The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) last week launched its Local Brewing Business Awards, with the Morning Advertiser as lead media partner. The awards are designed to demonstrate the UK's local brewers' professionalism, innovation and commitment to increasing commercial results for their own operations and those of their customers. This new competition will be a celebration of the UK's local brewing industry.
As a pub or supplier to the local brewing industry you will be able to nominate a local brewer for the awards, although it will be down to the brewer to enter. If you are a brewer and you are not nominated don't worry - the only condition for entry is that you are a member of SIBA.
There will be one winner in each of the eight SIBA Local Brewing Business Awards categories and each winner will receive an engraved trophy to be presented at a prestigious celebratory evening in the autumn to which industry leaders and professionals, sponsors, customers and suppliers will also be invited.
In addition to the individual categories there will be an overall winner as a special judges' award will recognise the greatest contribution to creativity, innovation, and commitment to excellence.
A brewer's entry to each award category should highlight one element of the brewery's operation. The local brewer will be free to enter as many categories as they wish.
The entry should show clear evidence of measurable success that is the result of the initiative described. And the initiative can relate to any eligible area of the business that is supported by an award category.
Don't worry about the size of your business or the type of initiative you are putting forward. If it relates to an award category each entry will be judged on its merits. Examples of initiatives for categories are given below - you should not see these examples as exhaustive.
AWARD CATEGORIES
- Best support for an on-trade customer (e.g. customer service, cellar management training)
Best new launch (e.g. new brewery start-up less than 18 months old or a product new to an existing brewery less than 18 months old)
Best promotion initiative (e.g. point of sale material including pump clip, sales promotion to trade or consumer, exploitation of brewing award)
Best use of electronic media (e.g. website; e-commerce initiative)
Best PR initiative (e.g. newsletter, media coverage)
Best innovation (e.g. brewing process, quality initiative)
Best support for an off-trade customer (e.g. customer service, promotion)
Best packaging initiative (e.g. bottle label, bottle design)
Entry forms can be downloaded as an Adobe Acrobat pdf* file from http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/pdf/lbba_entry_form.pdf, please print out, complete and send to:
SIBA Local Brewing Business Awards 2006PO Box 101ThirskNorth YorkshireYO7 4WA
Completed entry forms and any supporting material must be received by SIBA by 5pm on 30 September 2006.
But don't wait until nearer the closing date - get your entry in as soon as possible.
The Morning Advertiser and SIBA wish all entrants the best of luck!
*Adobe Acrobat is a free program for web published documents, you can download and install a copy by clicking here and following the instructions.