The Silver Leaf competition is open to all communication professionals, students, suppliers and partners in the Canadian communication, advertising, journalism and marketing industries. All work must originate in Canada and be implemented, published or broadcast within the previous two years of the day of submission.

You do not have to be an IABC member to apply for the Silver Leaf Award.

Entries are now closed. The call for entries will open again in Spring 2023.

Entry Fees

(2022, subject to change for 2023)

Entrant Early-bird deadline Final deadline
IABC members $125 $150
Students $25 $35
Non-members $175 $200

 

Submission Tips

When applying, be sure to select the division and category that best fit your entry. These divisions and categories help evaluators to assess whether your entry achieved its goals. If your entry is clearly submitted in the wrong category, you risk disqualification and your entry will not be returned. The evaluators recognize that some entries fit in several categories, and, in such cases, may be more lenient.

The same project, or parts of a project, may be submitted in different categories. Create a tailored work plan for each entry. Do not write one work plan and submit it to more than one category. You may submit as many entries as you wish, but separate fees apply for each entry.

  • All work must be implemented, published or broadcast between January 2020 and the day of submission. If a long-term strategy was developed prior to Jan. 1, 2020, and hasn’t been entered in this competition, it is eligible for entry.
  • If a long-term strategy developed before Jan. 1, 2020, has been entered in a previous Silver Leaf competition, only new information and progress will be evaluated.
  • Materials produced or broadcast outside this market are eligible as long as they originated in Canada.
  • Include original material for the work sample. Syndicated, borrowed, reprinted or stock materials are not eligible.
  • You must include written permission to submit any entries that were produced on behalf of clients on the company letterhead of those granting permission.
  • All entries must conform to IABC’s Code of Ethics.
  • Work done for IABC chapters or regions is eligible for this competition.

Work plans for Divisions 1, 2 and 3 are limited to four pages using a font size no smaller than 10 points and margins no less than ½ inch. For Division 4, Communication Skills, you will need to submit a brief entry form, answering the following questions:

  1. Describe the organization and project. (800 characters, including spaces)
  2. Why was this project undertaken? (600 characters, including spaces)
  3. Who was the audience(s) for this project? What do you know about the audience(s)? (600 characters, including spaces)
  4. List up to three key measurable objectives for the project. How well did the project meet the objectives? (600 characters, including spaces)
  5. List up to three key messages for the project. (600 characters, including spaces)
  6. Describe the resources (budget, time, others) available for the project and how effectively they were managed. (600 characters, including spaces)

Your entry will be disqualified if:

  • Payment is insufficient for the total number of entries.
  • Your entry includes mainly syndicated, borrowed, reprinted or stock material.
  • Your entry is the work of another person and you had no direct involvement.
  • The work plan exceeds the required length.

The Silver Leaf Awards program accepts entries submitted by a student or a group of students. Entrants must have been either full-time students at a college, university or other educational institution, or part-time students working toward a degree, during the time the entry was created.

Entries should reflect work performed in a student, not professional, capacity. Student categories recognize the work of those about to enter the professional communication field. If you were enrolled as a student but have professional communication experience or are employed in the communication profession, please enter the main Silver Leaf Program.

Work produced for educational courses, a club or volunteer association, an internship or other non- commercial activities while you are a student are eligible for submission. Work done for IABC or the IABC Research Foundation at the international level is not eligible. Work done for IABC chapters and districts or regions is eligible. Professors or advisers may not enter on behalf of a student.