World Chambers Congress
2013 World Chambers Competition categories announced
The ICC World Chambers Federation has announced categories for the 2013 World Chambers Competition, the only global awards programme to recognize the most innovative projects launched by chambers of commerce and industry from all over the world.
The biennial Competition has become a stellar feature of the World Chambers Congress programme, since its introduction at the 3rd World Chambers Congress in Quebec City in 2003.
The Competition gives chambers a unique opportunity to showcase originality, demonstrate their resolve to strengthen small- and medium-sized enterprises, and exhibit their innovation in delivering member services.
For 2013, new categories have been included to further the Competition mission – to stimulate entrepreneurial creativity and inspire other chambers.
The five categories are:
• Best corporate social responsibility project
• Best international trade project
• Best small business project
• Best unconventional project
• Best youth entrepreneurship project
“The World Chambers Competition has become the highlight of the World Chambers Congress and is poised once again to be one of the most popular sessions next year in Doha, Qatar,” said Rona Yircali, World Chambers Federation Chair. “We look forward to receiving entries from chambers both large and small, and from developed and least developed countries.”
A panel of international judges will face the challenge of short-listing four finalists for each of the categories. Finalists will have the opportunity to present their projects in person to the jury during the 8th World Chambers Congress scheduled to take place on 22-25 April 2013 in Doha. Winners will be announced during an award ceremony on the concluding day of the Congress.
Winners and finalists of the World Chambers Competition in 2011 included chambers from Bangladesh, Canada, France, New Zealand, Peru, South Korea and Turkey. Projects included capacity-building programmes, human resource training centres, membership recruitment techniques and disaster business relief courses.
“Our participation in 2011 at the World Chambers Competition in Mexico attracted a lot of interest and has been a great opportunity for the Danish Chamber of Commerce to promote our Crimestat project,” said Jens Klarskov, Danish Chamber of Commerce CEO.
Following the return of the Danish chamber’s mission to Australia to market their project, Mr Klarskov said: “The domestic adoption and perception of the Crimestat System and the acknowledgement of being chosen as one of the finalists in the Competition has also further strengthened the credibility of the system.”
Madan Lal Joshi, Past President of the former award winning Narayangah Chamber of Commerce said: “We were particularly pleased to receive an award as we are a very small chamber with only 1,100 members. Presenting our project at the Congress gave us a wonderful opportunity to learn from chambers around the world.”
