Hollywood, Fla. (Sept. 3, 2008)—Now in its 38th year, the A.R.E. Design Awards (formerly the NASFM Retail Design Awards) has grown into the most widely acclaimed competition of its kind, and the only one that recognizes both individual store fixture and visual presentation design and manufacturing. The Design Awards, organized by the Association for Retail Environments (formerly NASFM), invites entries of new or remodeled department and specialty stores, shops, service retailers, restaurants, supermarkets, discount and mass merchant stores and pop-ups, as well as store fixtures, window displays, seasonal displays, and other visual presentations.

Entry Criteria
Retailers, designers, architects, and suppliers of store fixture and visual presentation products may submit projects completed between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2008. Entries will be judged by a panel of retail designers, store planners, and editors from the retail design trade press. Awards are based on excellence in design, originality in the use of space and fixtures, and quality in executing the concept.

Awards Presented at GlobalShop 2009
Awards will be presented to winning retailers, designers, and suppliers at the end of the first day of GlobalShop in Las Vegas. Top honors will be awarded to one Fixture of the Year and one Store of the Year. Grand Prizes and Outstanding Merits will be designated in each store category, and multiple Store Fixture Awards and Visual Presentation Awards will be recognized. The awards presentation and reception will take place Monday, March 23, at the Venetian, 5-7 p.m.

Entry Deadlines
Save money by entering early. The early−bird deadline is Dec. 15, 2008. The final deadline is Jan. 15, 2009. A.R.E. member companies qualify for substantial discounts.

It’s Easy to Enter Using Our Online Entry Process!
Download PDF entry forms that can be completed electronically and uploaded with your digital images from www.retailfix.com. Entrants should contact A.R.E. at 954−893−7300, ext. 4833, for questions and account access information.

Note to Editors: Electronic files containing the the new A.R.E. Design Awards logo and sponsor bar in Illustrator EPS format, are available for download.

Hollywood, Fla. (Sept. 3, 2008) — A.R.E.’s Above & Beyond Awards program acknowledges the outstanding levels of performance that A.R.E. members provide to their customers. The awards recognize specific member companies that have exceeded their customers' expectations, and in some cases, made the impossible possible.

Retail companies can nominate a vendor in as little as five minutes by completing an online nomination form at www.retailfix.com and submitting it to A.R.E. The deadline for nominations is Dec. 15, 2008.

The award recipient will be announced during the A.R.E. Design Awards on March 23, 2009. Former recipients include Boden Alexander Group, Custom Surroundings, and PIN. 2006 was the first year that A.R.E. presented the award to one of its fixture supplier members.

Note to editors: The logo, in Illustrator EPS format, is available for download. Images of past winners are also available. Please contact A.R.E. at 954-893-7300, ext. 4833, or e-mail Karen Doodeman.

Click here to download a zipped file with all high resolution graphics.

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About A.R.E.
Members of the Association for Retail Environments, formerly NASFM, are retail environments professionals and proven industry leaders—companies that are well known for excellent craftsmanship, topflight service, and cutting–edge innovation. Member companies offer a full range of products and services for retail environments, and include store fixture suppliers, retail design firms, suppliers of visual merchandising products, and suppliers of materials and equipment for the retail environments industry. Member capabilities include importing, exporting, consolidating, installing, project management, engineering, design, and more.