Bronze Quill Frequently Asked Questions

Presented by the International Association of Business Communicators
Las Vegas (IABC/Las Vegas). Nevada's premier association for professional business communicators.

The chapter's annual Bronze Quill awards program is a statewide competition that offers professional communicators an opportunity to have their work evaluated by expert judges. The program also promotes professional growth and is a hallmark of excellence in business communication.

What are the Bronze Quills?
IABC/Las Vegas is Nevada's premier association for professional business communicators. The chapter's annual Bronze Quill Awards promote personal and professional growth and recognize excellence in the field of business communication.

What are the benefits of entering?
The program recognizes your work, shows how it compares with your peers, increases your credibility in the field and at work, and demonstrates your communication creativity and strategic planning skills.

Who should enter?
Communication professionals, publication editors, writers, designers, photographers, illustrators, audio/visual producers, and electronic media producers.

Who can enter the Bronze Quills?
Any Nevada-based organization or individual who prepares business communication projects for distribution may enter.

When must the work have been produced?
All entries must have an initial distribution between November 1, 2008 and October 31, 2009. Entries must have not been produced for resale.

Can I enter the same work project in more than one category?
Yes. You may submit the same work in as many divisions as apply, but you must include a separate entry form, work sample, Statement of Objectives and entry fee for each.

What happens if two entities each submit the same work into the same category?
If any entry or any part of an entry is agency produced, the entrant is responsible for coordination with the agency to ensure there are no duplicate entries. Duplicate entries will be disqualified.

What if I submit my work into the wrong category?
At the competition coordinator or judges' discretion, some entries may be placed in a more appropriate category.

If I submit more than one entry into the same category, am I competing against myself?
No. Each entry is evaluated on its own merits using a point system. Therefore, if you enter five submissions into the same category, you could theoretically win five awards, and all five could be at the same level.

What must accompany each entry?
Include a completed entry form, work sample and Statement of Objectives

What should I include in the Statement of Objectives?
The Statement of Objectives must not exceed two pages and should include the entry title, entrant's name, category, objectives and audience. Two key elements that should be addressed are budget and the measurement of results. Entries not accompanied by a Statement of Objectives will be disqualified.

Under what circumstances would an entry be disqualified?
Entries that do not follow submission criteria outlined here may be disqualified. Missing/incomplete entries and any entry not accompanied by a Statement of Objectives will automatically be disqualified.

Who qualifies for the member submission rate?
To be eligible for the IABC member rate, the entrant must be one of the primary individuals responsible for completion of the work product, be listed among people to credit for the submission, and be a member of IABC/Las Vegas in good standing. There will be no exceptions.

Join IABC/Las Vegas on or before the submission deadline to benefit from member rates. For details, contact Art Greene, VP of membership, at membership@iabclasvegas.com.

What forms of payment are accepted for Bronze Quill entries?
Include one check to cover all of your submissions. A list of entries, their categories, individual fees and the total amount submitted must be attached to the check. Please make checks payable to IABC/Las Vegas. Visa and MasterCard are also accepted. Payment must be received with your entries; IABC/Las Vegas will NOT send invoices.

Will I get my entries back?
All entries become the property of IABC/Las Vegas and may not be returned, so please do not submit irreplaceable materials. IABC is not responsible for lost entries.

Can I request a deadline extension?
The Procrastinators' Deadline is the final deadline.

How will I know if my work has earned award?
All entrants will be notified via e-mail whether or not they have earned an award.

Who will judge my entries?
Submissions will be reviewed and rated by a panel of out-of-market IABC members. All submissions are kept confidential.

What are the award levels and how are they determined?
Award levels include: Merit, Excellence and the Bronze Quill. Award levels are based on a point system. Entries earning awards of Merit and Excellence will receive certificates. Bronze Quill winners will receive trophies (one trophy per winning submission).

Will I receive copies of the judges' scores and comments?
Yes. Evaluations for all entries may be picked up at the awards presentation.

Can I order a duplicate award?
Order forms will be available at the awards presentation. Payment for duplicate Bronze Quills must accompany your order. Duplicate awards of Merit and Excellence are available at no charge.

How many awards are given in each category?
Since awards are based on overall points, some categories may have no winners while other categories may have multiple winners at some or all levels.

If the project was created by a team, who gets listed on the entry form, and how do they get credit for working on the project?
The entrant's name is the main contact person who is submitting the project on behalf of a team. The entrant MUST have worked on the project. If your entry wins an award, the entrant listed will be contacted. The entry form itself has a place to list all team members to ensure they are recognized at the event.

Is there a Best of Show award?
At the judges' discretion, a Best of Show award may be chosen from among all entries in the competition that earned Bronze Quills.

How should I package my entries?
Package entries however you wish - it doesn't have to be fancy. If your work sample is oversized (i.e. a poster), please submit a photo instead. All electronic and multimedia entries (and electronic elements of Total Integrated entries) must be submitted on a DVD or CD (no VHS, please). For Web-related entries, submit on a DVD/CD or just include the URL on your Statement of Objectives. You may also submit printed Web copies to ensure the entry may be judged in the event of technical limitations.

Be sure to clearly label all DVDs, CDs.

Student entrants
Students may enter work in any Bronze Quill category. Entrants must be full-time undergraduate or graduate students attending a college or university in Nevada. Submissions are accepted for projects completed outside the classroom only (internships included).

Who can I contact with additional questions?
If your question was not addressed on this site, please e-mail Kim Becker, VP of communication, at bq@iabclasvegas.com.