Entry Kit
- Invitation to enter
- Nomination Form
- Super incentives
- Levels of achievement
- Entry guidelines
- Entry format
- What to submit
- How does it work
- Categories for entry
Invitation to enter
Tourism, leisure and hospitality operators are invited to enter the Melbourne Airport 2008 Victorian Tourism Awards. Entry is free.
This information outlines the rules and guidelines that will help you prepare your entry, which also qualifies for the Australian Tourism Awards, should you be successful at the State level.
The Victorian Tourism Awards website carries the individual questions for respective categories and should be viewed in conjunction with this guide.
The Victorian Tourism Awards offer:
- An endorsement of your business that money cant buy
- An opportunity to win recognition as
- A reward for years of hard work
- A competitive and marketable edge that will bring you new business
- A way to boost team morale to new heights
- A means to examine your business and take pride in your achievements
- An opportunity to recognise tourism excellence in
2008 Super incentives
The Victorian Tourism Awards Team is working consistently to increase the number of benefits for entrants and placegetters. Here is a host of benefits that we are sure you will be impressed by.
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Print Media Opportunities
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Opportunities through the City of Melbourne
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Online Opportunities
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Opportunities within Newsletters
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Media Releases When the entrants are announced for the Victorian Tourism Awards;
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Levels of achievement
The Victorian Tourism Awards recognise four levels of achievement.
Hall of Fame
Awarded to the entry which has won the same category for three consecutive years.
Winner
Awarded to the entry which is judged to be the most outstanding in its category.
Merit
Awarded to an entry which is judged to be of an extremely high standard and very close to the winner in points scored (between 1-3 points).
Finalist
Awarded to acknowledge the high standard of an entry, that has scored at least 75 per cent of the total possible score. As a result there can be more than one finalist in any one category.
Note: Where the minimum score (75 per cent) is not achieved, the Victorian Tourism Awards reserves the right to not award a winner, merit or finalist placegetter.
Entry guidelines
- You are encouraged to nominate a tourism business or individual for the Victorian Tourism Awards. Simply complete the nomination form. (This will only take a couple of minutes)
- You are encouraged to enter the category that best reflects your core business. If entering more than one category, then a separate and complete entry must be submitted for each category.
Entrants may only enter one submission in any one of the following group of categories:
- Attractions - either category 1 or 2;
- Festivals and Events - either category 3 or 4;
- Tour and/or Transport Operators - either category 11 or 12;
- Accommodation - either category 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 or 24
- Achievements or activities referred to within your entry must relate to the qualifying period 1 July 2007 - 30 June 2008. Entrants must have traded for the entire qualifying period. Exceptions apply to seasonal facilities, festivals, events, marketing campaigns, media entries, training and tourism development projects, where the activity being put forward for consideration must have occurred within the qualifying period. Likewise, entrants in the category of New Tourism Development must have commenced trading/visitation during the specified qualifying period.
- Each category has specific entry requirements, which are articulated within the category descriptor. Eligibility must be clearly demonstrated as part of your response to Question 1a. Failure to demonstrate your eligibility will result in your submission being penalised.
- All questions must be answered under the headings provided. Unanswered questions will attract zero points. If you feel that you cannot answer a question please discuss this with your tourism awards coordinator. If you still feel the question is not relevant please explain your reasons within your submission.
- Entrants must be based or operate in Victoria.
An exception to this rule exists where there is a genuine community of interest allowing an entrant to choose to nominate in another state/territory's Awards program. You may however only enter one Awards program. For example an entrant could not enter both the ACT and NSW tourism awards in the same category in the same year. To qualify for this exception the entrant must be able to demonstrate proof of membership in a relevant association OR provide a letter from that state/territories tourism office confirming the entrant's participation in marketing campaigns or activities. - Should a company have individual operational branches or properties in other states/territories they may enter the individual state/territory awards as long as the majority of the submission focuses on the activities undertaken in that state/territory. National companies can enter the Victorian Tourism Awards if this is where their corporate headquarters are located.
- An entrant, such as a chain or franchise that has multiple products, must enter each product individually if they want each property to be able to promote the achievement of winning a tourism award. Alternatively the business may enter but the logo may only be used by the corporate entity, not the individual products.
- An entry cannot be moved into another category following the closing date for lodgement of submissions.
- If at any time following submission of an entry the business being put forward goes into administration, voluntary receivership, liquidation or bankruptcy, the entrant is required to advise the Awards Manager and accepts that the submission will no longer be eligible for an award.
- There is no direct entry into the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards. Only state or territory tourism award winners in categories 1 through 26 (excluding category 24b) will be nominated as finalists in the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards.
- Once a national Hall of Fame has been won the entrant may not re-enter in the same category in the Victorian Tourism Awards for the following two consecutive years. Note: the entrant may enter other categories.
- Unlike the national Hall of Fame an entrant who achieves Hall of Fame status for the Victorian Tourism Awards will not be precluded from re-entering the following year.
- For first time entrants it is strongly recommended that you participate in the Mentor Program and attend an Awards workshop.
