PAVE - The Planning and Visual Education Partnership

Hollywood, Fla. (July 8, 2010)—In keeping with its mission of nurturing and encouraging young talented individuals to ensure the future of the retail design and visual industry, the Planning and Visual Education Partnership (PAVE) has launched the 4th Annual Rising Star Award to recognize the achievements of individuals who have demonstrated talent, vision, and implementation in the retail environment.

For the 2010 awards, retailers are invited to nominate an individual (under 35 years of age) who works in retail design, visual presentation, or contract design and is a proven innovator and leader among peers. This free award program is seeking nominees who demonstrate originality; a passion for their work; intuitive decision making; a willingness to take risks; drive and ambition; persistence and resourcefulness to achieve effective results; vision—a big-picture, “what’s next?” mindset; professionalism and appropriate business etiquette; and the desire to seek inspiration from unexpected sources.

Any retail organization may nominate up to two individuals by completing a nomination form and submitting it to PAVE no later than Oct. 1, 2010. The nominee can be a member of the retail organization, a retail designer, or an industry supplier with whom the retailer works closely. There is no charge to enter. Nominees must be 35 years of age or younger.

Nominations will be reviewed by a panel of industry professionals. Finalists will be contacted for a short interview. PAVE will contact senior management of all finalists in late-October for employment verification and additional input about the finalist. Recognition of the finalists and announcement of the winner will be presented during the PAVE Gala, Dec. 8, 2010 at The Pierre, New York City. Award recipients will receive recognition at the Gala, online, through PAVE, and in industry trade press.

The deadline for nominations for this free award program is Oct. 1, 2010. Nomination forms and more information are available here. Contact PAVE at 954-241-4834, for questions.

Editor's note: For the Rising Star logo, please contact Dori Zinn at dorizinn@retailenvironments.org or 954-241-4814.

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About PAVE
Founded in 1992, The Planning and Visual Education Partnership’s (PAVE) objective is to encourage students to study in the field of retail design and planning and visual merchandising through its annual Student Design Competition. Additionally, PAVE seeks to encourage retail management, store planners, visual merchandisers, architects, and manufacturers to interact with and support design students. This is accomplished through projects, seminars, workshops, and the annual fundraising Gala with proceeds dedicated to educational programs and projects benefiting students. PAVE is a 501(c)(3) educational foundation administered by A.R.E.