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FAQs

Crystal Awards

What are the AMA Houston Crystal Awards?

Each spring, AMA Houston hands out almost 100 Crystal Awards to Texas’ best and brightest marketers. The Crystal Awards gala is the largest marketing event in Houston and is attended by the best and brightest marketing professionals from almost every industry.

What's so special about the Crystal Awards?

The Crystal Awards is the only show in Houston that determines winners based on results. Entries are composed of four questions, and results count as double weight. Find more information about judging here.

Who can enter?

Any firm or individual that produced marketing work in Texas. If the entry was directed by a company, or a branch office of a company, and produced by another entity (agency, production firm, etc.), at least one of those must be located in Texas. More info is available on our guidelines page.

In what time frame must the marketing be completed to be eligible?

All entries must have been created between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2023, for the 2024 competition.

Who are the judges and how are they selected?

Each year, we carefully vet and select our judging panel. Judges are always from outside of the Houston area and are recognized leaders in marketing, communications, PR, marketing research, and digital marketing and social media. They come from a diverse marketing background covering business to business, business to consumer and non-profit. The panel typically consists of CMOs, national AMA leaders or executives, nationally recognized agency leaders, authors, and marketing academics.

What is the Judges' Choice Award?

It’s the best-in-show entry that we award at the end of the evening. Judges hand-pick outstanding entries among the pool. Every entry is eligible!

Entry Information

When are the deadlines?

The Early Entry deadline is midnight on March 18, 2024. The Late Entry EXTENDED to April 9 at 11:59pm, 2024.

How do I enter?

We use an online entry system that you can find here.

How much does it cost to enter?

You can find all the fees here.

Why is there a price difference for members and non-members?

Value. For nearly 70 years, AMA Houston has been an essential community for marketers. We value our members and the talent they bring to our organization. We strive to give members the best networking and educational opportunities, which includes deep discounts for Crystal Awards, and our many other events.

In 2020, the American Marketing Association, of which AMA Houston is a chapter of, cut annual membership dues by 50%. Annual membership in AMA is now only $150. This is not a temporary discount, but the new membership price. By joining AMA today, you can not only take advantage of our discounted Crystal Awards entry fees, but you and your company will receive the full benefits of the AMA, including deep discounts to local AMA Houston events like the Crystal Awards, luncheons and our award-winning Academy programs. Your membership also gives you access to AMA’s national benefits including resources and tools, certification programs, training and conferences, affinity benefits, and much more. Join today here.

Does AMA Houston verify membership for all Crystal Awards entries?

Yes. Before entries are assigned to judges, our membership team verifies each one against AMA’s membership database. Additional fees will be applicable for any person or company entering as a member that does not exist in our database.

I am responsible for entering our Crystal Awards entries, but I am not a member. However, my manager/coworker is.

That’s great! You may enter as Member and receive the entry fee discount. The person entering Crystal Awards does not have to be a member; however, at least one individual within your company or organization’s marketing department must be an AMA member. Group Membership is also available where your entire team can join for only $119/year.

Is the login the same as my AMA membership login?

No. This is a different system than your AMA.org login. If you’ve entered the Crystal Awards since 2015 or the Marketer of the Year since 2017, then you’ll use the same login.

Am I a Member?

To verify your membership, please email membersupport@ama.org.

How do I submit payment for my entry?

Once you have completed and finalized all your entries and they are listed in your shopping cart, then press proceed to checkout. We accept major credit cards only.

How are entries judged?

Each year, we carefully vet and select our judging panel. Judges are always from outside of the Houston area and are recognized leaders in marketing, communications, PR, marketing research, digital marketing, and social media. They come from a diverse marketing background covering business to business, business to consumer, and non-profit. The panel typically consists of CMOs, national AMA leaders or executives, nationally recognized agency leaders, authors, and marketing academics.

How are entries scored?

Every entry must fully answer five (5) key questions:

Situation/Challenge
Objective
Strategy/Tactics
Message Alignment
Results (double weighted)

Each question is scored from 1 (the lowest) to 10 (the highest). What separates Crystal Awards from other marketing prizes is that we are not a beauty contest. To win a Crystal, you have to show the RESULTS. This is why the Results question is double weighted. See the full judging process here.

What do you use the storyboards for?

It’s a supporting document to your entry, but they don’t count toward your final score. If you’re a finalist, then your board will be featured in the Gallery at the show.