Nelson Schmidt innovates BMA Awards

Nelson Schmidt, a leading full-service marketing communications agency, successfully moved the Milwaukee chapter of the Business Marketing Assocation into the age of 2.0 with this year’s awards show. As winner of last year’s Best of Show, the agency was offered the chance to develop the theme of the 2009 event and took the opportunity to change the entire paradigm of the program. From call for submissions, through judging, to the presentation of entries, the experience was online and interactive.

Nelson Schmidt designed the awards Web site to facilitate digital submission and online judging. The most impressive aspect of this year’s focus on digital technology, however, was the experience attendees had at the awards event. Gone were the traditional board displays. In their place were sleek, touch-screen monitors where users could navigate quickly through the digitized entries and vote for their favorite for the People’s Choice award.

Additionally, the April 7 event featured the debut of Microsoft Surface technology in the Milwaukee market. In a joint venture between Nelson Schmidt, Microsoft and the BMA, an application was created that allowed multiple users to simultaneously review the creative entries using the new Surface technology. Microsoft Surface employs a camera-based vision system that lets users grab digital content with their hands and move information between objects with simple gestures and touches.

Response to this year’s shift to a digital theme was overwhelmingly positive according to Karen Conrad, BMA president. “Nelson Schmidt did an outstanding job leading the creative and technology aspects of the program,” she said “I think the event sent a clear message as to the direction of B2B marketing and gave our organization a great deal to think about.”