The call for entries and nominations for the eighth annual Showroom of the Year Awards is now open. Honoring exceptional lighting retailers, the awards are presented by Lighting & Decor and Residential Lighting magazines in partnership with Dallas Market Center, which hosts Lightovation, the Dallas International Lighting Show, twice a year in January and June.
All independent lighting retailers are eligible for the Showroom of the Year Awards, which are judged on several business facets, including merchandising display, marketing and advertising, customer service and engagement, employee education and motivation, and community involvement.
Retailers are welcome to enter their own store for award consideration, or anyone in the lighting industry may nominate a store. Entry and nomination forms are available online at www.SOTYAwards.com, and all must be submitted no later than Feb. 27, 2017.
Finalists for the 2017 Showroom of the Year Awards will be featured in the May 2017 issue of Lighting & Decor magazine, the new Scranton Gillette Communications publication that debuts in January as a one-stop resource for lighting and home decor professionals.
At a reception on Wednesday, June 21, during the summer edition of Lightovation — which runs June 21-24, 2017 — one Showroom of the Year will be awarded in each of three dollar-volume categories (Revenue Under $2 Million, Revenue Under $5 Million, and Revenue $5 Million and Over) from a field of 10 finalists per category. All finalists also will be eligible for three specialty awards: Outstanding Merchandising Display, Exceptional Community Involvement and Social Media Star.
“We are thrilled to continue the sponsorship and presentation of these unique industry awards in our new Lighting & Decor publication,” says Nicole Bowling, Editor-in-Chief of Lighting & Decor and Residential Lighting. “It is gratifying to see the number of submitted entries and nominations each year, reflecting industry retailers’ determination to grow and excel.”
“Lighting showrooms are as vibrant and innovative as ever,” says Cindy Morris, President and CEO of Dallas Market Center. “We are honored to have this opportunity to recognize their hard work and look forward to hosting the Showroom of the Year Awards with our media partners at June Lightovation.”
The 2016 Showroom of the Year Award winners were Lightology, Chicago, IL (Revenue $5 Million and Over); Accent Lighting, Lake Oswego, OR (Revenue Under $5 Million); Progressive Lighting, Atlanta, GA (Revenue Under $2 Million); Design lighting, Surrey, BC (Outstanding Merchandising Display); Park Lighting, Edmonton, AB (Exceptional Community Involvement); and Montreal Lighting & Hardware, Montreal, QC (Social Media Star).
Social media coverage before, during and after the 2017 awards presentation will feature the hashtag #SOTYAwards.
