This year, the City of Durham Parish Council will be organising and judging a ‘Best Christmas Business Frontage Competition’. The competition aims to add an extra level of sparkle to Durham City during the festive season and hopes to promote businesses in the City of Durham Parish area as a whole to shoppers and visitors of our great City. The winner of each of the business categories will win a prize of £500.
Make sure that you submit your application form to the Council via e-mail at parishclerk@cityofdurham-pc.gov.uk
A copy of the application form can be found here: Best Christmas Business Frontage Competition – application form
Eligibility
Any business within the City of Durham Parish area and which has indicated that they wish to take part in the competition by completing and returning the form attached is eligible to take part in this year’s competition.
Judging and Judging Criteria
The window display that is judged must be the same as the display that will continue to be in the business window(s) throughout the Christmas period.
The competition is between individual businesses in each of the following categories: an independent business, a chain store, an indoor market stall, a non-retail business. Whilst businesses may choose to adopt a theme of its own, it is individual business displays that will be judged.
We will judge against the following criteria:
•Innovation and creativity. How new or different is the window display?
•Spirit of Christmas and festivity. How well does the display convey the ‘Spirit of Christmas’ and a festive message?
•Merchandising (not included in the non-retail category) how well does the business show case its merchandise to shoppers.
•Overall impression and visual impact. E.g. how well is the window lit up?
Judges will award up to 5 points for each of the criteria (a total of 20 for independent business, a chain store, an indoor market stall and 15 for the non-retail business). Judges will work together and will agree the score against each criterion and therefore the total score. The highest score from each of the business categories will win a £500 prize.
Judging
The windows must be complete by 4.00pm on Wednesday 9th December 2020. Judging will take on 9th December from 4.00pm and the results will be announced on Thursday 10th December 2020.
Awards Presentation
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, an Awards presentation like last year will sadly not be possible. All winners will receive a plaque, hand delivered by one of our Judges, with a socially-distanced photograph outside the winning frontage. The winners will be advertised online via social media and the local press.