LISTSERV Choice Awards FAQ

1. What is the L-Soft LISTSERV Choice Awards program?
2. What are the award categories?
3. How do I nominate a list for consideration?
4. Which types of lists and campaigns are eligible?
5. Are non-English lists eligible?
6. Can private lists participate?
7. What is the deadline for nominations to be submitted?
8. What are the rules for voting?
9. How does the review of nominations and selection of grand prize winner work?
10. What are the specific judging criteria?
11. When and where is the winner announced?
12. What are the prizes, and who receives them?

The LISTSERV Choice Awards program began in 2004 to celebrate L-Soft's 10-year anniversary as a premier provider of email list management software. The contest is a unique, worldwide recognition program for email list and email marketing excellence and is currently in its fourth year. LISTSERV email lists and LISTSERV Maestro email campaigns and mailings are eligible for nomination and for award of the grand prize. Both commercial and non-commercial lists are eligible. L-Soft will contact the winning entry's list owner/campaign manager personally by email or telephone.

There are no separate categories and deadlines for different types of lists (e.g. discussion, newsletter, email marketing campaign). Nominations for all types of lists and campaigns will be accepted by the deadline, and one special grand prize will be awarded.

A list nominator must be a LISTSERV list owner/campaign manager or subscribed to the list, campaign or mailing. Nominations are to be submitted online through the nomination form.

The following information must be included in the nominations:

List or campaign name (if known)
Name of email list owner or campaign manager
Nominator's reason or motivation for submitting this email list for award consideration
URLs to the list archives or examples of past mailings or newsletters so that L-Soft can assess the email list

All LISTSERV email lists and LISTSERV Maestro email campaigns and mailings, both commercial and non-commercial, are eligible for nomination and encouraged to participate.

Yes, the nominated email lists can originate from any country or operate in any language as long as the nomination information is complete, valid and submitted in English.

Any email list can participate as long as it is managed with LISTSERV or LISTSERV Maestro software, which may be hosted or operated in-house. Both commercial and non-commercial email lists are eligible. Please note that the award jury must be able to access list postings, archives, etc., in order to assess the list or campaign.

The 2008-09 contest is open for nominations. Nominations must be received via the Web form by 6 p.m. Central European Time, April 1, 2009. We highly encourage nominators to submit the form at least several days in advance of the deadline.

Polls close April 1, 2009, at 6 p.m. Central European Time.
You may vote once every 24 hours.
After voting, you will be locked out from voting again (on the computer you voted from) for 24 hours.
L-Soft reserves the right to close some or all polls earlier than the posted end date.
The top three finalists will be announced Spring 2009.

Every year until now, an L-Soft jury has chosen the award finalists and – in consultation with L-Soft Founder and CEO Eric Thomas – the year's grand prize winner. This year it is slightly different because you will be more involved in helping to determine the finalists: the lists that will go on for final evaluation for grand prize award consideration. The 2008-09 contest will feature open, public polls for people to cast votes and to keep tabs on how each list is doing in the polls.

After the polls close on April 1, 2009, and the votes are tabulated, the L-Soft jury and Eric Thomas will select the grand prize winner from the three finalists that received the highest number of votes, based on tabulation. The L-Soft jury will judge the finalists and select a winner based on its determination of the most successful and beneficial email list or email marketing campaign. The decision of the jury is final.

Stay tuned to L-Soft's LISTSERV at Work newsletter in the summer or fall of 2009 as we anticipate announcing the grand prize winner.

The three finalists among the nominated lists and campaigns are judged according to information provided as well as the L-Soft award jury's research. Judges will analyze content, email list or campaign activity, subscriber involvement, functionality, overall concept and innovative and effective use of LISTSERV or LISTSERV Maestro technology with an eye to the overall success and benefit of the list or campaign. The L-Soft award jury's decision is final.

The L-Soft LISTSERV Choice Awards winner will be announced on the L-Soft Website, in the LISTSERV at Work newsletter and in press releases in the summer or fall of 2009. All winners will be contacted personally. To keep updated, subscribe to LISTSERV at Work.

Everyone who nominates a list and submits a valid, completed nomination form to L-Soft, with a postal mailing address, will receive an L-Soft promotional item. In addition, each month of the award nomination process, a drawing will be held to select three nominators to receive a LISTSERV 20th Anniversary t-shirt. A total of up to 18 t-shirts will be awarded.

The Grand Prize Winner (i.e. the email list owner/campaign manager) will receive:

A special framed certificate, signed by Eric Thomas, author of LISTSERV and L-Soft CEO
Additional software licenses or hosting services, based on L-Soft's assessment
10 L-Soft t-shirts to raffle among email list subscribers
An award logo that the organization or email list owner can use, for example on the email list subscription Web page
A special grand prize award

The winning email list will be featured in the LISTSERV at Work newsletter and in press releases and other communications, according to L-Soft's discretion.

For more information about the LISTSERV Choice Awards, visit:

LISTSERV is a registered trademark licensed to L-Soft international, Inc.
All other trademarks, both marked and not marked, are the property of their respective owners.
See Guidelines for Proper Usage of the LISTSERV Trademark for more details.

Choice Awards

Award Overview
Award Rules
Award FAQ
Award Nominations
Award Voting

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