A new wave of competition is on its way for waterscape professionals around the country.
POND Trade magazine, a bimonthly publication catering to the pond and water feature industry, has announced the launch of its first annual Water Artisans of the Year contest.
The independent contest is intended to honor specific water feature construction projects completed by professional contractors in five distinct categories: best overall design, best waterfall, best pondless, most naturalistic design and best renovation. Eligible projects must have been completed between Nov. 1, 2015 and Oct. 31, 2016.
“We’re excited to create a new playing field for all the talented professionals in this thriving industry,” said Lora Lee Gelles, publisher of POND Trade. “What we’re focusing on here is craftsmanship and true artistry, so the playing field is wide open for all professionals across the spectrum.”
In addition to promoting friendly competition, this year’s contest will also raise awareness and donations for a charitable cause – the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP). The WWP was founded in 2003 to provide a variety of services and events for wounded veterans of the United States military. As of January 2016, more than 100,000 service members and their family members were registered with WWP programs. For more information, visit www.woundedwarriorproject.org.
[box] >> To enter the Water Artisans Contest, visit bit.ly/2016artisan[/box]
The entry fee for each submission is $25, with all proceeds benefiting the WWP. Each entry donation should be accompanied by up to four photos of the candidate project, along with a brief write-up of no more than 50 words. Interested contestants may submit multiple entries for as many projects in as many categories as they wish.
Gelles has assembled a panel of judges representing numerous specialties within the pond and water feature construction industry to review the submissions.
“I’ll personally collect each submission and present it blindly to the judge panel,” Gelles said. “To be as fair and impartial as possible, we’re asking that contestants not include any brand names in the photos or descriptions.”
Winners and honorable mentions will be named in each of the five categories, with a special award going to each winner.
The deadline for submissions is Nov. 1, 2016. No entry will be considered eligible for the contest without all three required components: the $25 entry fee, up to four photos and a description of up to 50 words. Winners will be featured in the March/April 2017 issue of POND Trade.
[box] >> To enter, visit bit.ly/2016artisan[/box]
This is great event for he industry. I love it!