About Best of State ®

The Best of State Awards were created to recognize outstanding individuals, organizations and businesses in Utah. By recognizing excellence in our community and sharing examples of success and triumph in so many worthy endeavors, we hope all will be inspired to reach a little higher, to try a little harder, and to work a little smarter for our dreams and goals.

 

Criteria

The Best of State Judges are looking for individuals, businesses, and organizations that
·            Excel in their endeavors
·            Use innovative approaches or methods
·            Contribute to a better quality of life in Utah

 

Those three criteria will be used to judge Best of State candidates as follows:

 

(50%) Achievement in the field of endeavor.

Best of State candidates demonstrate achievement and excellence in their fields of endeavor, producing superior results and outcomes. Evidence for this achievement may include—but is not limited to—recognition from peers, development of superior products, growth and expansion of their enterprise, and previous awards and competitions won.

(30%) Innovation or creativity in approaches, techniques, methods, or processes.

Best of State candidates differentiate themselves in positive ways from others within their field through innovation or creativity in approaches, techniques, methods, or processes.

 

(20%) Contribution to the quality of life in Utah.

Best of State candidates make Utah a better place. Community service, charitable contributions (financial or goods and services), family-friendly employment policies, environmentally sound practices or policies, increased employment opportunities, community beautification, education, contribution to a strong economy, and cultural contributions are just a few ways people and organizations make Utah a better place to live and work.

 

Process

The judging process is one of the most important dimensions of Best of State. Our goal in designing the Best of State judging process was to make it as fair and objective as possible.

When all applications are complete or at the end of the application deadline, more than 100 judges review the nominations. Each nomination is judged on its own merits and is not ranked against each other by the judges. Unlike many older judging processes, the Best of State judges perform their assignment(s) individually, away from the possible comments, persuasion or lobbying of other judges. This process is carefully overseen by the independent certified public accounting firm Gilbert & Stewart, P.C., which collects and tabulates the scores for accuracy.
After reviewing each nomination, judges assign numerical scores for each of the three judging criteria. Each nomination is judged on its own merits, and judges do not rank the applicants against each other.

The paper ballots are mailed directly to the official Best of State accounting firm, Gilbert & Stewart, CPA, where scores are tabulated and the results are triple-checked for accuracy.

Winners from each category will receive a Best of State medal. Best of State winners also receive the right to display the Best of State logo and year of award on business correspondence, their website and other promotional materials.

Medal winner nominations are then resubmitted to the judges and scored again. The highest scoring entry from each of the ten general divisions is selected to receive the BOSS (Best of State Statue). BOSS awards will be presented at the Best of State Awards Gala in Salt Lake City.