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Outdoor Retailer Innovation Awards 2024 Rules

Description

The Outdoor Retailer Innovation Awards (the “Awards”) recognize the cutting edge and carefully considered products and services made famous at the Outdoor Retailer trade show. Determined by a panel of expert judges, winners will be recognized across Outdoor Retailer digital platforms and at a reception on Tuesday, June 18, 2024, during the Outdoor Retailer Summer trade show at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. The sponsor of the Awards is Emerald Expositions, LLC, 31910 Del Obispo Street, Suite 200, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675 (“Sponsor”).

Timeline

The Outdoor Retailer Innovation Awards open at 9 a.m. PDT on March 13, 2024, and end on April 24, 2024, at 5 p.m. PST (the “Entry Deadline”). All entries must be received by the Entry Deadline. Any entries received after the Entry Deadline will not be considered by the judges.

Fees

A competition fee of $250 per entry (product or service) will apply to each entry. Entrants may submit more than one entry in any category. A separate entry form must be completed for each entry. No refunds of entry fees will be issued.

Categories

The categories for the one-time-a-year awards embrace the change of seasons from winter to summer. Participation in any category is without regard for season of sale – products from across seasons are eligible. 

  • Accessories – Binoculars, cleaning products, drinkware, filtration devices, first aid, flashlights and headlamps, goggles, hygiene products, knives, pet products, sunglasses, tools, towels, travel equipment, vehicle racks, etc
  • Apparel – Belts, bottoms (all layers), gloves, headwear, tops (all layers), etc
  • Backpacks / Bags / Luggage – Backpacks, bags, camera bags, child carriers, hydration systems, mobile phone cases, notebook cases, shoulder bags, travel luggage, waistpacks, etc.
  • Books / Electronic Applications / Electronics - Batteries and chargers, books, electronic equipment, mobile apps, pulse monitors, watches, etc.
  • Camping – Camping stoves, coolers, hammocks, lamps, lanterns, outdoor cookware and kitchenware, outdoor furniture, outdoor kitchens, tarps, tents, etc.
  • Climbing – Belay and rappel devices, carabiners, harnesses, helmets, ice tools (axes, crampons, etc.), quickdraws, ropes, slacklines, trekking poles, etc.
  • Consumables – Drinks and drink powders, food and ingredients, nutrition products, prepared meals, supplements, etc.
  • Cycling – Bicycles, related components and accessories, etc.
  • Footwear – Boots, gaiters, shoes, socks, etc.
  • Materials – Coatings, composites, fabrics, fibers, materials, membranes, new materials, polymers, findings, etc.
  • Retail – Merchandising, consumer outreach, retail store/shop and ecommerce programs, etc.
  • Sleeping – Blankets, bivouacs, camping mats, liners, mattresses, pillows, sleeping bags, etc.
  • Support Services – Programs, products, software or services designed to support retailers, shops and/or brands.
  • Water Sports – Buoyancy aids, canoes, dinghies, inflatables, kayaks, life jackets, paddles, repair and maintenance, stand-up paddleboards, water sport apparel, watersports racks and accessories, etc.
  • Winter Sports – Bindings, poles, ski and snowboard boots, skis, snowboards, snowshoes, etc.

Rules

  1. Employees of Outdoor Retailer and Sponsor, and each of their affiliates, subsidiaries and agents, and their immediate family members (spouse, parent, child, sibling and their respective spouses, regardless of where they live) or persons living in the same households of such individuals, whether or not related, are not eligible to enter. Entrants must be at least 18 years of age as of the date of entry.
  2. Products and services must have been unveiled in 2023 to the industry/trade and/or consumers – since January 1, 2023 and by the end of the 2023 calendar year, December 31, 2023.
  3. Two rounds of online judging will be conducted, as described below. All entries must first be submitted online through the official online Entry Form, and include photos (minimum of two), video (optional), and complete written submission.
  4. All questions on the Entry Form must be answered to the fullest extent, providing judges the ability to better understand the product or service and its innovative characteristics. Failure to complete required fields may result in disqualification.
  5. Entrants may submit an Entry Form for multiple products or services in as many categories as they choose; however, the same product or service may not be entered into more than one category. One completed Entry Form and entry fee must be submitted per product or service. Judges reserve the right to determine if a product or service should be recategorized into a different category.
  6. A valid email address must be provided with each Entry.
  7. Entrants will be notified by email once their submission is received.
  8. Any materials submitted with an Entry may be used in the award ceremony, as well as on the Outdoor Retailer website and in any additional advertising and promotion linked to the Outdoor Retailer Innovation Awards, in perpetuity.
  9. A minimum of two (2) color images of each product or service must be submitted with each entry. Up to five photos are permitted. Each photo should be professional quality and must be 300 DPI in resolution (under 5 MB). Upload .JPG, .PNG, or .GIF files only. The system does not recognize all .PDF files; any included may be shared as a URL within product description. Multiple angles and technical information/specification sheets are encouraged.
  10. Supplementary video can be submitted with each entry and is highly encouraged. Video can be used to explain details and functions of the product or service. Videos may not exceed 3 minutes in length; any videos exceeding 3 minutes will not be viewed by judges or jury, nor considered as part of the entry. Upload video compressed as MPEG-2, MPEG-4 and H.264 only, such as a .mp4 or .mov file. DivX, ProRes, or WMV files will not be accepted. Or provide a video link in the product description. Recommended output formats for common video editors:
  • Corel Video Studio: select MPEG-4 HD or iPhone H.264 640x480
  • Final Cut Pro: select H.264
  • Final Cut Pro Express: export using QuickTime conversion. Export as QuickTime movie.
  • iMovie: Share > Export movie: pick large size (and HD if applicable).
  • Sony Vegas Pro: select Main Concept AVC/AAC
  • Adobe Premiere Pro: select H.264
  1. All completed Entry Forms will be reviewed by Outdoor Retailer and the judges and evaluated based on the Judging Criteria.
  2. Finalists and Winners will be decided exclusively based on online submission of Entry Form as decided by Judges, determined by Outdoor Retailer. Only information included in the online submission will be considered.
  3. Finalists will be announced on May 22, 2024, and advance to the Final Round.
  4. Finalists should be prepared to have any physical product to Outdoor Retailer Summer at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah for display in the Innovation Gallery before or by 12 p.m. MT on Friday, June 14, 2024. Products not arriving by deadline are subject to disqualification. 
  5. Finalists not attending Outdoor Retailer Summer may ship their products to the show. Please email lisa.ramsperger@outdoorretailer.com to make arrangements.
  6. All Finalist products and services, plus any provided display materials, will be available to be picked near the close of the show, 1 p.m. MT on June 19, 2024. All items must be picked up by 5:00 p.m. MT on that day. If no such arrangement can be made, please contact lisa.ramsperger@outdoorretailer.com. 
  7. All Finalist products and services will be on display in the Innovation Gallery on the show floor during Days 1-3 of the 2024 Outdoor Retailer Summer trade show, June 17-19, 2024 at the Salt Palace Convention Center. Only minimal needed display materials, as approved in advance by Outdoor Retailer, may be utilized for gallery display. 

