PCR Awards 2020: Entries now open, and we have 3 new awards!

The PCR Awards will be back at The Brewery, London on Wednesday 4th March to celebrate the retailers, resellers, distributors, channel service providers and vendors that have made the biggest impact on the channel over the past year.

2020 is the perfect opportunity to revamp the look and feel of the awards, with a new logo and style. You will also notice a few new awards this year, highlighting the changing tech and IT channel landscape.

Below we break down all of the awards, how and why you should enter:

RETAILER CATEGORY

The Retailer awards recognise excellence in consumer-facing organisations, whether they are bricks and mortar stores or online businesses. The winners of these awards will be those organisations that have best represented the UK technology industry to the outside world, and achieved outstanding sales success in the process.

SYSTEM BUILDER – enter here

This award is open to any national system builder that makes custom PCs/laptops, whether channel-focused or shipping direct to consumer. 

Entries should include:
– Overall sales figures over the past 12 months.
– Details of key performance indicators for measuring success.
– Details of sales performance across three top product ranges.
– Details of multi-platform marketing campaign.

INDEPENDENT RETAILER – enter here

This award is open to any bricks and mortar computer retailer, or organisation involved in the support and repair of PCs, with five stores or fewer. If the organisation builds its own-brand systems and sells them nationally or internationally, it should enter the System Builder category.

Entries should include:
– Overall sales figures indicative of retail success over the past 12 months.
– Details of key performance indicators for measuring success.
– Details of sales performance across three top product ranges.
– Details of multi-platform marketing campaign focusing on local areas and community engagement.

ONLINE RETAILER – enter here

This award is for any computer or technology retailer who conducts their business solely online.

Entries should include:
– Overall sales figures indicative of retail success over the past 12 months.
– Details of sales performance across three top product ranges.
– Details of multi-platform national marketing campaign – this can include both print and digital exposure.
– Details of key performance indicators for measuring success.

RESELLER CATEGORY

The Reseller awards recognise the B2B side of technology sales across hardware, services, integration or software. These awards recognise achievements across the spectrum, from servicing small businesses right up to the enterprise level.

SMB RESELLER – enter here

This award is open to any UK reseller focused upon selling to small to medium sized businesses (under 250 employees).

Entries should include:
– Clear evidence of commercial success and growth over the year, and strategy for growth in the coming years.
– Up to 3 case studies involving key clients that demonstrate the use of innovation and expertise to meet the needs and requirements of clients.
– Evidence of outstanding value provided to SMB clients over the year – what makes you stand out from your competition?
– Evidence of year-on-year client retention and key account growth.

CORPORATE VAR – enter here

The Corporate VAR award is open to any UK-based Value Added Reseller selling into medium to enterprise sized businesses (defined as over 250 employees).

Entries should include:
– Evidence of specific sales achievements over the past year. Suggested metrics include numbers of new customers, revenue growth, and/or expansion of the business in terms of staff and assets.
– Evidence of targeted multi-platform campaigns/strategies that have had a proven impact upon your target market, resulting in increased awareness of your business and services.
– Details of solutions and products you have developed that have been successful, based on technical knowledge and adaptability to particular client needs.

MSP SPECIALIST – enter here

The MSP Specialist award is open to any UK reseller specialising in providing Managed Services to its clients.

Entries should include:
– Evidence of specific sales achievements over the past year. This can include numbers of new customers, revenue growth, or expansion of the business in terms of staff and assets.
– Evidence of campaigns/strategies that have made an impact, raised awareness of your business and resulted in an increased client base.
– Details of specific managed services solutions and products you have developed that have been successful, based on technical knowledge of the sector and how that has been adaptable to clients particular needs.

CHANNEL SERVICES CATEGORY 

This category aims to recognise the industry’s best dealer services providers, PR agencies and buying groups.

DEALER SERVICES PROVIDER – enter here

The Dealer Services Provider award is open to any IT dealer services provider who operates within the UK and provides services to retailers and retailers.

