The Awards Finalists

The 2003 Retailer Excellence Awards are given for Store Design, Promotion, and Visual Merchandising undertaken in 2002. The selection of the finalists and the Gold and Silver Awards finalists was made by a panel composed of the Gifts & Decorative Accessories editorial staff (Quinn Halford, Caroline Kennedy, Matthew Kalash, Sarah Mandel, Bessie Nestoras, Meredith Schwartz, and Hasmig Kacherian); the exhibit design project manager of George Little Management, Matthew Goodman; and visual merchandising lecturer and writer Linda Cahan.

Full coverage of the finalists in Visual Merchandising begins on page 50. Store Design finalists will be featured in the August issue, and Promotion finalists will be covered in the September issue.

All finalists will be honored at a gala reception and dinner at New York's Plaza hotel on Sunday, August 10, during the run of the New York International Gift Fair. Each finalist will receive a Gold or Silver engraved crystal Award. Also at the event, Gifts & Decorative Accessories will present its 2003 Industry Achievement Award to Angelica Berrie in honor of Russ Berrie.

The dinner is sponsored by George Little Management. Co-sponsors are the Dallas Market Center, DMG World Media, Western Exhibitors, Whereoware, and the permanent showroom coalition of 225 Fifth Avenue, 230 Fifth Avenue, and 41 Madison Avenue.

Please join us in honoring these retailers and celebrating with your industry peers. Tickets are $125 each, or $1,000 for a table of ten. For reservations, call Caroline Kennedy at (646) 746-7353.