Final analysis EUROPRIX.nl 2005

My analysis of the EUROPRIX.nl has come to an end. It is now time for the final reflection on the past competition.

More entries
This year we had 10 more entries than last year. So people are getting to know us better. Yet the Dutch competition market is a little bit overcrowded with the SpinAwards for the interactive advertisement world, Vosko Awards for network technology, Broos van Erp Awards for software, Gouden Apenstaart for childrens’ productions, SAM Awards for interactive advertisements, WebOlympics for content management systems and WebAwards for e-government. It would be a good idea to sit around the table with all the parties, pool the money as well as the assets and have an Oscar night of celebration, complete with a Hall of Fame and a the jury made up by the members of the Hall of Fame. But as long as we do not have a common effort, we will have to do our promotion more aggressively in the market.

Dutch language
When we instituted the EUROPRIX.nl Awards we designed the rule that all entries should be at least produced in the Dutch language. So multi-lingual products can participate, but they should contain a Dutch language set. Last year we had an entry from Belgium in the students’ category. This year we did not have any, not from Belgium (Flemish), not from South Africa (Afrikaans), not from Surinam or the Dutch Antilles. We should travel there like missionaries. However, Rudi Vansnick, the chairman of ISOC Belgium, has promised me that next year he will do the promotion for the EUROPRIX.nl in Belgium.

Categories
The categories need some re-thinking. Some categories attract few or even no entries. This is not good for the judging. Besides not awarding a prize in a category is not the incentive for next year. Of course if the quality is not good enough, no prize should be awarded.
Also the fact that some categories are focused on content (e-Culture, e-government) and some are based on technology (mobile media) calls for a change. Technology should not be the leading feature. Content should be. So we might have to think along the lines of the categories of the World Summit Award.

Festival
The public judging day, the exhibition and the award ceremony all took place on the same day. We should rethink this format. The public judging and exhibition go together well. But the award ceremony should be a separate occasion. Perhaps we should add a public event, so that it will be a real festival. But this should be thought out better and linked to masterclasses, clinics and public demonstration.

Quality
Overlooking the entries, I have been happy with the level of quality. In fact we have instituted a Seal of Quality for the first time in the EUROPRIX.nl. The winners and nominations will automatically receive the Seal of Quality. Then the jury can decide about attributing a Seal of Quality to an entry at their will. And they used their privilege abundantly.



Looking back over the third edition of the EUROPRIX.nl, I feel that these awards are the only Dutch language awards for content and creation in The Netherlands. The advertisement awards are attributed for creativity. So the EUROPRIX.nl awards are for the time being the only real content awards. The low activity season is nearing, so Wim, my partner, and I should be putting on the thinking cap and have a plan by the end of August. The time from September to Janauary should be used to talk to other parties about the EUROPRIX.nl 2006 and of course to sponsors.

So it is goodbye to EUROPRIX.nl 2005.