The 2017 Best Birding Retailer of the Year Awards
Nominations are being accepted for the third annual Best Birding Retailer of the Year Awards which are scheduled to be conferred at this year's Wild Bird Expo™, held in Mexico, Missouri on October 3rd, 4th & 5th.

Nominations may be submitted by birding business industry leaders and fellow birding retailers, in addition to those from the Candidate Search Committee. Other nominators will include birding industry vendors and organizations such as WBFI. Self-nominations are encouraged. Candidates will be submitted to the Award Selection Team for review and selection, based on several criteria including the following:

• All nominees must demonstrate conscientious effort in advancing the birding hobby and industry and directly support bird sanctuaries, wildlife refuges, conservation and wetlands projects, bird rescue and rehabilitation efforts, and/or bird-specific educational associations.
  
• Candidates may range from backyard nature, bird stores, garden centers to farm and home stores and / or hardware stores.
  
• Factors evaluated includes: sales volume (total and per / sq. ft.), growth history and advancement of new trends, best practice systems, product selection offered, merchandising, advertising, customer communication and education (websites, social media, etc.), and overall impact within their community and beyond.

Categories include:
- Best Large Store with a Birding Emphasis (Over 1,800 Sq. Feet)
- Best Small Store with a Birding Emphasis (Less than 1,800 Sq. Feet)
- Best Birding Department in a Multi-Line Store
- Best Birding Department as a funding source for a Non-Profit Organization

The Wild Bird Expo™ is co-sponsored and hosted by Gold Crest Distributing in Mexico, MO. Grant Toellner, Vice President of Gold Crest Distributing, was quoted to say, "This is the third year that Gold Crest has been privileged to host the Best Birding Retailer Awards. We are honored to take part in helping recognize the leaders of this industry."

For more information about the Best Birding Retailer Awards contact:
Grant Toellner
Vice President
Gold Crest Distributing
PH: 888-985-2473
Email: Grant@goldcrestdistributing.com

Nomination form: http://image.exct.net/lib/ff571d777d/d/2/2017%20BBRA%20Nomination%20Form.pdf