Judging Criteria

The Outdoor Retailer Innovation Awards judges will evaluate the products and services based on four criteria:

  • Spark: concept, design, appeal
  • Desire: opportunity, differentiation
  • Function: innovation, functionality, insight
  • Impact: cultural, environmental, business

Products and services must have been unveiled to the market during the 2023 calendar year, January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023 – to the industry/trade and/or consumers. Product prototypes, previews, and beta services will be accepted if announced in 2023.

Each submission must be a single product or service, not a line. Each submission must have its own completed Entry Form and fee. Judges reserve the right to reassign products to other categories if necessary. All questions on the Entry Form must be completed. All decisions by the judges are final. 

Judge and Jury Info

After the entry period is officially closed on April 24, 2024, at 5 p.m. PST, a panel of expert judges, determined by Outdoor Retailer, will review all completed submissions. Judges will evaluate all submitted products and services based on the Awards Criteria and using a points-based voting system. Finalists will be selected and announced on May 22, 2024. The Finalists will be evaluated by the panel of Judges based on the Awards Criteria online using same submitted information in the Entry Form to determine Product of the Year and Winners.

Judges may not be affiliated with any company competing within the category they are judging.

Winners Announcement

No monetary prizes will be awarded. Winners will be announced at the Outdoor Retailer Innovation Awards reception taking place at Outdoor Retailer Summer in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, January 18, 2024. Winners will be featured on outdoorretailer.com and in other Outdoor Retailer content and communications. Note: The reception and Finalist display format is subject to change.

Outdoor Retailer reserves the right to not designate a winner with respect to any award category. Each winning entry must prove particular innovation as determined by the panel of judges. There will be no refunds for categories that do not have a winner.

General

Entrants agree (a) to be bound by these Official Rules and (b) that the decisions of the judges and Outdoor Retailer are final on all matters relating to the Awards.

By submitting an Entry Form, Entrant represents and warrants that each entry is original and that Entrant owns the rights to submit the product or service for consideration. Entrant further grants Outdoor Retailer, Awards sponsors, and Awards media partners the right, free of charge, to use all submitted materials and information for marketing, promotional, editorial and judging purposes worldwide, in and through any and all media formats now known or hereafter devised, including, but not limited to, print, video and the internet.

Each Entrant agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless Sponsor and its partners, affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising agencies, agents and their employees, officers, directors, and representatives from any and all third-party claims arising from the entry and use of any materials submitted by Entrant in connection with the Awards.

These Official Rules may be changed or updated at any time, but only by Outdoor Retailer and only by posting online at www.outdoorretailer.com/innovationawards. By participating, entrants agree to release, discharge and hold harmless Sponsor and each of its partners, affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising agencies, agents and their employees, officers, directors, and representatives from any claims, losses, and damages arising out of their participation in the Awards or any Awards-related activities and the acceptance and use, misuse, or possession of any prize awarded hereunder. 

Sponsor assumes no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, or delay in operation or transmission; communications line failure; theft or destruction of or unauthorized access to Awards entries or entry forms; or alteration of entries or entry forms. Sponsor is not responsible for any problems with or technical malfunction of any telephone network or lines, computer online systems, servers or providers, computer equipment, software, failure of any e-mail entry to be received on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any Web site, human errors of any kind, or any combination thereof, including any injury or damage to entrants' or any other persons' computers related to or resulting from participation, uploading or downloading of any materials related to the Awards. 

One designated Award Recipient from each winning Entrant is invited to receive their award as part of the ceremony on Tuesday, June 18, 2024. Specific ceremony location in the Salt Palace will be announced.

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