Wayne Gretzky has been famously quoted for saying “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.” And that is a theory that can really be applied to any area of your life. But, let’s go ahead and apply that sage wisdom to entering your projects into an awards program. You certainly can’t win if you don’t enter…
Hopefully it isn’t a hard sell to see why winning an award would be a benefit to your company, but just in case you don’t want to take CEDIA’s word for it, we’ll let some of our past award winners tell you how their CEDIA Award enhances their business.
The global winners of the 2016 CEDIA Awards were Zene Private Theater, Beijing, China (Best Home Theater); Look & Listen, Queensland, Australia (Best Integrated Home), Audio Images, Tustin, CA (Best Media Room).
“The awards we have won and projects that have been recognized are displayed in our office. It provides credibility and communicates with potential clients and industry partners that Cantara is doing award-winning work,” said Jason Voorhes, president of Cantara in Costa Mesa, CA.
Ian Williams, as president of Encore Custom Audio Video in Chantilly, VA, won several CEDIA Awards (he recently sold his company and works for Casaplex.) “We used the awards as a way to show future, current, and past clients that our standards are of the very highest level. Our peers and colleagues judge CEDIA projects, and this gives us an advantage when we are able to showcase over 10 CEDIA Awards in our showroom. It says to most that we are here to take your project seriously, and that we are willing to go the extra mile to ensure that this project gets finished correctly and held to very high standards.”
The good news for you is the CEDIA Awards are easier than ever to enter, and bonus is that it is now free for any CEDIA home technology professional to enter a project. So what are you waiting for?
Starting the awards process may seem a bit intimidating, so follow these tips to get your project in the running for a 2017 CEDIA Award.
1 Use The Cedia Recommended Practice Documents
Where a CEDIA Recommended Practice Document exists, the judges will use those guidelines as the basis of the engineering part of the judging process. See the list of available recommended practice documents.
2 Photography Is Important
Well-composed, high-resolution photography helps judges evaluate your entry from an engineering perspective as well as aesthetically and ergonomically. It is also required for the presentation of finalists and winners and all of the marketing and PR opportunities that follow.
3 But Looks Aren’t Everything
It’s not just how the project looks aesthetically; it’s the technical excellence that makes it count. Submit detailed engineering drawings, calculations, and system specifications along with excellent photography.
4 Keep The System Description Concise
Written descriptions should be well structured and concise, and should concentrate on what makes the system unique. Describe how the project met specific client needs and highlight any innovation or challenges that were overcome.
5 Custom Integration Is What We Do
The judges will look favorably upon projects that demonstrate the custom nature of our industry. Focus on demonstrating high levels of integration, custom solutions, and powerful and intuitive user interfaces.
6 There Is No Need To Showboat
A more expensive project does not necessarily have a greater chance of winning. The judges look very favorably upon solutions that meet or exceed the client’s needs within a strict budget.
7 Be The Judge
When you have finished, try to place yourself in the judges’ shoes and review your entry with a critical eye. What would you want to know about your project that would make it stand out among the entries?
Visit CEDIA.net/Awards to learn more about this year’s entry categories or to start your entry. This could be your year.
