HOLLYWOOD, FL -- The A.R.E. Design Awards is the premier retail design awards competition, providing more industrywide coverage than any other program.                     

Entries may be submitted by retailers, designers, architects or suppliers of projects installed in operating retail environments between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2011. Early bird deadline for entry is Dec. 1, 2011; final deadlines is Dec. 15, 2011.

Prizes awarded include:

• Grand Prizes in 16 shop and store design categories
• Store of the Year
• Fixture of the Year
• Store Fixture Awards
• Visual Presentation Awards
• Flooring Award(s)
• Lighting Awards (s)
• In-Store Communications Award(s)
• Wall Treatment Award(s)
• A.R.E. Sustainability Awards

Awards will be presented in Las Vegas during the awards ceremony, Feb. 29, the evening of the first day of GlobalShop. In addition, winners receive recognition in A.R.E. online design awards coverage, including the annual online multi-year search, in our design awards Winners Book and other trade press, including DDI and VMSD.

Enter a store or shop online. Get special consideration of various elements like store fixtures or flooring for a small additional fee. Or add your entry into the A.R.E. Sustainability Awards for an additional $100. Category options include:

• Restaurant/Casual
• Restaurant/Fine Dining
• Convenience Store
• Supermarket/Grocery Store
• Specialty Food Retailer
• Service Retailer
• Pop-up Store
• Hardline Shop Within a Store
• Softline Shop Within a Store
• Department Store
• Discount/Mass Merchant
• Hardline Specialty Store
• Softline Specialty Store
• Specialty Store Over 25,000 s.f.
• Vending Machine/Kiosk(or enter in another category and add store fixture consideration)
• Window Display (or enter in another category and add visual presentation consideration) Innovative Element Add-ons: store fixture, visual presentation, wall treatment,  in-store communications,  flooring, lighting.

Enter or download the Entry Kit from RetailEnvironments.org. Entry questions? Contact Debra Dean at A.R.E. at 954-893-7300, ext. 4800.

Source: Assn. for Retail Environments.