The EMEA Channel Academy 2012 Awards will provide an independent and vendor-neutral platform for senior channel executives to select and recognise the outstanding vendors and distributors operating in Europe, Middle East and Africa. New awards for 2012 include three vendor categories for imaging, audio and monitors-TVs, plus a new France and Benelux Distributor of the Year regional award.
The fourth annual awards ceremony will take place in conjunction with DISTREE EMEA, the leading annual event for vendors, distributors, retailers and e-tailers operating in the region’s ICT and consumer electronics volume channel.
“We’re delighted to host the EMEA Channel Academy: 2012 Awards as part of the DISTREE EMEA conference programme,” commented Farouk Hemraj, CEO at DISTREE Events. “These awards offer unique insight into how vendors and distributors are perceived in the regional channel through an open and neutral nomination process followed by a live electronic vote.”
Next year’s awards will cover 25 categories, identifying the outstanding Vendor of the Year in 12 separate product categories, crowning the Distributor of the Year in 10 sub-regions within EMEA and handing out one accolade for the EMEA Distributor Initiative of the Year. In addition, the awards will include two Hall of Fame awards, recognising individuals for outstanding achievement within the EMEA channel.
Approximately 1,000 delegates are set to attend the ‘EMEA Channel Academy: 2012 Awards’ Gala Dinner, where the winners will be decided by live electronic voting. In the months preceding the awards, hundreds of distributor and vendor executives are polled to determine the list of five nominees in each award category that go forward to the live vote.
“The methodology behind the awards is highly effective,” continued Hemraj. “Hundreds of distributors across EMEA nominate their preferred vendors by category, while vendor executives with EMEA responsibility, nominate their preferred distributors by sub-region.”
“The top five in each category receive an official nomination. During the Gala Dinner, the excitement really builds as distributors select the winning vendors through the live electronic vote, and the vendor executives present perform the same task to determine the winning distributors,” he concluded.
The full list of award categories is as follows:
EMEA Monitors/TVs Vendor of the Year
EMEA Components Vendor of the Year
EMEA Software Vendor of the Year
EMEA Printing Vendor of the Year
EMEA Home Networking Vendor of the Year
EMEA Accessories Vendor of the Year
EMEA Gaming Vendor of the Year
EMEA Storage Vendor of the Year
EMEA Audio Vendor of the Year
EMEA Imaging Vendor of the Year
EMEA Mobile Device Vendor of the Year
EMEA Notebook, Netbook, Desktop Vendor of the Year
UK and Ireland Distributor of the Year
DACH Distributor of the Year
France and Benelux Distributor of the Year
Northern Europe Distributor of the Year
Southern Europe Distributor of the Year
South East Europe Distributor of the Year
Middle East and North Africa Distributor of the Year
Africa Distributor of the Year
Central and Eastern Europe Distributor of the Year
Russia & CIS Distributor of the Year
EMEA Distributor Initiative of the Year.
