Strut your best campaigns with a La Plata Award!

Entry Deadline: 3:00 p.m., Thursday, March 4, 2010.
Download La Plata Entry Packet (pdf version of this page)
Download Entry Form (El Bronce/La Plata) pdf
Download Sample La Plata Judging Questions (pdf)
(Members $55; Nonmembers $65) Online payment will be available soon.

About La Plata Awards
La Plata (Silver) Awards recognize achievement in public relations campaigns. Entries may be submitted in the following categories.

· Community Relations (B1): Programs that seek to win the support or cooperation of, or that aim to improve relations with, people or organizations in communities in which the sponsoring organization has an interest, need or opportunity. “Community” in this category refers to a specific geographic location or locations. (Campaigns designed to promote products or services should be entered in Category B4 - Marketing Consumer Products or Services.)

· Special Events and Observances - 14 or fewer days (B2): Events may be commemorations, observances, openings, celebrations or other special activities.

· Public Service/Public Affairs (B3): Programs that advance public understanding of a societal issue, problem or concern or that are specifically designed to influence public policy and/or affect legislation, regulations, political activities or candidacies – at the local, state or federal government levels – so that the entity funding the program benefits.

· Marketing Consumer Products, Services or Business to Business (B4): Programs designed to introduce new or promote existing products or services to a consumer audience or business audience.

· Crisis Communications (B5): Programs undertaken to deal with an event that has had or may have an extraordinarily negative impact.

· Internal Communications (B6): Programs targeted specifically to special publics directly allied with an organization (for example, employees, members, affiliated dealers or franchisees).

· Media Relations (B7): Programs designed to publicize and promote products, services or ideas and/or develop relationships with the media and/or other publics. Entries may include media relations, media tours, trade shows, pitching, etc.

· Investor Relations (B8): Programs aimed at developing, maintaining and improving relationships with potential investors, shareholders and/or others in the financial community.

· Multicultural Communications (B9): Programs targeting a particular cultural group.

· International Communications (B10): Programs performed outside the United States and targeting a particular audience outside the United States.

· Social Media Campaigns (B11): Communications targeting a designated audience and executed over one or more social media platforms. This category can include smart phone campaigns.

La Plata Entry Guidelines
· PRSA members and nonmembers are eligible to submit as many entries as they wish in any category.

· Entrants must be members of the San Antonio Area PRSA chapter or public relations professionals serving a San Antonio and South Texas client, company, event or program.

· The majority of work for entries submitted in the 2010 contest must have been completed during the 2009 calendar year.

· Each entry must be submitted in a hardcover, three-ring view binder (labeled videotapes may be separate from the binder). Judges will not consider the exterior of the binder in judging the entry. One copy of the entry form must be inserted in the clear front cover of the binder.

· Each entry must be accompanied by the following:

· A summary on single-sided letter-size paper with one-inch margins and in no smaller than 10-point type. The summary should include a brief situation analysis for your program and separate sections detailing each of the four judging criteria: research, planning, implementation and evaluation. The summary cannot exceed two pages. It should address the following.

• Explain the need for this project. What goals and objectives did you intend to accomplish?
• What did your client/employer want to say? What was your message?
• Who was the audience you intended to reach?
• Describe your project.
• How did you measure your project’s effectiveness?

· Three copies of the completed entry form (see below) – one inserted in the front cover and two enclosed in the front binder.

· A 100-word description of your entry. Please include a print copy and an electronic copy on a labeled CD. If your entry receives an award, your description will be read during the awards presentation.

· A graphic (logo, publication cover, screenshot, etc.) that is related to your entry. Include your graphic on the same disc as your summary. If your entry receives an award, your graphic will be displayed on the screen during the awards presentation.

· Support materials. Samples, news clippings, photos, publications and copies of materials used in the planning and execution of the program should be enclosed in the binder. Materials larger than the binder format must be folded or reduced to fit the binder.

· Payment of the La Plata entry fee must accompany each entry. Fees are $55 for PRSA members and $65 for nonmembers. “Member” is defined as holding a current, paid membership with PRSA San Antonio as of March 3, 2010.

· Preferred payment is by credit card online through Cvent at www.prsanantonio.com . For those with multiple entries, please make a separate credit card payment for each entry. Include a paid receipt from Cvent with each entry.

· Alternatively, a single check covering all entry fees from a single organization or entrant is acceptable, provided multiple entries are delivered simultaneously and a copy of each entry form covered by the check is attached to it. Checks should be made payable to “PRSA.”

· La Plata entries must be received no later than 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 4, 2010. Mail or deliver your entry (along with proof of Cvent payment or check to PRSA) to Abbey Forney; Urology San Antonio; 7909 Fredericksburg Rd., Ste. 110; San Antonio, Texas 78229.

La Plata Judging
· An impartial panel of professionals in public relations from a sister PRSA chapter is recruited to judge the competition. Judges have the right to declare multiple winners in any category and may move entries between categories or combine categories where appropriate, especially where such action enhances the ability of an entry to win an award. The judges may reject any entry that does not meet contest requirements and may choose not to present an award in any category.

· The summary is the single-most important component of the La Plata entry. Judges will use the summary to evaluate your program on the merits of the four criteria: research, planning, implementation and evaluation.

· See the sample La Plata judging form on the San Antonio Chapter web site. It includes the questions that judges will consider when evaluating your project on the merits of the four criteria.

Please direct questions regarding your entry to Del Oro Judging Committee Chair Nancy Arispe at (210) 567-0729 or arispen@uthscsa.edu.