GCI wins 14 awards

GCI staff brought home more than a dozen awards from the 2011 Turf and Ornamental Communicators Association meeting.


We already knew that our GCI staff brought the best content to the industry with the slickest design both in print and online, but it’s nice to hear it from others, too. GCI and GIE Media., Inc. had a respectable showing the 2011 Turf and Ornamental Communicators Association Awards, bringing home 22 awards.

TOCA is made up of about 200 editors, writers, publishers, photographers and other professional communicators within the green industry, brought together to recognize the best ways to bring our message to our respective audiences. Each year, the TOCA Awards acknowledge the best of the best in using those tools.

Last year, GCI picked up just a few awards for our print and online publications. We tightened our copy and redesigned golfcourseindustry.com to keep bringing the golf industry news in the best way we know how, and picked up many more awards at the meeting in Asheville, N.C. this year.

GCI’s editorial staff earned recognition with eight awards for writing, including first place for a an Environmental Stewardship Article with last year’s “A Tale of Two Courses,” by David McPherson, John Torsiello and Mike Zawacki and a merit for General Feature Article with “In Munis We Trust” by Charlie Birney, Mark Leslie and Dennis Lyon.

“We’ve got the best voices in the industry,” says Pat Jones, (GCI’s) publisher and editorial director. “They know how to find the issues that really matter to real superintendents and cover them in a way that no one else can.”

But great content wouldn’t be noticed without solid design. GCI won five print design awards, led by Andrea Vagas, creative director, taking first place for Overall Magazine Design and for Cover Page Design with “The Social Networker.”

Judges’ comments reflected why GCI was deserving of the accolades: “Why is this magazine so good? Top-notch covers, perfect pacing, well-modulated color palette, just-right type and most of all, all the pages connect – everything is visually interesting,” says one judge. “The designer knows the material, knows her readers and serves them on the highest level.”

All that sharp design builds up around the story, says Vagas. “I don’t start with a pretty picture and ask the editors to write around it. And I’m always thinking about the brand. We stay true to the brand by using a restricted color palette and limited fonts, and we carry that design through to the web as well.”

GCI picked up another two firsts with Overall Company Web Design and Publishing Websites.

“You’ve provided multiple means for visitors to find information – high utility, yet attractive,” says a judge. “Superintendents would find this site very helpful. This site breeds trust.”

Sharing in the recognition are a few of our industry friends, with industry suppliers Syngenta picking up first place for Best Long Video/DVD, Dow AgroSciences with Overall Newsletter Design, John Deere for Miscellaneous Special Project and FMC Professional Solutions for Copywriting for a Display Ad, among others.

Here’s a full list of the awards won by GCI and GIE Media, Inc.:

2011 GARDNER AWARD
DESIGN-PUBLISHING

Karen Angus/GIE Media
“The Tao of Merchandising”

2011 PHOTOGRAPHY, VICEO AND MULTIMEDIA – MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
BEST LONG VIDEO/DVD

Merit
“More than a Magazine DVD”
Irene Sweeney & Heather Tunstall, GIE Media

2011 DESIGN AWARDS – PUBLISHING
PRINTED MAGAZINES: COVER PAGE DESIGN

Merit
“In Munis We Trust”
Andrea Vagas/Golf Course Industry

First Place

“The Social Networker”
Andrea Vagas/Golf Course Industry

“Ultimate Survival Guide”
Karen Angus/GIE Media

PRINTED MAGAZINES: SINGLE PAGE DESIGN/EDITORIAL

Merit
“Super shots”
Andrea Vagas/Golf Course Industry

First Place

“Consumers cutting back”
Andrea Vagas/Lawn & Landscape

PRINTED MAGAZINES: TWO-PLUS PAGE DESIGN/EDITORIAL
Merit
“Storied Golf Course Trees”
Andrea Vagas/Golf Course Industry

First Place
“The Tao of Merchandising”
Karen Angus/GIE Media

PRINTED MAGAZINES: OVERALL MAGAZINE DESIGN

First Place
Andrea Vagas/Golf Course Industry

ELECTRONIC PUBLISHING: OVERALL COMPANY WEB  DESIGN

First Place
“Golf Course Industry Website”
Golf Course Industry

2011 DESIGN AWARDS – MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
DIGITAL DESIGN: WEB SITE DESIGN

Merit
“More Than a Magazine – 2011 Media Kits”
GIE staff/GIE Media

OVERALL MEDIA KITS DESIGN

First Place
“More Than a Magazine – 2011 Media Kits”
GIE staff/GIE Media

2011 NEW MEDIA AWARDS – PUBLISHING
WEBSITES

First Place
“Golf Course Industry Website”
Golf Course Industry

2011 WRITING AWARDS – PUBLISHING
WRITING FOR COMMERCIAL PUBLICATIONS: ORNAMENTAL FEATURE ARTICLE

First Place
“Tree Tales”
Paul Hughes/Golf Course Industry

WRITING FOR COMMERCIAL PUBLICATIONS: TURF FEATURE ARTICLE
Merit
“Extreme Greens Makeover”
David McPherson/Golf Course Industry

WRITING FOR COMMERCIAL PUBLICATIONS: OPERATIONS PROFILE

First Place
“Bankruptcy: The Mother of Invention”
Marisa Palmieri/Golf Course Industry

WRITING FOR COMMERCIAL PUBLICATIONS: GENERAL FEATURE ARTICLE

Merit
“In Munis We Trust”
Charlie Birney, Mark Leslie, Dennis Lyon/Golf Course Industry

WRITING FOR COMMERCIAL PUBLICATIONS: ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP ARTICLE
Merit
“The Green Industry Lives Up to its Name”
Todd Davis/Nursery Management & Production

First Place
“A Tale of Two Courses”

David McPherson, John Torsiello, Mike Zawacki/Golf Course Industry

WRITING FOR COMMERCIAL PUBLICATIONS: HEADLINE WRITING

Merit
“You Can’t Always Get What You Want”
Golf Course Industry

WRITING FOR ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER: ORIGINAL CONTENT

First Place
“Mike Vogt’s 10 Rules of Golf Business Preparation”
Mike Vogt/Golf Course Industry

WRITING FOR VIDEO/CD/AUDIOVISUAL PRESENTATION

First Place
“More than a Magazine Script”
Irene Sweeney/GIE Media

WRITING FOR MAGAZINE MEDIA KIT
First Place
“Horticultural Group Media Kits”
Irene Sweeney/GIE Media