THE EUROPEAN PUBLIC AFFAIRS AWARDS (EPA AWARDS): PEER DRIVEN OR GOOD OLE BOYS CLUB ?

Now in its sixth year, the European Public Affairs Awards (EPA Awards) sets to unite the Public Affairs community to celebrate excellence and best practice across the industry. Three Associations essentially determine the Award (EPACA, SEAP and ECPA) and all three are interrelated to a greater extent. There are 8 categories that are considered:

1. Campaign of the Year: This award is open to any individual or organization campaigning in Brussels on EU policy issues.
2. Consultancy of the Year: The 'Consultancy of the Year' must demonstrate outstanding achievement for its clients. Judges are looking for evidence of business success and prudent agency management for example, profit growth, organic growth, staff numbers, new business success and staff satisfaction and retention.
3. Digital/Social Media Champion: This award is open to any individual or organization using social media to engage with their target audience. This audience might be policy makers, colleagues, peers or stakeholders within the public affairs community. Methods might include creation of apps, blogs, Twitter/Facebook/Youtube, email campaigns, online petitions or the creation of driven content via the web.
4. Public Affairs Professional of the Year: This award is open to any public affairs practitioner dealing with EU issues. Judges are looking for their contribution to the aims of their organization, engagement with the public affairs industry and/or involvement in wider EU policy debate and discussion.
5. In-House Team of the Year: This category is open to any non-agency public affairs team that has enjoyed an outstanding year in influencing policy. Judges are looking for evidence of achievements by the team in terms of results for their organisation and value for money as well as innovation, creativity and staff development.
6. NGO of the Year: This award is open to any NGO operating as a dedicated EU wide entity or the EU chapter of a national NGO. Judges are looking for evidence of achievements by the NGO in representing their organization over particular EU policy issues and/or general promotion and perception.
7. Rising Star of the Year: This award is open to any trade association or professional body operating in Brussels. Judges are looking for best practice in representing members' interests and examples of successful engagement with stakeholders.
8. Trade Association/Professional Body of the Year: This award is open to any trade association or professional body operating in Brussels. Judges are looking for best practice in representing members' interests and examples of successful engagement with stakeholders.

The Select Group

1. Judges

The European Public Affairs Awards judges review the nominations and select the shortlist of three nominees per category

1. Catherine Stewart, International Chairman at Interel, Former Vice President of the Society of European Affairs Professionals
2. Glenn Vaughan, Chief Executive of the British Chamber of Commerce in Belgium
3. Jose Lalloum, Former Chairman, EPACA, Founder and Former Managing Partner of Logos Public Affairs
4. Karl Isaksson, Managing Partner Kreab Gavin Anderson Brussels, Chairman EPACA
5. Lyn Trytsman-Gray, Senior Vice President, European Affairs, RTL Group, Former President of the SEAP
6. Maria Laptev, President, ECPA, Executive Director of the European Centre for Public Affairs (ECPA)
7. Michael Burrell, Vice Chairman, Public Affairs, Europe, APCO Worldwide, Current Chair of the Association of Professional Political Consultants (APPC) and Senior Adviser to the ECPA
8. Nikolaus Tacke, Public Affairs and Government Relations Director, Coca-Cola Europe
9. Susan Danger, Managing Director, AmCham EU
10. Susanna di Feliciantonio, President SEAP

2. The Voting College:

This year's EPA awards voting college included:

1. Carla Millar, University of Twente, NL, and Ashridge College, UK, Professor of International Marketing and Management
2. Tom Spencer, Academic
3. Jean-Louis Bosteels, SEAP Avocat
4. Yves De Lespinay, SEAP, Director, EU Training Campus- Avisa Partners
5. Lucyna Gutman-Grauer, SEAP, Managing Partner, Concept and Research
6. Andreas Galanakis, SEAP, Policy Director, AmCham EU
7. Dani Kolb, SEAP, Senior Consultant, Kellen Europe
8. Malte Lohan, SEAP, Global Corporate Affairs Director, AB InBev
9. Monica Monaco, SEAP, President and Founder PubAffairs, Brussels
10. Nicolas Robin, SEAP, Public Affairs Director, O-I
11. Philip Sheppard, SEAP, Zaparazzi
12. Kajsa Stenstroem, SEAP, Senior Adviser, MHP Communications’ Brussels Office
13. Dick Toets, SEAP, Unilever
14. Julia Harrison, EPACA, Senior Managing Director, FTI Strategic Communications
15. Andrew Johnson, EPACA, Havas Public Affairs
16. Charles Laroche, EPACA, Owner at Laroche Conseil, Senior Advisor Public Affairs at International Fragrance Association, Senior Adviser at Tällberg Foundation
17. David Earnshaw, EPACA, CEO Burson-Marsteller Brussels Office
18. Claire Boussagol EPACA, Managing Director of APCO Worldwide’s Brussels Office
19. Frederic Soudain, EPACA, Logos Public Affairs
20. Rory Mcrae, EPACA, Partner GPlus Europe
21. Aart van Iterson, EPACA, Managing Partner Cambre Associates
22. Caroline Wunnerlich, EPACA, Managing Director FleishmanHillard’s Brussels Office
23. Isabelle De Vinck, EPACA, Country Manager Political Intelligence, Head of Secretariat ISPA Belgium, Head of Secretariat EuroISPA
24. Jan te Bos, ECPA, Director General Eurima
25. Ruth Rawling, ECPA, Vice President Public Affairs Cargill Europe
26. Thomas Dubois, ECPA, Koch Companies Public Sector LLC
27. Noel Clehane, ECPA, BDO, Global Head of Regulatory & Public Policy Affairs

• PA Consultancies: APCO Worldwide, Avisa Partners, Burson-Marsteller, Cambre Associates, Concept and Research, FleishmanHillard, FTI Strategic Communications, GPlus Europe, Havas Public Affairs, Interel, Kreab Gavin Anderson, Laroche Conseil, Logos, MHP Communications, Political Intelligence, Zaparazzi
• Companies: Coca Cola Europe, AB InBev, Cargill Europe, Visa Europe, RTL Group, O-I, Unilever
• Chambers of Commerce (British Chamber of Commerce in Belgium, AmCham EU)
• Association Management: Kellen Europe
• Trade Association: Eurima
• Consulting and Auditing: Koch Companies Public Sector LLC, BDO Auditing

The most meaningful awards are those that are truly peer driven and not just a ‘good ole boys club’ of rotating awards among a designated select group

The judging panel should consist of representatives not solely limited to the EPACA, SEAP and ECPA but include other Brussels-based respected industry leaders as  well as in EU member states. EPACA, SEAP and the ECPA cannot claim to represent the entire public affairs industry within the European Union.

There also should be an independent chair who facilitates the process but does not take part in the judging.

The judging process should be staged in two parts. First stage: initial judging and selection process and Second stage: final judging and selection of category winners.

Each entry should be considered independently and impartially by the panel of judges whose task it is to narrow the applications down to finalists in each category. During the judging process, the judges should take into consideration the merit of the entries and the extent to which they meet the relevant award criteria.

Highly commended awards should be allocated at the judges’ discretion. There should be one winner per category.

The decision of the judging panel should be final. No correspondence between judges and entrants should be entered into. The judges should reserve the right to move an entry from one category to another if they see fit.