The race for the home and gift industry’s most coveted recognition begins now with the ICON HONORS 2013 call for submissions and nominations, with top achievers and superior achievements vying for global acclaim in a competition of unrivaled importance, according to Jeffrey L. Portman, Sr., president and chief operating officer of AmericasMart Atlanta.

The annual ICON HONORS competition culminates in the most anticipated and important night in the home and gift industry, where capacity audiences applaud those judged to have attained the highest levels of achievement in a broad field of entries.  The 2013 ICON HONORS celebration is set for Thursday, July 11 as the signature event of The Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market.

ICON HONORS was founded and is staged by AmericasMart Atlanta and is sponsored exclusively by the Gift & Home Trade Association (GHTA) and Sandow Media.

Now entering its fourth year, the 2013 competition is open to all home and gift retailers, manufacturers, sales representatives and services providers.  ICON HONORS will be awarded in three categories of recognition, with open submission in the Innovation and Contribution categories and by independent nomination in the Achievement category.  All submissions and nominations are made exclusively online at www.americasmarticonhonors.com.  The site provides easily-to-follow instructions on how to submit and nominate, plus complete details on each of the three ICON HONORS recognition categories, including:
 
Innovation 1: Technology Innovations/Marketing; Technology Innovations/Networking; and Technology Innovations/Selling.
Innovation 2: Product Innovations/New Products; Product Innovations/Redesigned Products; and Product Innovations/Licensed Products.
Innovation 3: Packaging Innovations/New Designs; Packaging Innovations/New Material; and Packaging Innovations/Eco-Friendly Packaging.
Contribution 1: Community Influence/Business Development; Community Influence/Outreach; and Community Influence/Quality of Life.
Contribution 2: Industry Influence/Leadership; Industry Influence/Cause-Related Product; and Industry Influence/Sustainable Business Practice.
Achievement 1:  New Achiever.
Achievement 2:  Career Achiever.

From inception, ICON Honorees have represented the home and gift industry’s best and brightest drawn from independent retailers, product designers and manufacturers, sales organizations and truly iconic brands such as Restoration Hardware, The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) Retail, Anthropologie, the Williamsburg Brand of The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, SFERRA, Mud Pie and others.

Honorees are selected through rigorous adjudication by highly qualified experts drawn from the world of design, manufacturing and product development.  The 2013 call for submissions and nominations continues through March 15, 2013, with judging scheduled for completion by April 1.