Sponsored by the International Art Materials Trade Association-NAMTA, American Artist magazine, and Hart Business Research
Be recognized at the 2010 NAMTA show and win great prizes!
Goal of Awards
The objectives of the awards are to recognize individuals and businesses that innovate in the art materials industry, encourage use of the new industry report Artists & Art Materials USA 2009, and generate thought-provoking and useful case studies for the entire industry.
Award Prizes
The sponsors will recognize the award winners and runners-up at a keynote presentation at the 2010 NAMTA show. There are two award categories, suppliers and retailers. Each category will have a winner and two runners-up. American Artist magazine has generously agreed to provide prizes to the winners: a one-year complete advertising package from American Artist magazine (value $7,500) for the supplier winner and a $1,000 cash award and one-year’s full single-store inventory of American Artist magazines and books for the retailer winner. In addition, winners and runners-up will receive award plaques and recognition at the NAMTA show and in NAMTA publications.
Who May Enter
Any current retailer or supplier member of the International Art Materials Trade Association-NAMTA may apply. Businesses may submit multiple applications as long as each application is for a different business innovation. Businesses may only enter for their own innovations. Businesses must have undertaken the innovation after October 1, 2009 and before March 15, 2010.
Examples of Business Innovations
- New product offered (supplier) or carried (retailer)
- New service (retailer) – framing, classes, gift wrapping, etc.
- Retail or online store makeover
- Supplier program to support retailers
- Marketing initiative to attract new group of customers
- Launch of e-newsletter, print newsletter, Web site, etc.
- Employee training program
- New business opened, business acquired, business partnership
- Improvement in terms with suppliers
- Special event for customers or partners
- Community initiatives to expand art participation
Judges and Award Criteria
Five or more judges will evaluate the 2010 applications: the publisher of American Artist magazine; the president of Hart Business Research; and the president, immediate vice president, and the executive director of NAMTA. The decisions of the judges are final. The judges will use four main award criteria for 2010:
- Use of information from the Artists & Art Materials USA 2009 report
- Innovativeness of business initiative
- Measurable impact of the initiative on the applicant’s business
- Usefulness of application as a case study for others
Application Rights
Each business that submits an award application thereby grants NAMTA, American Artist, and Hart Business Research non-exclusive perpetual worldwide co-ownership of that business’s application. NAMTA, American Artist, and Hart may therefore reproduce the contents of the application in any form, provided the name of the business is included.
Contact Information and Resources
Please call or e-mail Karen Brown at NAMTA, 704/892-6244, kbrown@namta.org, with any questions about the awards. The report Artists & Art Materials USA 2009 is available to NAMTA members at http://www.namta.org/marketstudies.
American Artist magazine http://www.artistdaily.com
International Art Materials Trade Association-NAMTA http://www.namta.org
Hart Business Research http://hartbusinessresearch.com
How to Apply
Prepare a Word Document with the answers to all application questions below. You may include text, graphics, photos, graphs, tables, links to online videos or Web sites, or anything else you can fit into this document, maximum of 10 mb total file size. E-mail only this document; Do not include any other attachments. NAMTA will confirm receipt of the application. Only applications where receipt was confirmed by NAMTA are considered to have applied. Email to Karen Brown at kbrown@namta.org by 11:59 pm on March 15, 2010. Winners will be announced at the NAMTA show in Indianapolis April 15-17, 2010.
Award Application Questions
Section I: Contact Information
- Name and title of person completing this application
- Business owner or head who approved submission of this application (name and title)
- Name of company/business
- E-mail address
- Phone
- Mail address
Section II: Business Innovation Overview
- Name of business innovation (think of something memorable)
- When implemented (month and year)
- Team responsible for business innovation (list names of staff, business partners, consultants, etc., if not confidential)
Section III: Business Innovation Description
Describe the details of your business innovation. Include who, what, where, when, why. Include text, photos graphics, and links to Web sites or video postings, etc. If any details are confidential, use a generic name like “Supplier X” or “Consultant Y” or “Ms. Smith.” The important thing is to create a case study that anyone can understand and learn from. Maximum size of this Word document is 10 mb.
Section IV: Impact of Innovation on Business
Describe the measurable outcome of the business innovation. Give specifics about impact on sales, number of customers, better business terms with partners, business profitability or viability, business valuation, customer ratings, or other quantitative or qualitative measures. Use text, photos, graphics, graphs, tables, etc.
If precise numbers are confidential, describe impact in terms of overall business significance, such as “Created sales growth in an otherwise down year”, “Added enough value to business that it helped us get a loan”, etc.
Section V: Use of Artists & Art Materials USA 2009 Report
List what information from the report helped you think of or plan your innovation. All sections of the report Artists & Art Materials USA 2009 are available at http://www.namta.org/marketstudies. Note which report section and pages, if possible.
