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The Association of Florida Colleges Awards of Excellence competition is hosted by the Communications and Marketing Commission.

Conducted annually, the Awards of Excellence competition provides communications and marketing professionals an excellent platform to be recognized across the state of Florida for their outstanding communication tools and programs. Please see below for this year's Call for Entries, Submission Guidelines and Rules, and Award Categories.

The submission window will open on Monday, Aug. 21, at 8 a.m. ET. All entries and fees must be received online by Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. ET (no exceptions).

Note: due to Hurricane Idalia, the early bird deadline has been extended to Friday, Sept. 8.

 

 

Winners will be notified in September and recognized at the AFC Annual Meeting and Conference, which will be held in Orlando in November. The winner of the Exemplary Practice category will present at the Annual Conference.

Submit Your Entry

Call for Entries

All submissions from your best work from the past year (Aug. 1, 2022–July 31, 2023) and payment can be done through this online platform to help make things seamless along with the judging process. Each year the CMC looks forward to honoring outstanding achievement among Florida college marketing and public relations professionals. We can't wait to see what you've created this past year!

The call for entries is formatted by placing categories within divisions to make things easier. After you have selected the award categories you plan to enter, be sure to check out the entry and submission guidelines. All entries and fees must be received online by by Thursday,Sept. 14, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. ET (no exceptions). 

Included in this call for entries:

  • General Entry and Awards Guidelines
  • Submission Guidelines and Rules
  • Award Categories

Please note the FTE criteria for each category. Two sets of awards are presented (FTE criteria: Less than 10,000 and more than 10,000) unless otherwise indicated.

Colleges participating in the Exemplary Practice/Overall Campaign must include a letter of support signed by their president. The winning college is required to make a presentation at the Annual Meeting and Conference in Orlando this November.

We look forward to working with each of you and anticipate the competition to be an exciting event. Do not hesitate to contact Rachel Cote, AFC Communications and Marketing Commission Chair, at coter@cf.edu if you have any questions or concerns. Details about past winners can be found on the Communications and Marketing Commission web page at myafchome.org/myafccommunicationsandmarketing.

General Entry and Award Guidelines

Please read and follow the guidelines carefully. To be eligible for competition, entries must meet guidelines.

  1. Eligible entries must have been produced during the period of Aug. 1, 2022 through July 31, 2023. All entries and fees must be received online by Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. ET. 
  2. A contestant may submit as many entries in each category as desired. 
  3. For entries received on or before Sept. 8, the cost is $30 per entry. For entries received Sept. 9-14, the cost is $40 per entry.  Payment can be made online through the submission portal. If you prefer to submit a check, please make payment for multiple entries with one check. Make checks payable to AFC Communications and Marketing Commission. No purchase orders will be accepted. Categories with less than two entries will not be judged. Refunds will be granted in the event of a non-judged category.

 

Submission Guidelines and Rules

  1. Create Your Account or Log In. If this is your first time logging into the award platform, go to afcawardsofexcellence.secure-platform.com to create an account.
    • Select My Account on the top navigation bar.
    • Complete the required fields under Create My Account. You will receive an email confirmation that your account has been successfully set up.
  2. Entries must be submitted in the most appropriate division and category.
  3. Entries for the same project may not be entered in more than one category in the same year; however, pieces from an entry may be entered into other categories.
  4. Some part of the entry must have taken place between Aug. 1, 2022 through July 31, 2023.
  5. Entries must be submitted electronically in separate.pdf or jpg files.
  6. The final attachment needed to submit your entry is a .jpg image representing your entry. This image will be used in the event your entry should win.
  7. Payment for the entry fees can be submitted online or by check. Please include the name of entry, division and category when making payment. Checks made out to AFC Communications and Marketing Commission, should be attached to a photocopy of the entry form and mailed to: AFC CMC Awards of Excellence,  Association of Florida Colleges, 1725 Mahan Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32308

Disclaimers

  • The judges reserve the right to reclassify entries if deemed necessary.
  • Entries that do not follow all of the Rules for Entry may be disqualified.
  • No part of the entry may be submitted after the deadline.
  • Fees for disqualified entries will not be refunded.

The decision of the judges is final.

Judging

The Awards of Excellence will be judged by a combination of AFC peers and industry experts. Submissions will be judged on creativity, originality, relevance to category guidelines, and effectiveness. Each entry will only compete with entries in the same category (i.e. entries in A6 will not compete with entries in A7, A8, or A9 categories). If there are not enough entries to properly judge a single category, then the category will not be judged.

All entries must be submitted via CMC’s online Awards of Excellence platform to be considered as an official award entry. Through this platform, judges will score entries by answering a series of questions that correspond with the provided rubric.

Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Criteria

Categories that receive more than 10 submissions may be divided based on FTE, provided that there are at least four entries in both sub-categories: 

  • Less than 10,000
  • More than 10,000

Division A: Print

Any material, print or digital, published for a communication purpose, either standing alone or as part of a campaign.

  • Annual Report
  • Article in a College-Produced or Third-Party Publication
  • Brochure/Guide
  • Direct Mail
  • Email Campaign (2-4 related pieces may be submitted)
  • Magazine
  • Newsletter
  • Print Advertisement in a Third-Party Publication
  • Single Sheet Flyer. Fliers should be no larger than 8.5x11”. No tri-folds/brochures.
  • Viewbook/Primary Recruitment Piece

Division B: Signage

Any materials or content used to display messages to mass audiences indoors or outdoors.

  • Indoor Signage (1-5 related pieces may be submitted) (Messages that are delivered to mass indoor audiences on electronic signs, banners, floor and wall graphics, etc.)
  • Outdoor Signage (1-5 related pieces may be submitted) (Messages that are delivered to mass outdoor audiences on vehicle wraps, billboards, branded murals, etc.)
  • Poster (Single or Series. 1-5 related pieces may be submitted)
  • Tabletop and Retractable Displays (Single or Series. 1-5 related pieces may be submitted)

Division C: Video/Photography

  • Best Photography in a Published Piece
  • Video, 30 seconds or less.
  • Video, more than 30 seconds. Maximum length is 5 minutes.
  • Video Campaign (2-5 related pieces may be submitted)

Division D: Social Media

  • Social Media, Paid. 1–4 related pieces may be submitted. Effective communication campaigns and programs including social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. Provide a brief description of the campaign, including amount spent and results, as well as a screenshot of the assets.
  • Social Media, Unpaid/Organic. 1–4 related pieces may be submitted. Effective communication campaigns and programs including social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. Provide a brief description of the campaign, including results (# of impressions, comments, link clicks, etc.), as well as a screenshot of the assets.  

Division E: Miscellaneous

  • Digital Advertising (1–5 related pieces may be submitted, i.e. Web Banners, Google Ads, etc.).  Provide a brief description of the campaign, including amount spent and results, as well as a screenshot of the assets.
  • Website. Focus on the college’s entire website or dedicated microsite.
  • Redesign. A redesign of an existing project. Please include before and after samples.
  • Specialty Advertising, Apparel or Promotional Items (1–4 related pieces may be submitted)

Division F: Exemplary Practice (No FTE Criteria)

One $500 award will be presented for the winning entry. Overall campaign involving mix of collateral (e.g. print, video, digital advertising, social media, etc.). Minimum of 5 pieces.

An exemplary practice is defined as a broad-based communications endeavor using two or more communication tools to achieve a marketing or public relations objective. Exemplary Practice entries must include a letter of support from your college president. View the template here.

 

Ready to enter? Submit Your Entry