XMA Cross-Media Awards focus on apps

PARIS, FRANCE / DARMSTADT, GERMANY: If you believe your publication has a great app - better than most, maybe even the best - you now have a chance to get some glory. Pit your programming, presentation, and business skills against those of other app-makers from around the world by entering the XMA Cross Media Awards contest held by WAN-IFRA.

The competition, now in its sixth year of showcasing the most creative examples in cross-media publishing, is looking for the best smartphone/tablet apps from newspaper and magazine publishers.

Only paid-for apps qualify. That means in addition to presenting fascinating content and useful services in compelling fashion, the winners will demonstrate well-conceived business models.

Full details and registration information can be found at www.wan-ifra.org/xma. The deadline for entries is 30 June 2011.

Who can enter, and what will be judged

The competition is open to all newspaper and magazine publishers. Apps can be news-related or services-based, or combine the two elements.

A jury of experts from the publishing industry will evaluate entries according to these guidelines:

Design - creative integration of design elements in the tablet and/or smartphone context.
Content - What is unique? Does the content suit the medium?
Integration of various components, such as video, audio, text, and image galleries.
Navigation - How well is the user guided through the app via innovative use of the device's features?
The business model.
What are the results to date? What are the long-term prospects for the app?

The importance of being paid-for

For news publishers, smartphone and tablet apps represent a unique chance to win back readers and increase loyalty. Furthermore, this is an opportunity to teach a new generation that content, presented in an easily accessible, fun-to-use way, has real value - so people should pay for it.

With that in mind, the XMA Cross Media Awards contest will honour publishers who are testing smart strategies to motivate their readers to buy or subscribe to services and content.

The entry fee per app is €170 plus VAT for WAN-IFRA members, and €270 plus VAT for non-members.

Presentation of the winners

The 10 best entries will be selected, and the winners will be honoured at the XMA Cross Media Awards Ceremony, 10th October 2011 at IFRA Expo in Vienna, WAN-IFRA's flagship event for the news publishing industry. There will be a dedicated area in the exhibition hall that showcases all winning apps.

Full details on "Newspaper Week" activities - IFRA Expo, the World Newspaper Congress and World Editors Forum, can be found at www.worldnewspaperweek.org and for more information, go to www.wan-ifra.org/xma.