Florida is a crucial market for the promotional products industry. Only Texas and California generate more revenue for promo than the Sunshine State.

And now, there’s what Florida promo leaders describe as a new high-profile award series to recognize the achievements of industry aces from the Panhandle to South Beach who excel above the pack.

The Promotional Products Association of Florida has launched the Brandy Awards, a competition showcasing the creative and sales excellence of promotional product distributors and suppliers in Florida. There are three award categories: Best-in-Class, Best Self Promotion, and Social Good, which are all focused on the use of promotional products to increase brand awareness and/or increase sales.

“After the last year, it’s important to provide an environment for those in the industry to share the great campaigns they have done over the years,” said Jenny Taylor, PPAF’s executive director. “Recognizing what powerful and impactful things have been done in the past, allows us to understand what can be done in the future.”

According to Taylor, the Best-in-Class award centers competition on “past case studies before COVID and PPE where companies were able to be more creative and develop a solid marketing campaign for their client.”

Meanwhile, the Best Self Promotion Award will honor a distributor who used a specific product to help sell its own brand. Finally, the Social Good Award will highlight an initiative that benefited society, including how a company used promotional marketing to bring awareness.

Distributors can apply for all three awards. Suppliers who have a representative based in Florida can submit an entry for the Best-in-Class Award and the Social Good Award. Submissions will be accepted starting on June 8, 2021, and will be allowed until June 30, 2021. The judging process will take place in July. Finalists will be announced in late July and then winners will be declared during the PPAF EXPO being held August 26-27, 2021 in Orlando Florida. The Brandy Award Ceremony will kick off events for August 27, 2021.

To learn more about the Brandy Awards visit www.ppaf.com/brandyawards. Top 40 supplier Koozie Group (asi/40480), formerly BIC Graphic North America, is sponsoring the awards.

In 2019, prior to the pandemic, promo generated $1.5 billion in revenue in Florida. Only Texas – at $3.4 billion – and California at $2.1 billion were higher.