CHICAGO, Jan. 20, 2009 – The year’s outstanding movies win Academy Awards. The world’s best writers are recognized with Pulitzer Prizes. And this June, Chicagoland’s best business and marketing communications projects of 2008 will win the first IABC/Chicago Quill Awards.
The Chicago chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC/Chicago) today announced its call for entries to the 2009 IABC/Chicago Quill Awards, previously called the Spectra Awards. The new Quill Awards will recognize marketing and communications professionals for their excellence in developing and executing business communication programs that set the bar for others in the field. Winning entries feature clear objectives supporting the organization’s goals, creative communication strategies and effective, measurable results. Previous winners hail from leading companies that include McDonald’s, Motorola, Sprint, Boeing, Allstate, Accenture and Aon Consulting.
“In today’s difficult economic environment, businesses have to be smarter than ever before in communicating with customers, employees and other stakeholders,” said Katie Schuyler, director of awards for IABC/Chicago. “The Quill Awards demonstrate that a communicator has excelled in meeting and exceeding the rigorous standards set by the leading business communications professional organization. Furthermore, winning this award could ensure job stability, add credibility to the winners’ work, and help the companies they work for build new business and customer relationships.”
The IABC/Chicago Quill Awards competition is open to all Chicago-area business communicators who completed a significant communication project in 2008 that embodies excellence in two categories: Works (specific tactics that support the strategic communication process) and Strategy (projects, programs, and campaigns defined by a communication plan). Entrants do not need to be members of IABC, just the best and the brightest in the field. Entrants who download an entry form before Feb. 3 will be entered to win a free entry into the 2009 IABC/Chicago Quill Awards (a $75 value). Entries are due on March 3. A panel of seasoned communicators from IABC chapters nationwide will judge the entries, and the winners (and their companies) will be recognized at an awards recognition event on June 11, as well as in marketing materials and on the IABC/Chicago Web site. For more information, visit www.iabcchicago.com.
The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) is a global network of communication professionals committed to improving organizational effectiveness through strategic communication. Established in 1970, IABC serves more than 16,000 members in 70 countries with a multi-disciplinary approach to corporate communication, public relations, employee communication, marketing communication, media relations, community relations, public affairs, financial communications, and government relations. IABC/Chicago (www.iabcchicago.com) is the oldest IABC chapter in the world and one of the largest IABC chapters in the United States, with about 500 members.