Aims

• To recognise the substantial developments

made by the retail, leisure and business

sectors in Dundee’s City Centre

• To highlight Dundee’s retailing provision

• Now in its 4th year – started in 2006

The Process

• Decide on award categories

• Look for category sponsorship

• Nomination process

• Judging and voting

• Marketing and PR

• Event

Award Categories• National Chain of the Year• Independent Retailer of the Year• Eating Place of the Year – Fine Dining

and Café/Public House• Newcomer of the Year• Employee of the Year• Community Award• Consumers’ Retailer of the Year

Marketing • Letterheads

• Nomination Forms

• Media features

• Voting Postcards

• Website

• Invitations

• Event banners

Launch 2008

PR• Launch

• Media releases at all stages of planning

• Media sponsors – Radio Tay and D C Thomson (The Evening Telegraph)

• Radio talk-up

• Double page spread in local paper

• Post event coverage

The Hard Tasks!• First year – setting criteria and categories• Getting retailers to nominate themselves• Getting forms in on time!• Two weeks of phone calls to encourage entries• Send entry forms to the judges in advance

of the shortlisting process• Ensuring the voting process is fair

Voting Process• Simplicity and fairness!

• Judges’ votes account for 50%

• Free postcard voting

• Telephone Hotline

• On-line

• Text vote for Consumers’ Retailer category only

The Fulfilment

• Realisation that there are some real achievers in the city centre!

• Showcase of businesses, employees and community fundraising

• Networking for the retail industry

• Enthusiasm to gain votes!

The Awards Ceremony• Choosing a suitable city centre venue

• Script writing and running orders

• Dressing the event suite

• Sponsors’ packs

• Pre-event photography for finalists with MC

• The Gold Envelopes

• Finalists’ certificates and winners’ trophies

Celebrity MCs

Capitalising after the Event• Post event media – radio and newspaper

• Winners entered the Scottish Retail Consortium Excellence Awards

• Winners’ Dinner was provided by one

of our sponsors!

• Prepare to make our event bigger & better next year by encouraging more entries!

Winners from 2008