Honouring excellence in business

This one is for original thinkers, and the creative geniuses - the DSF 2006 Innovation Awards. Another of the Dubai Shopping Festival's groundbreaking and unique concepts, the Innovation Awards fete retail outlets and shopping and business partners who display more than a streak of original thinking, and creativity while participating in the shopping, winning and entertainment extravaganza that beats all such extravaganzas.

Held under the patronage of HH General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Defence Minister, the Innovation Awards acknowledge the individual efforts of private entities who work hard towards a successful DSF.

And with DSF 2006 a week away, it is time for the shopping malls, retail outlets and the business partners to submit their applications for 'Innovation Awards 2006'. There are half a dozen categories for the award - the 'Best Shopping Mall Promotions'; the 'Best Shopping Mall Décor'; the 'Best Shopping Mall Event'; the 'Best Retail Promotion'; the 'Most attractive POS Display' and the 'Outstanding Retail Service'.

The Dubai Shopping Festival Innovation Award is the ultimate recognition for innovation and business success, and therefore would be judged exclusively by means of indepenent mystery shoppers, and this is the one trophy that the best businesses vie for, and take pride in winning.

The Awards are also regarded as important as the DSF has always enocouraged companies and organisations that keep pace with the development of the emirate and contribute towards that development with innovative and creative ideas. Hence, the Awards in their own way contribute their bit to the overall progress of the emirate.

All private sector participants are eligible to apply for the award. The application forms can be had from the DSF Office and the completed application forms should come along with a one-page write-up on the 'idea', the 'execution of the idea' and the 'results expected'. The 'Idea' should be original and innovative; the 'Execution' judged in terms of quality, visual impact and thematic consistency, and in terms of bottom-line oriented/increase in sales/customer satisfaction.

Those eligible are allowed to apply for more than one category of the awards, but each entry should be made on a separate application form and must reach the DSF Office latest by 4pm on January 3, 2006. The DSF 2006 gets going January 4, 2006.

The judging criteria of the Awards is fair and transparent in as much as all entries will be evaluated by an expert panel of judges based on a report submitted by mystery shoppers, who will create a report on the applications based on 'Idea: Originality and innovation - 50 per cent'; 'Execution: Quality of execution - 25 per cent' and 'End Result (customer traffic, customer satisfaction): - 25 per cent'.

All entries must be submitted in sealed envelopes to the Dubai Shopping Festival Office, Department of Economic Development, P.O. Box 25425, Dubai, UAE. The participants, shortlisted by the judges, will have to appear at a workshop and make a 10-minute presentation that should be supported by references including pictures, flyers, print or video advertisements etc.

"The Dubai Shopping Festival Innovation Awards is the ultimate recognition for innovation and success," says Saeed Al Nabouda, the DSF CEO. "Every year the magnitude of in-depth planning and originality that goes into the promotions and offers by the participating outlets is astounding. And the 'Innovation Awards' is our way of appreciating these organisations who move along with the growth of DSF and Dubai and contribute in making the shopping festival a unique one."

"The Innovation Awards are recognition of an outlet's zeal and commitment to the ideals of DSF. Judged by an impartial panel of judges and the mystery shoppers, this is the one trophy that the best businesses vie for. Over the years, the Innovation Awards have done its task, that of inspiring businesses to do their best," says Saeed Al Nabouda, the DSF CEO adding, "The results are there to see. Every DSF, outlets have excelled in planning the promotions. Some of them have indeed standards which will not be found anywhere else in the world."

The Dubai Shopping Festival runs between January 4 and February 4, 2006. For further information on the Innovation Award, call Ahlan Dubai on 600545555.