ASPIRE Categories 2009
1: Best New Site (Sponsored by Rainbow Productions)
The winner of this award will have opened after 1st January 2008 and before 31st March 2009. The winner will have built an exceptional site and will be required to demonstrate good first year trading figures and an improvement in brand awareness over the sites first trading months. The site may have already established great links with local businesses, local childcare providers, and will have raised the standards of play provision in the local area. Customer service and management procedures will be excellent and the winner will need to demonstrate that their site has consistently improved in terms of KPI’s such as visitor numbers, catering / parties turnover etc since opening, raising the bar in terms of new indoor play venues.
Criteria
Must have opened post 1st January 2008 and before 31st March 2009
Required Information
1. Statement (strictly no more than 1000 words) on your sites philosophy and your aspirations before you opened and how your first trading period has compared to these hopes. Feel free to send any supporting company literature with your proposal to support your application.
2. A summary of one of your KPI’s since opening to best demonstrate the development of your site be it visitor numbers, spend per head, customer service satisfaction etc
Judging
Required information above and judging panel telephone interview. The judges will be looking for innovative and creative new site that has consistently performed at a high level, demonstrating improved performance over the course of the sites development.
2: Best Food and Beverage Offering (Sponsored by Pelican Buying Group)
Food and Beverage is an important part of a play centres offering. The winner of this award will provide customers with an excellent menu range, high standards of health and hygiene and great customer service. The PPA member could perhaps have a unique food offering, or a particular food philosophy that has worked well in their centre, setting them apart from other operators. The winner could also have excellent F+B profit margins or may have a new approach to F+B that has enhanced their site.
Required Information
1. Statement (strictly no more than 1000 words) on why your company deserves to win this award, having regard to the Award criteria detailing f+b philosophy, margins and where you offering sets you apart from other operators.
2. Relevant supporting literature such as Menu’s, images of food served, kitchen and server set up, margins or whatever factors you are using to put forward your case.
Judging
Required Information and site visit by a judge external to the judging panel. The judge will be looking for innovative and creative menu to support the food and beverage offering that sets them aside from other centres and competitors. The overall offering shows consideration for dietary needs, society trends and healthy eating options.
3: Employee of the Year (Sponsored by TL Dallas)
An award open to any employee of any PPA member centre (rather than the owners/ managing director of the business). The winner of this award will have demonstrated outstanding levels of customer service throughout the year, always willing to go beyond management expectations. It is also possible to nominate some for this award who has displayed initiative to help develop your business, carried out an act of courage or played a hands on role in enhancing footfall. This award is for someone who has gone the extra mile for your business.
Criteria
Any employee of any PPA member company that is not a director/ owner of the business
Required Information
1. A brief summary of the Nominee's work and background (strictly limited to 1,000 words) that addresses the following two topics. Please include examples and be as specific as possible. You may choose to address each topic as a separate section, or you may choose to write a narrative that addresses all topics. (supporting information may also be provided ie- customer comments, letters etc)
Customer Service- How they contribute to your businesses success above and beyond the role of an employee.
“Going the Extra Mile” - Briefly discuss the X Factor that your employee brings to your business and why they are deserving of this award
Judging
Required Information and judging panel telephone interview of proposer
4: PPA Members Brand of the Year (Sponsored by EZ Runner)
The winner of this award will be a leader in the field of marketing, capably using a wide variety of media ( website, literature, special events, local sponsorship and the general theming of the centre. The winning company will ably demonstrate an ability to use a wide range of marketing tools to raise the profile of the centers brand in a cost effective, innovative manner. The recipient of this ASPIRE Award will also have demonstrated that this activity has had a profound influence on the success of the site in your local area and show the success of the various marketing activities over the course of the year leading to the successful implementation of the marketing strategy.
Required Information
1. Statement (strictly limited to 1,000 words) describing the background to your brand and how it was
created and how it is brought to life by your marketing activities and in your centre.
2. Examples of your marketing activity. Please submit a copy of any of your companies literature that you wish the judge to consider as part of your application. Examples might include, company literature, statistics to demonstrate web hits, event photos, press releases, newspaper coverage, TV footage etc
Judging
Required Information and judging panel telephone interview
5: Best Family Entertainment Centre -under 12,000 sq ft (Sponsored by TL Dallas)
The winner of this award will be an all round excellent site that can demonstrate that they are a consistently outstanding centre across a whole number of disciplines.
Criteria
Centre must be under 12,000 sq ft
Required Information
Statement (strictly limited to 1000 words) including a summary of your sites achievements this year
( since September 08). Please include any relevant events or activities that demonstrate your sites
success. You may choose to address each topic separately or you may choose to write a statement that
addresses all factors.
