Entry Preparation Details

If you're interested in submitting an entry for the 2010 PACE Awards, please download, fill out and submit the entry form.

Deadline for receipt of entries is 5 p.m. on Friday, February 26, 2010. No extensions will be granted.

• Entries may be hand delivered to Danielle Brehmer, 3rd Floor Marketing Department (entries will not be accepted in the Member Services areas)
  
• Entries may be mailed to Danielle Brehmer. 

At least some of the program must have occurred in 2009 (between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009). Programs tend to have better chances of winning near their completion, when evaluation against initial objectives can be better determined. 

Choose the most appropriate category. It is possible that an entry could be appropriate for more than one category. In deciding which category is most appropriate, entrants should examine program objectives and target audiences. 

No program can be entered in more than one PACE Awards category. Judges will not move entries to other categories and can disqualify entries if they are entered into obviously incorrect categories. 

A preview of the judge's scoring criteria sheet is available for your use.

How to Prepare Your PACE Awards "Campaign" Entry

[Sample Winning Entry]

Campaign entries must be limited to one hardcover, stiff-spine, three-ring binder no more than three inches thick. Pages should be no larger than 8-1/2 inches by 11 inches. The binder should be free of lettering, labels, drawings or other artwork. Entries will be penalized if the binders exceed this size or have ornamentation.

A concise summary no longer than two typewritten pages (10-point font or greater) must be included in the front of the binder. Each of the four criteria (research, planning, execution and evaluation) must be addressed.

Each of these four criteria must be supported with more detailed information in tabbed sections behind the two-page summary. The entry will be eliminated if a summary is not included or exceeds the maximum two-page length.

A CD/DVD no longer than five minutes may accompany your entry, along with the two-page summary and supporting documentation in the binder.

Your binder should include any supporting materials referred to in the two-page summary. For example, if you refer to a public relations planning document, a copy of the plan should be included in the binder. Other examples of supporting materials would be clippings, reports, letters, pictures and samples of tactical materials.

On PC-formatted CD, submit 2 electronic images (JPEG format less than 300K) and a (100-word max) description of your campaign entry. If you submit multiple entries, they may be on the same disk/CD. Text should be compatible with Microsoft Word. If the entry receives an award, these items will be used at the awards presentation lunch.

Enclose a check or money order payable to CMPRSA in the amount of $60 per member, $75 per non-member for each campaign entry. Visa, MasterCard and American Express are also accepted. Entry fees are not refundable.

Deadline for receipt of entries is 5 p.m. on Friday, February 26, 2010. No extensions will be granted.

How To Prepare Your Two-page Campaign Summaries

The summary is perhaps the single most important component of the PACE Awards campaign entry. Judges will evaluate the program/tactic on the merit of four criteria: research, planning, execution and evaluation.

The summary should be typed using no smaller than a 10-point typeface and one-inch margins.

Research
Analyze or describe the situation on which the program is based. When addressing the actual research component, describe who specifically initiated the research. Was it in response to a problem or to examine a potential problem? Did research help to re-define the situation in any way? How was the research relevant to shaping the planning process? How did the research help define the audience(s) or the situation?

Planning
How do the plans correlate to the research findings? Who was involved in the planning? In general terms, what was the plan? For example, what were the specific objectives of the program? Who were the target audiences? What was the overall strategy employed? What materials were used? What was your budget?

Execution
How were the plans executed and what were the results? In general terms, how did the activities flow? Were there any difficulties encountered? If so, how were they handled? Were other organizations involved? Were other non-traditional public relations tactics (i.e., advertising) employed? Please note: unless you are entering this program under "Integrated Communications," advertising costs, under most circumstances, should not exceed one third of the budget.

Evaluation
What method(s) of evaluation were used? How are results related to research findings? How are results related to strategic objectives? (Note: Media circulation figures are not acceptable as the only means of quantitative measurement.)

How to Prepare Your PACE Awards "Tactic" Entry

• Develop a concise summary, no longer than a single page, which should include objectives, audiences, budget and, if applicable, results. Also, consider any specific information requested in the individual category. (For instance, unless indicated, results need not be provided.)
• Enclose a copy of the entry (tactic as requested in the individual category).

On PC-formatted CD, submit 2 electronic images (JPEG format less than 300K) and a 50-word description of your tactic entry. If you submit multiple entries, they may be on the same disk/CD. Text should be compatible with Microsoft Word. If the entry receives an award, these items will be used at the awards presentation lunch.

Enclose a check or money order payable to CMPRSA in the amount of $40 per member, $55 per non-member for each tactic entry. Visa, MasterCard and American Express are also accepted. Entry fees are not refundable.

For more information, contact James Roney or Kate Koltvedt.