|
Press Releases
Voting Opens for NICHE Magazine's 2008 Top Retailer Awards
Baltimore, Md. (February 28, 2008)—Artists across the U.S. and Canada will be casting their nominations this month for NICHE magazine’s 2008 Top Retailer Awards.
Artists can nominate retailers and other arts organizations for the award by visiting www.AmericanCraft.com, where they can vote online or download a paper ballot to mail in. Voting opened February 15, 2008, and will close March 31, 2008. All American craft retailers are eligible for this prestigious award.
The Top Retailer Awards recognize craft galleries and retailers, arts nonprofits, museums and guilds for growing and strengthening the American craft community.
Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on Sunday, August 3, 2008, during the summer Buyers Market of American Craft, August 2-4, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, Pa. Award categories are:
- Retailer of the Year
- Top Retailer (24 winners)
- Best Arts Nonprofit
- Best Merchandising
- Best Customer Newsletter (print or electronic)
- Best Advertising Campaign
- Best New Store (less than five years old)
- Best Museum Store
- Best Guild Store
- Best Website/Online Marketing
- Best In-Store Event (exhibition, trunk show, demonstration, etc.)
Winners in each category will be featured in the Autumn 2008 issue of NICHE magazine.
NICHE magazine asks craft artists from across the United States and Canada to nominate up to five galleries for the Top Retailer Awards, and at least one retailer, arts nonprofit, museum or guild for any of the special categories.
Nominations are based on the criteria outlined in NICHE magazine's Retailers’ Guide to Best Practices. The guide details the characteristics of craft retailers who are committed to fair business practices. The Retailers’ Guide to Best Practices may be viewed or downloaded at www.AmericanCraft.com.
When voting closes, nominated retailers will receive a Retailer Application, which must be completed and returned in order to advance to the judging stage of the competition. A panel of independent judges, made up of prominent members of the craft community, will review and score each retailer application. The retailer with the highest score in each category will be named the winner. Judges will be announced in the coming weeks.
###
|