Entries should include:
– Evidence of how your organisation is supporting the commercial and strategic needs of retailers and resellers.
– Evidence of how the services is your organisation offers makes you stand out from the crowd. How are you differentiating your services from that of your competitors and how is that impacting the resellers and retailers who use your services for the better?
– Evidence of sustained growth in customers using your service, including strategic detail regarding future growth

MARKETING & PR – enter here

The Marketing & PR award is for any agency that provides marketing and/or PR to clients operating in the UK IT Channel.

Entries should include:
– Empirical evidence of up to 3 successful marketing or PR campaigns, including detail of client objectives and how these were met/exceeded.
– Up to 3 testimonials from key clients demonstrating a high level of customer service and strong relationships in the channel.

DISTRIBUTION CATEGORY

The distribution awards are designed to acknowledge the hard work put in by those companies that act as a vital cog in the technology channel, linking vendors with people on the frontline – retailers and resellers.

SOFTWARE AND SERVICES DISTRIBUTOR – enter here

The Software and Services Distributor award is open to any distributor that specialises in or has an extensive software offering. This can include straight software product distribution, Software-as-a-Service, and the support structures to assist resellers and retailers in selling these.

Entries should include:
– Evidence of specific sales achievements over the past year, this can include numbers product shipping figures, revenue growth, or expansion of the business in terms of staff or assets.
– Details of the breadth of the product ranges carried, and details of any expansion of this
– or any new software vendors you have taken on – in the past 12 months.
– Explanation of any new dealer programmes or support structures you have designed to support resellers and retailers in their sales efforts to end-users. This can include customer portals, POS, or excellent customer service.

HARDWARE DISTRIBUTOR – enter here

The Hardware Distributor award is open to any distributor that specialises in or has a large hardware offering – this includes components (graphics cards, processors, motherboards) full PCs (desktops, laptops) or peripherals (mice, keyboards and headsets).

Entries should include:
– Evidence of specific sales achievements over the past year, this can include numbers product shipping figures, revenue growth, or expansion of the business in terms of staff or assets.
– Details of the breadth of the product ranges carried, and details of any expansion of this
– or any new vendors you have taken on – in the past 12 months.
– Details of any new dealer programmes or support structures you have designed to support resellers and retailers in their sales efforts to end-users. This can include customer portals, POS, or excellent customer service.

CONSUMER ELECTRONICS DISTRIBUTOR – enter here

The Consumer Electronics Distributor award is open to any distributor that specialises in or has a large consumer electronics offering – for example smartphones, tablets, wearables and smart home products.

Entries should include:
– Evidence of specific sales achievements over the past year, this can include numbers product shipping figures, revenue growth, or expansion of the business in terms of staff or assets.
– Details of the breadth of the product ranges carried, and details of any expansion of this
– or any new consumer electronic vendors you have taken on – in the past 12 months.
– Details about any new dealer programmes or support structures you have designed to support resellers and retailers in their sales efforts to end-users. This can include customer portals, POS, or excellent customer service.

NEW FOR 2020 – DISTRIBUTOR OF THE YEAR (SUB £150M TURNOVER) – enter here

New for 2020, the Distributor of the Year (Sub £150m Turnover) award aims to shine a light on smaller distributors, This award is open to any type of distributor in the UK IT and tech channel that has a total turnover of £150m or less.

Entries should include:
– Details of any major achievements your company has attained over the past 12 months. This can include significant vendor partnership, and company growth and expansion.
– Outline how your business stands out from other sub £150m distributors in the market. This can include innovative campaigns, charity initiatives and employee satisfaction statistics. 

NEW FOR 2020 – DISTRIBUTOR OF THE YEAR (£151M+ TURNOVER) – enter here

Another new award for 2020 is the Distributor of the Year (£150m+ Turnover) award. Any IT and tech distributor with a total turnover of more than £151m is able to enter, regardless of which area of the industry they specialise in.

