VIP Awards Nomination Hub

The VIP Awards recognize the people, organizations, solutions, and partnerships creating meaningful impact across the retail ecosystem. Review this page in detail to understand everything you need to know before your actual awards submission.

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STEP BY STEP: Three steps from discovery to submission, designed to be straightforward for first-time and returning nominees alike.

Overview of the Process

TIP: Click here to download a full Awards Prospectus to share with your team.

What Awards are your best fit?: Upload this prospectus to your preferred AI tool and ask it to recommend what best highlights what you want the industry to know.

01

Review the Category & Awards for where you best fit

We’ve broadened our award categories so every type of solution from technology and consulting to emerging retail services has an official home. Browse the updated award categories, featuring these 3 main categories: Partnership excellence, retail impact and innovation, people and industry. Choose awards that reflect your team’s strategic impact. Organizations are welcome to submit entries across multiple categories.

02

Share Your Story

Draft your story using our three core questions (up to 200 words per prompt). Provide required vector logo files and optional media links or PDFs to support your narrative.

03

Submit Your Entry & Activate 5 Months of Executive Visibility

There is no fee to begin your nomination. The Awards Experience Package ($850 USD Early Bird / $950 USD Standard) is required only when submitting your completed entry. Individual leadership and retail transformation awards including Bridge Builder, Retail Partner: Person of the Year, and Retail Transformation of the Year are free to submit and include a complimentary Awards Experience Package.

INCLUDED WITH SUBMISSION

Awards Experience Package

Every submission comes with a comprehensive package of visibility, recognition, and community engagement, spanning the full five-month awards season.

Executive Review Panel

Direct, confidential review from a selection across 25+ senior retail industry leaders. Every reviewer has signed an NDA.

Industry Visibility

Reach across 145,000+ retail decision-makers through VIP's editorial, social, and event channels throughout the five-month campaign.

Finalist & Winner Assets

Professionally designed recognition badges, press release templates, and promotional materials ready to activate immediately.

Gala Seat

One ticket to the VIP Awards Gala on January 8, 2027 at Gotham Hall, New York City, the centerpiece evening of the awards season.

Promotional Kit

Ready-to-use social content, email copy, and co-branded assets so you can promote your nomination from the moment you submit.

Feature Coverage

Continuous feature coverage across VIP's media properties, spotlighting your work and organization to an engaged retail audience.

EARLY BIRD: Ends Friday, September 18th

$850

Limited availability, secure your place early

STANDARD

$950

Leadership category awards are complimentary

CRAFT YOUR STORY

Guidelines for a Great Entry

The three entry prompts are designed as a narrative arc. Together they give judges a complete picture of the opportunity, the collaboration, and the outcome.

01

Lead with Opportunity

Set the scene clearly. Describe the business or retail opportunity that fueled this work. What was at stake, and what made this problem distinctive? Judges want context before they can evaluate impact.

02

Show the Partnership in Action

Don't just describe the solution, illustrate how both sides showed up. What behaviors built trust? How did teams collaborate under pressure? The strongest entries reveal the human fabric of the partnership, not just the deliverable.

03

Quantify the Impact

Ground your story in measurable outcomes. Revenue lift, cost savings, speed improvements, customer metrics, concrete numbers give judges something to hold. Where possible, name who benefited and how their experience changed.

SUBMISSON CHECKLIST

What You Need to Submit

Required

Three written responses, up to 200 words each, covering Opportunity, Partnership in Action, and Impact
A high-resolution vector logo in .EPS, .AI, or .PDF format
Company name, contact details, and the award category you are entering

Optional Additions

Up to two video links (maximum 3 minutes each)
Up to two PDF case studies or supporting documents

EXPERT GUIDANCE

Core Tips for a Winning Submission

Be Specific, Not General

Judges review dozens of entries. Concrete examples, named initiatives, real metrics, specific timelines, stand out against vague language.

Tell a Story, Not a CV

Don't just describe the solution, illustrate how both sides showed up. What behaviors built trust? How did teams collaborate under pressure? The strongest entries reveal the human fabric of the partnership, not just the deliverable.

Let Data Do the Work

Revenue impact, time saved, adoption rates, customer satisfaction scores, numbers give judges something measurable to weigh and remember.

Your Submission Is Confidential

Only the evaluation panel sees your detailed responses. Every judge has signed an NDA. You can share proprietary context with confidence.

BEYOND THE EVENING

Benefits Across the Entire Award Season

Entering the VIP Awards is more than a single evening in New York. It is a 5-month marketing and awareness campaign designed to highlight your work. From direct reviews by senior retail executives to ready-to-use promotional kits and continuous feature coverage, participating reinforces your reputation as a trusted partner driving real progress in retail.

5 months

of marketing & awareness

25+

senior retail executives reviewing

145K+

decision-makers reached

Jan 8, 2027

Gala at Gotham Hall, NYC

HOW DECISIONS ARE MADE

Evaluation Framework

Community Voting

Once voting opens, supporters may cast one (1) vote per award using a verified business email address. A maximum of five votes may be cast per domain. Community votes form part of the overall evaluation but do not determine the outcome on their own.

Panel Adjudication

Each judge evaluates and scores entries independently, without visibility into other judges’ scores, comments, or evaluations. A minimum of five judges assess each entry against consistent criteria. Every panelist has signed a confidentiality agreement.

Meet the Judges

Ready to Submit?

Early Bird pricing closes soon, Friday, September 18th.

Secure your place in the 2027 VIP Awards and let your work speak for itself.

Begin Your Nomination