- KPI’s- Please give details of some of your sites Key Performance Indicators showing how the level of these have improved or are consistency at an outstanding level. Eg: Visitor numbers over the past year, Gross Profit Margins, Spend per head etc
- INNOVATION- How does your centre operationally demonstrate inventiveness in reacting to consumer trends. This would also include successful new ideas that you have implemented to improve your business or any successful management procedures
- SITE OFFERING- Please refer to your centre as a whole and how and why it should be regarded as amongst the industry’s best facilities of any number of the following…. equipment, parties, food and beverage offering, customer service.
- Unique Selling Point- Detail something that sets you apart from other centers of this size
Judging
Required Information and judging panel telephone interview
6: Best Family Entertainment Centre - over 12,000 sq ft (Sponsored by Britvic Soft Drinks)
The winner of this award will be an all round excellent site that can demonstrate that they are a consistently outstanding centre across a whole number of disciplines.
Criteria
Centre must be 12,000 sq ft or over
Required Information
1. Statement (strictly limited to 1000 words) including a summary of your sites achievements this year ( since September 08). Please include any relevant events or activities that demonstrate your sites success. You may choose to address each topic as a separately, or you may choose to write a
statement that addresses all factors.
KPI’s- Please give details of some of your sites Key Performance Indicators showing how the level of these have improved or are consistency at an outstanding level. Eg: Visitor numbers over the past year, Gross Profit Margins, Spend per head etc
- INNOVATION- How does your centre operationally demonstrate inventiveness in reacting to consumer trends. This would also include successful new ideas that you have implemented to improve your business or any successful management procedures
- SITE OFFERING- Please refer to your centre as a whole and how and why it should be regarded as amongst the industry’s best facilities of any number of the following…. equipment, parties, food and beverage offering, customer service.
- Unique Selling Point- Detail something that sets you apart from other centers of this size
Judging
Required Information and judging panel telephone interview
7: Aspire in the Community (NEW FOR 2009) sponsored by 3663
This ASPIRE in the community award is new for 2009 and is to recognise the achievements of sites that play a crucial role in their local community. There is scope in this category for the winner to demonstrate this role in any number of ways and to various different groups. The winner of this award will undoubtedly show that without their centre the children within the local community would have very limited access to play opportunities and play spaces. The centre will be able to demonstrate the strength of the ties to the immediate community, surrounding locality and wider community groups eg: charities and minority groups that may use the centre.
Required Information
Statement (no more than 1000 words) on why your company deserves to win this award, having regard to the award criteria. Please explain the issues/ challenges that the centre addresses, the social, environmental or economic results achieved and where possible the reaction of external parties to the benefits/ facilities that the centre provides.
Judging
Required Information and judging panel telephone interview
8: ASPIRATION 4 INNOVATION (NEW FOR 2009) sponsored by Play & Party Magazine
Innovation and design play is a fundamental part in the future of indoor play and the ability for the industry to go from strength to strength. New products and equipment that support the underpinning philosophies of the industry are essential to encourage growth of individual centres and the industry as a whole.
This category is for an individual/ organisation who has shown remarkable insight and innovation in the development of new and exciting play equipment, play philosophy, furniture, catering equipment, IT hardware or software that can/ will enhance the offering of any centre regardless of size. The innovative product or project may already be in use or be about to be presented to the indoor play industry, as an opportunity for future enhancement, enhances services or increased profit. The winner will be decided by the industry itself, through a nomination process. Please note if you put forward someone for this award, this will not be counted towards your 2 company entries.
Judging
PPA members vote online for the winner of this category from all the nominations
9: ASPIRE 2 INSPIRE :: Operator of the Year (NEW FOR 2009) Sponsored by AMH Media
The winner category is selected by the judges through the recognition of outstanding achievements and performance demonstrated during the ASPIRE Awards process. The winner will be an operator who the judges believe shows the largest commitment to raising the standards within the industry and provides inspiration for other operators to raise their standards and move the industry forward. All sites who enter ASPIRE are automatically put forward for this special award. The winner of this award may not necessarily have won their award category but their site, philosophy, management approach and commitment to the industry overall will be one the judges view as outstanding and worthy of ASPIRE’s highest accolade.
Criteria-
PPA Member who enter other categories (1-7) will automatically be put forward for this special ASPIRE award which rewards excellence over a number of areas. The judging panel will decide the winner in the normal process
10: Legend of ASPIRE
This category is for an individual who has shown remarkable dedication and commitment to the indoor play industry. The winner will be decided by the industry, through a nomination and voting process. If you put someone forward, it will not be counted towards your 2 company entries.