GAMA created the annual awards in 2010 to recognize excellence in game retailing, and the awards are open to any store that specializes in hobby games, including comic shops, entertainment stores, general hobby stores, and dedicated game stores.  

There are three nomination categories for the awards this year:  Outstanding Store Design, Outstanding Marketing, and Outstanding Organized Play. An additional award for Outstanding Store will also be given out, the “best in show” award, which is  chosen from nominated stores.

In addition to the award, winners will receive a prize of product from exhibiting distributors, a posting in the following Origins and GAMA Trade Show site book, listing on the GAMA page, an opportunity to present to peers at the following year’s GAMA trade show, and a listing in an article as a winner on ICv2.com.

Anyone (retailers, customers, publishers, business partners, suppliers) may nominate a store.  Retailers may even nominate their own store. Nominees must have been in regular retail operation for at least a full year, and be a store member of the GAMA trade organization.  Previous winners are not eligible for nomination again in the category they previously won.  The form to submit a store for an award is here, and requires four photos of the store to accompany the submission.  Submission forms must be received by GAMA by 15:59 EST on November 23.

The winners will be presented with their awards at the Tuesday evening GAMA Dinner at the organization’s trade show in Las Vegas in March. Last year’s winners can be seen here (see “2015 Power Retail Award Winners”).