 Entries should include:
– Details of any major achievements your company has attained over the past 12 months. This can include significant vendor partnership, and company growth and expansion.
– Outline how your business stands out from other £151m+ distributors in the market. This can include innovative campaigns, charity initiatives and employee satisfaction statistics. 

VENDOR CATEGORY

The vendor awards are here to celebrate all the hard work put in by those inventing and manufacturing the wide range of IT and tech products that go out into the channel. 

SOFTWARE AND SERVICES VENDOR – enter here

The Software and Support award is open to any organisation that publishes software – this can include operating systems, accounting tools and other professional software, utility software such as security programs, or cloud based products and services. 

Entries should include:
– Evidence of how the software you produce is market leading – either through innovative features, effective and timely updates, and ingenuity in solving a problem for customers.
– Evidence of campaigns/strategies that have made an impact, raised awareness of your business and resulted in an increase in business for you or your partners, whether through channel marketing, mainstream advertising, or direct marketing.
– Details about specific sales successes for a product or line of products over the past 12 months.

COMPONENTS VENDOR – enter here

The Components Vendor award is open to any company manufacturing computer components such as hard drives, GPUs and CPUs.

Entries should include:
– Details of how the products you produce are market leading – either through technical superiority, compatibility or generally pushing the computer market forward in terms of technical advancement.
– Evidence of campaigns/strategies that have made an impact, raised awareness of your business and resulted in an increase in business for you or your partners, whether through channel marketing, mainstream advertising, or direct marketing.
– Details about specific sales successes for a product or line of products over the past 12 months.

PERIPHERALS AND ACCESSORIES VENDOR – enter here

The Peripherals and Accessories Vendor award is open to any organisation that produces peripherals, such as mice, keyboards and headsets, and accessories, such as cases, bag, VR headsets and cables.

Entries should include:
– Explanation of how the products you produce are market leading – either through innovative features, quality of build and design flair.
– Evidence of campaigns/strategies that have made an impact, raised awareness of your business and resulted in an increase in business for you or your partners, whether through channel marketing, mainstream advertising, or direct marketing.
– Evidence of specific sales successes for a product or line of products over the past 12 months.

PC VENDOR – enter here

The PC Vendor award is open to any organisation that produces desktop computers, laptops and hybrids. 

Entries should include:
– Explanation of how the products you produce are market leading – either through innovative features, quality of build and design flair.
– Evidence of campaigns/strategies that have made an impact, raised awareness of your business and resulted in an increase in business for you or your partners, whether through channel marketing, mainstream advertising, or direct marketing.
– Evidence of specific sales successes for a product or line of products over the past 12 months.

NETWORKING VENDOR – enter here

The Networking Vendor category is open to any organisation that produces networking hardware, such as NAS drives and routers. 

Entries should include:
– Explanation of how the products you produce are market leading – either through technical superiority, compatibility or generally pushing the computer market forward in terms of technical advancement.
– Evidence of campaigns/strategies that have made an impact, raised awareness of your business and resulted in an increase in business for you or your partners, whether through channel marketing, mainstream advertising, or direct marketing.
– Evidence of specific sales successes for a product or line of products over the past 12 months.

NEW FOR 2020 – START UP VENDOR OF THE YEAR – enter here

Always keen to celebrate up and coming businesses in the tech channel, we have introduced another new award for 2020 – the Start Up Vendor of the Year. To enter this award, you must produce IT, tech or consumer electronics products that can be sold through the UK channel. Your company must have been in business for less than 2 years in its current form at the time of submitting your entry.

Entries should include:
– Details of any major achievements your company has attained over the past 12 months. This can include significant partnerships with distributors and/or retailers/resellers, and company growth and expansion.
– Outline how your business stands out from other young tech vendors. This can include innovative campaigns and initiatives, and how you look after your employees.
– Explain your inspiration for starting the business and how you plan to grow in the coming years.

PCR COMPANY OF THE YEAR

This award is chosen by the PCR team and so does not require submissions.

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