?
- Requests for refunds must be submitted in writing to IABC at iabsaskatoon@gmail.com and must be received before the final submission deadline (May 31, 2024) to be considered. No refunds will be processed after the final submission deadline.
What are the “Saskatchewan ACE” awards?
- The Saskatchewan Awards for Communication Excellence are a province-wide awards program currently run by IABC Saskatoon. They are intended to honour excellence amongst Saskatchewan communications and marketing professionals
