Are nominations free?
Yes. You don’t have to pay anything to nominate yourself or your client. There is absolutely no fee required to take part in the Awards, which is run as a CSR project to recognise and salute excellence in the insurance industry.
Organising the Awards costs about US$250,000. Funding comes from table sales for the Awards Presentation Dinner, as well as sponsors who support the cause to boost standards and professionalism.
Why take part in the Awards? What is unique about the Awards?
The Asia Insurance Industry Awards goes beyond figures and sales targets. It is fully transparent with the judging process independently audited. The Panel of Judges is made up of the leading lights in the industry.
Nominations are free and open to all. You don’t have to be a subscriber, an advertiser, a sponsor or a client of AIR to be nominated or to win.
The winner is chosen by the Panel of Judges which represents a cross section of the industry including regional and international market leaders, association heads, and regulators.
Judging and conflicts
All judges are involved in rating and ranking the entries. We allow companies employing the Judges to take part as otherwise it will be penalising the Judges. But the “conflicts” rule ensures that Judges do not vote in the categories to select the winners that their companies are taking part in.
It is the integrity of the Judges that underpins the Awards system. Judging is not based on consensus but on the Judges’ scoring of the write-ups in the first instance, and then ranking the finalists after on Judging Day. The Judges contribute their time and effort to this grueling process as their social service to the industry.
Why are only finalists announced?
To allow everyone to take part without fear of embarrassment, we adopt a positive approach where we will only announce the finalists. The other nominations that don’t make it to the finals are never named. Nonetheless, the nominee is free to do his own marketing should he want to.
Why are self-nominations allowed?
Self-nomination is neutral. This is to make the system as fair as possible and to allow everyone to get a chance to be recognised.
Did Award winners pay or sponsor to win?
No. The process is transparent and audited. Everything depends on the Judges’ selection.
Why are the results kept secret till the day of the Gala Dinner?
This is to add excitement and to ensure that all the finalists will attend the Dinner. And most awards that are genuine do not announce the winners until the very night of the presentation, like the Academy Awards.