How to enter the awards

On this page you will find information about how to enter the Fitness Industry Awards.

Before entering please:

  1. Read this page in full
  2. Review the fitness awards category descriptions and notes
  3. Review the questions for your category in full (full instructions below on how to do this).
  4. Review the questions and answers page

Entries are open until Monday 30th August 2010 (note extended date)


To view the questions and information required to enter a category, or to enter, simply click on the ENTER NOW button below.  There is an option to view the questions without completing the application process.

You may also follow this link to suggest someone for a Special Award (Skills Active, FitnessNZ or REPs award).  Note these three special awards are by invitation only, not application, but you are welcome to  suggest any person for the Skills Active or FitnessNZ award, or any person/organisation for the REPs award.  Also follow this link to VOTE in the People’s Choice Award

After selecting a category, you will be asked to provide information in four main sections:

Section 1: Information on the person or organisation entering:

Note: For this section a photo of the individual is needed.  In the case of a facility a photo of the manager/owner is needed taken inside the club or at the front door.

Section 2: A short self-promotion section (you tell us why you should win).

Section 3: Short introduction video and three short video testimonials.

In this section you will be required to confirm you have uploaded short videos to YouTube (one introduction video and three testimonials).    There are no marks for editing of videos (judges are looking at the content only).  For details of how to set up a new YouTube account, and how to upload the videos, please see the YouTube help document designed just for the awards.

Section 4: Specific category related questions.  Some categories have questions that include the option to upload supporting documentation, but the main focus is on gathering data and information about the person/organisation entering the award.

Note: In this section for group exercise and small group trainer, a further video is required of the instructor in action.   This video is a longer video (up to ten minutes in duration).

In all cases any answer may be checked for accuracy through any third party. Additionally, as a part of the finalist process audits, checks and mystery shops will take place.

All word limits are maximums, not targets.  You may answer the questions in fewer words.

Where allowed, additional documentation may be provided as a part of answering a question, however this documentation must not be used to bypass word limits and further answer a question.  It is designed to allow examples of brochures or promotional material to be provided to assist judges in seeing how a particular idea or program was implemented.  Any additional documentation that attempts to bypass word limits will be ignored by the judges.

Important notes for videos

  • There is a lime limit which is absolute and strict.  Judges will stop watching videos once the time limit is reached, so please do not go over time.
  • Entries are not based on the editing quality of the videos, but they should be professional enough to show judges, and other third parties.  For testimonials and entrant’s self intro video, recording with the standard video function of most digital cameras purchased in the last few years is satisfactory.  As long as faces and any images shown are clearly viewable and audio clear, then this is all that is needed.
  • We suggest recording the video at a resolution of at least 640×480, and 24 frames per second or higher.
  • We suggest using a digital camera on a tripod.
  • For group exercise videos, a higher quality is needed so judges can see things such as facial express of the instructor.  Audio must be clear.  Once again there are no marks for any editing work done on the video.

IMPORTANT: All applications are to be submitted via the online form

To provide videos are a part of your entry the following steps are required

  1. Create a new Youtube.com account
  2. Upload the videos to this account
  3. Provide the Account name and password in your online application

Full details of how to do this can be found on the YouTube Awards Help file

For categories that have an entry fee a credit card is required (to keep entry fees to a minimum this is the only payment option provided).  If you do not have a credit card then we suggest you pay a person with a credit card, and then obtain their permission to use their card as payment.

Suggested process

In preparing your application, we suggest the following:

  1. START EARLY. Starting early means you will have plenty of time to prepare your entry and it will be as stress free as possible.
  2. Press the Enter Now button on this page, and select the category you wish to enter.  Also check the box next to Please tick this box if you just want to see the questions, and are not planning on filling in the form just yet.
  3. View each page of questions and instructions and print each page.  Some pages also outline the instructions for videos and/or supporting documentation you should provide.   Most web browsers allow printing of a page from the File menu (top left) and selecting Print.
  4. Check to make sure you have printed all pages (i.e. your paper record matches what the web site asks for).
  5. Prepare answers to questions, record videos (and upload then to a newly created YouTube account) and prepare any supporting documents.  Give yourself plenty of time for this.
  6. When you are ready to enter the awards we suggest that you type all your answers first into a Word file (or any word-processor) and save this file.
  7. Use the Word Count function of Word (often found in the tools menu) that enables you to select text and obtain a word count how many words are in the selected text.
  8. Come back to this web site and select the category you wish to enter.
  9. Cut and paste your answers from your word file into the web application form.  That way if your computer crashes part way through you won’t lose everything (and we all know how frustrating that can be!).  Also have your YouTube videos uploaded already (instructions here) along with your photo (required for section 1) and any supporting pdf or image files ready.

Do NOT leave your entry to the last week – as soon as it is ready, complete the online process.  The same applies for the videos section – you can record these well in advance, and upload them to YouTube.  Leaving it to the last minute may result in missing the closing date, and therefore being ineligible to enter the awards.

GOOD LUCK!

Questions?

For questions regarding the entry process, please check the questions and answers page. For further questions email awards@fitnessindustryawards.co.nz or call 0800 66 88 11.

Please note: Question about how judges will interpret questions may not be able to be answered, but any question as to the process of how the awards are run can be answered.

What happens after I enter?

The following time line summarises what happens to entries

  • Entries are open until 30th August 2010
  • Entrants receive a confirmation email immediately, and a confirmation letter within 14 days of entering
  • Preliminary judging takes place August – September, and a short list of possible finalists is created
  • Finalists are mystery shopped/audited/checked (this process is very comprehensive, and varies depending on the category).
  • Mid November: Finalists are announced
  • 28th November 2010: Awards dinner, winners announced.
  • December 2010: All entrants will receive a brief judges comment form as way of feedback