Entry format
The submission must be presented in two parts; the main document, which contains the answers to the questions, and one appendix, which contains your supporting documentation. These should both be formatted as follows:
| Page Size: | A4 (297 x 210 mm) |
| Font: | All font (questions, answers, captions, tables) must be no smaller than12 point Times New Roman or Arial. No variation such as narrow or condensed font styles is acceptable. |
| Format: | All text should be 1½ line spacing (Microsoft Word) or equivalent, with the following exceptions: Text contained within a multi-column table may be single line spaced as long as tables do not represent more than 8 pages of the total submission. Question text and captions may be single line spaced. All pages should be numbered and indexed. The font and format template which judges refer to is available from the Awards Unit. |
| Layout: | State the question then your answer. |
| Pages: | The main document must have no more than 30 printed pages (single sided) or 15 pages (double sided) including text, graphs and images (note this does not include the cover page or table of contents). Entrants are discouraged from placing plastic sleeves in the main document. |
| Appendix: | Items presented in the supporting documentation are non-scoreable. Entrants must be aware of the need to fully address the answer in their written submission. Supporting documentation should contain no more than 10 essential items to validate and/or illustrate your answers to the criteria. These items should be between 5 - 10 pages in length and placed in a plastic sleeve - this equates to one item. Supporting documentation should be relevant to specific questions and cross-referenced accordingly. |
| Dividers: | Are optional. If used in the main document they must be blank i.e. they must not carry images, logos, watermarks or text. They may however be numbered for example "Question 1". |
| Binding: | Both the main document and supporting documentation are to be separately bound. For example in an A4 ring binder, wire/plastic spine binding or book style staple binding. Failure to meet these requirements will attract penalty points. |
What should I submit?
- A signed entry form (Tourism Business and / or Individual).
- A Statutory Declaration Form signed by an appropriate third party to confirm that financial statements and other business activity claims made within the submission are accurate (insert link to statutory declaration)
- One original copy of the submission. This must be presented in two parts; the main document, which contains the answers to the questions, and the appendix, which contains your supporting documentation. Refer to the rules for entry for specific formatting guidelines.
- The cover page of the submission should be clearly marked with:
- The name of the entrant
- The category entered
- The official name of the Awards entered 'Melbourne Airport 2008 Victorian & Tourism Awards
- An image(s) representative of the product entered.
- A separate unbound copy of your answer to Question one and two - to assist with the site visit process.
- A 100-word description your company/product, which will be used by media, for announcements at the presentation ceremony, in promotional material and on web-site listings. This should be submitted electronically, preferably on the same CD as the images.
- Ten slides or digital images (only 300 to 600dpi files in a JPEG format in high resolution will be accepted) illustrating the entrant's operation should accompany each submission in each category entered. By supplying images you ensure maximum exposure at the presentation ceremony and in official advertising and publications.
Please mark all images with your entry details ie name and the category number in which you are entering.
Quality DVD's are welcome. If submitted they should be no longer than 5 minutes. Please note: these will not be used at national judging.
Images and DVD's must be first copies/ duplicates and not originals. Do not bind the images into the main document or appendix. - The contents of the submission must be properly labelled and well packed in an Australian Post Postpak BM Mailing Box.
- A return postage paid, self-addressed satchel for the return of your submission.
How does it work?
Judging
A panel of highly experienced industry professionals judge the Award submissions. The decision of the Victorian Tourism Awards and Australian Tourism Awards judging panel is final.
Judges look for:
- A financially sound business
- A thorough and sound business plan and an innovative marketing plan
- Demonstrated flair, passion and innovation
- A business that knows its customers and has a service culture
- A business or individual that has made a significant contribution to the Victorian tourism industry
- A passionate and innovative submission that clearly illustrates excellence in the tourism industry.
Workshops provide an opportunity for entrants to gain an insight into how the judges score and assess submissions. Judges tips are also available at these workshops.
The Site Visit
The purpose of the site visit is to verify the claims made within the submission (for example sighting of a risk management policy). The site visit will be prearranged and the judges have a proforma from which they work.
Scores from the site visit will not apply at the national level however the judging panel will have access to the written comments.
Keeping It Fair
To ensure consistency and fairness in judging, the rules for entry must be strictly met. Failure to follow the rules of entry may attract a deduction of up to 15 points.
Note: In some categories the competition is very close and the deduction of any points could be the difference between winning and losing.
Our Assurance
All information submitted is strictly confidential. All persons, for example tourism awards coordinators and judges, who may come into contact with your submission, are each required to sign a confidentiality agreement.
Delivery
Please ensure your submission is received at the Southern Cross Building, 121 Exhibition Street Melbourne, Mail Centre, Level B2, (enter from Little Collins Street) by 4pm on Wednesday 20 August 2008.
Late entries will not be accepted. Please plan to get your submission in early.
Disclaimer
Tourism Victoria, National Tourism Alliance (NTA), project managers, event managers, members of the Mentor and Judging Panels, sponsors, transport companies and the like can not be held responsible for any damages and/or loss of materials that are submitted as an entry the Victorian Tourism Awards.
By entering the Melbourne Airport 2008 Victorian Tourism Awards you authorise the use and/or reproduction of images and the 100-word description provided in relation to any editorial/advertising purposes initiated in conjunction with the Melbourne Airport 2008 Victorian Tourism Awards and the 2008 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards.
Your contact details may also be supplied to agencies engaged on behalf of award organisers/committees for promotional purposes.
Under no circumstances will Mentors or Judges be held responsible for any comment, viewpoint or expression, whether expressed or implied, concerning the standard or quality of an entrant's submission. By signing the entry form you agree not to bring a claim against any Mentor or Judge, or Tourism Victoria in relation to feedback on your submission.
Judges' Decision
The decision of the Melbourne Airport 2008 Victorian Tourism Awards and 2008 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards Judging Panel is final. Any grievance should be forwarded to the attention of Nicole McLean, Tourism Awards Manager, Tourism Victoria, GPO Box 2219T, Melbourne, VIC, 3001
For further advice and information contact the Awards Team on (03) 9653 9789 or (03) 9653 9822.
Categories for entry
Refer to the list of all available categories for entry in this year's Victorian Tourism Awards. The categories for entry and the relevant questions can be downloaded by clicking on the question links.
Please select the category that best reflects your core business or the segment of your business that has recently seen the most innovation or change. If you are unsure which is the best category to enter, please contact the Tourism Awards Team.
