Official Rules
Entry Information
The SHLD Award recognizes both design excellence and the environmental and social impact of interior furnishings used in the construction or renovation of hotels.
The judging committee will select winners based on design aesthetics, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability impact, as measured by the MindClick Sustainability Assessment Program (MSAP). MindClick’s evaluation aggregates the impact performance of individual products into an overall project score, with a primary emphasis on reducing carbon and waste, designing for longevity and reuse, and creating healthy interior environments.
All entries will undergo an initial evaluation phase, after which a shortlist will be created. Once shortlisted, we will require additional documentation to proceed with the final evaluation.
To ensure a comprehensive and fair evaluation for the category you are applying to, we require the following documentation from all nominees. Please ensure all required documents for each phase are turned in, incomplete submissions may not be considered. If you have any questions about the documentation requirements, please contact:
Guarina Garcia-Delgado
Customer Solutions Coordinator
info@shldawards.com
(231) 888-2095
All initial entrants must provide:
Phase 1 Initial Entries: See Guidelines below for additional details.
Project Matrix: Submit a complete matrix in excel form.
FF&E Purchase Orders (POs): Submit all POs associated with the project in excel format.
Imagery: Please provide any photos and/or renderings of the project along with a Photo Release Form.
Project Description Doc: Minimum 300-word Word document with a description of the project.
NDA: Due to the sensitive nature of the documentation, we will provide an NDA to be completed at this phase of the project.
Phase 2 Shortlisted Entries:
Construction Documents (CDs): Submit Final CD sets associated with the project.
Based on the information provided in the submitted design documents and the selected products/suppliers, MindClick will produce a Project Impact Report and Rating (PIR). MindClick’s PIR measures performance based on four primary KPIs.
Carbon emissions reduction: in the factories used to make the products
Healthy interiors: products certified as free of toxins
Waste/Circularity: reduced packaging; product designed for reuse/take-back
Social responsibility: DEI, local sourcing, fair labor and human rights
The judges will be provided with anonymized PIRs for each submitted project along with all supplied photography. The photography needs to be of the entire hotel interiors and exteriors including the reception, lobby/gathering spaces, and food and beverage outlets (if applicable) as well as the guestrooms, suites, and guest bathrooms.
The primary judging criteria’s will be weighted . The 3-5 highest scoring entry in each category will be considered a finalist.
Additional information required includes photo release form, and the list of all associated stakeholders (design firm, architecture firm, GC, purchasing company, brand (if applicable), owner and/or operator, GCs, and project management firm).
If you would like to better understand what MindClick does please visit the MindClick site for more details.
Entry is open now to design firms, architectural firms, purchasing companies, brands, owners and operators and must be submitted by October 31, 2024.
Finalists will be announced by early December 2024. The winners of the SHLD Awards will be announced and presented at ALIS DESIGN+ January 30-31, 2025 at the JW Marriott LA LIVE, Los Angeles, California.
Submission Guidelines
All hospitality newbuilds and renovations completed from AUGUST 30, 2022, to AUGUST 30, 2024, are eligible. Each entry must be submitted using this official online entry form with the following:
Complete the official online entry form. You may submit a project in more than one category. However, a separate, completed entry form and entry fee are required for each submission. There will be a $250 entry fee per submission. Fees are non-refundable. When the project form is completed, the SHLD team will review and share a private DropBox Link for you to add all required documentation for the submitted project. In addition, you will also receive an Invoice for the total number of submissions and processing fees. This must be paid in full in order for the entry to be deemed complete. Payment can be made via ACH or Credit Cards, a 3% credit card fee will be applied. Design Firms submitting more than 1 project will get a 10% discount on all subsequent projects.
In the submission form, list of all firms involved in the design/installation of the project including but not limited to: the project owner or developer (client); operator; the architect of record; landscape designer/architect; purchasing agent; other interior design firms; including official and complete firm names and locations (city and country) for each and specifying which area of the project each firm designed. If multiple design firms participated in the project, ALL must be listed to ensure that the submission is eligible.
Contact person for the interior design firm, including title, email and direct phone number.
Project Documentation:
Complete Project Matrix in excel form that includes all product specification and quantities.
FF&E Purchase Orders (POs): Submit all POs associated with the project. Excel format preferred.
All the documentation requested at both phases of this process is crucial to creating the MindClick Analysis that judges will be reviewing. Please note that all documentation provided will remain anonymous due to the sensitive nature of the information.
Project Description Doc:
A minimum 300-word Word document with a description of the project including the property’s official and complete name, its location (city and country), opening date for newbuilds; date of completion for renovations and conversions; room count for hotels; percentage of spend that went to the products tied to a sustainability story; and a brief summary of the principal features, i.e. design intent, challenges, resources and budget, and which aspects of the project demonstrate excellence and thought leadership in the concept and execution.
List of all firms involved in the design/installation of the project including but not limited to: the project owner or developer (client); operator; the architect of record; landscape designer/architect; purchasing agent; other interior design firms; including official and complete firm names and locations (city and country) for each and specifying which area of the project each firm designed. If multiple design firms participated in the project, ALL must be listed to ensure that the submission is eligible.
Imagery:
Minimum of five (5) to a maximum of (25) high resolution, 300 dpi color photos of the interiors (without people), with the project name and category included in the file name. Images that are not properly identified may not be considered. Each image should also have the name of the space—i.e., Hotel California Lobby. MAX FILE SIZE: 20MB for each image. Please provide any photos and/or renderings of the project. By submitting, you confirm that you own the rights to these images, ensuring that the photographer cannot pursue any claims for additional fees against the SHLD Awards. If a photo credit is required, please provide the necessary details, or confirm that no credit is needed. Any usage rights or associated costs will be the responsibility of the submitter.
Only images formatted as jpegs or tiffs (300 dpi or higher resolution) will be considered. You will not be able to submit any other types of photo files. Finalists will be required to submit a completed source list, detailed owner information, photo release, and design team listing within two weeks of notification in January 2025.
Terms and Conditions
All information provided must be accurate. Any liability for breach of third-party rights, including patent, trademark, copyright, or other intellectual property rights, is the exclusive responsibility of the entrant. By submitting an entry, you (a) represent and warrant that you own the exclusive rights and/or have obtained all necessary third-party consents to submit all content, including any images, photography, logos, or multimedia, for consideration; (b) grant MindClick, ALIS DESIGN+, and their designees, licensees, or affiliates a fully paid, worldwide license to use, distribute, display, reproduce, publish, republish, and create derivative works of the entry in any media now or hereafter known; (c) agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless MindClick, ALIS DESIGN+, their partners, affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising agencies, agents, and their employees, officers, directors, and representatives from any and all third-party claims arising from the entry and use of any such images submitted in connection with the competition; (d) release MindClick, ALIS DESIGN+, the judges, and all partners involved in the awards process from any and all liability in connection with the entry and its participation in the competition; and (e) grant permission for the use of the submitted content, including images, for promotional purposes related to the SHLD Awards.