November 30: Entry period opens
January 27 at 5 p.m.: Submission and entry fee deadline.

February 29–March 4: Finalists notified and projects toured by Biz 417. Finalists must provide project supplier information at this time.

March 4: Winners notified by phone. Non-winners are notified by email.

July/August: Commercial Design winners are featured in the July/August issue of Biz 417.

As always, the Biz 417 Commercial Design Awards is a juried competition established to recognize exceptional commercial design projects. All entries will be viewed and scored by a panel of ASID judges, and winners will be featured in the July/August 2023 issue of Biz 417.

• Submit all entries online at biz417.com/cda beginning November 30, 2022.

• As you are preparing your entries, please take time to submit quality professional photographs and write a thorough description of the project, as this is what the judges use for scoring.

• Commercial Design Award winners are featured in the July/August 2023 issue of Biz 417. See category descriptions above.

• All designers, builders and architects, as well as the business owners must be notified and agree to the space being entered.
• Competition is open to both firms and individuals who have completed work in the 417 area code in Missouri.

• All design work, installation and/or construction must have been completed within the past three years, with the exception of projects for category #5.

• Projects may not have been previously featured in 417 Magazine, 417 Home, Biz 417 or other local or regional publications. 

• A space cannot be entered into more than one category.

• Each entry must include a completed online form, project statement, professional photographs and entry fee.

• For categories #1–4, upload a maximum of five (5) horizontal and/or vertical photos (.jpg or .png).

• For category #5: Unbuilt Project, please submit a minimum of 8 images, including project renderings, using the form above. Additional images can be shared via zip file with Jo Jolliff (jo@417mag.com, 417-427-2417 ext. 1010 , 2111 S. Eastgate Ave., Springfield, MO 65804). Photos submitted in Microsoft Word or Powerpoint documents will not be accepted.

• For category #5, you must include a rendering of the project.

• Please clearly name each file to identify the image. Please make sure all photos are rotated and right-side-up. 

• Photography should be shot by a professional photographer, as these photos are what the judges use to score the space. High-resolution images should be taken with professional lighting and edited with no excessive filtering. Photographer must agree to release rights to allow submitted photos to be printed in 417 Home and/or Biz 417. 

• NOTE: If you need professional photographer references, Biz 417 can connect you with professional freelance photographers (i.e. not on staff at 417) who are familiar with the contest. Any freelance fees incurred are the responsibility of the contest entrant, and Biz 417 is not involved in the transaction. Contact Sarah Patton (sarah@417mag.com, 417-427-2428 ext. 1015) for photographer recommendations.

• If you are chosen as a winner, Biz 417 will reach out to obtain high-res, print-quality versions of any lower-res images submitted online.

• If you are chosen as a winner, you cannot use the same photos in your ad that are running in editorial in that same issue.

• Please upload a brief overview in paragraph form (300-word maximum) detailing the significant aspects of the project. The statement should discuss the projects design concept and the client’s goals, and it should also describe how the designer met those goals and any design challenges they overcame. Please submit this in text format (.txt), as a Microsoft Word (.doc) file or as a Portable Document Format (.pdf).

• NOTE: If you need help with your write-up, Biz 417 can connect you with professional freelance writers (i.e. not on staff at 417) who are familiar with the contest. Any freelance fees incurred are the responsibility of the contest entrant, and Biz 417 is not involved in the transaction. For writer recommendations, contact Colin Shea Denniston (colin@417mag.com, 417-427-2417 ext. 1014).

If submitting multiple entries, complete and submit an online entry form and all accompanying entry requirements for each one. Entries cannot be combined. (But entry payments can be processed one time for the total of all entries to simplify payment.)

• EEntry fees may be paid by credit card over the phone by calling 417-427-2413. Visa©, MasterCard© or Discover© or by clicking the "Pay Online" link included in your invoice, which can be emailed to you.
• Entry fees will also be accepted by mailing or dropping off a check to the 417 Magazine office (417-883-7417, 2111 S. Eastgate Ave., Springfield, MO 65804). Make checks payable to 417 Magazine.

Entry materials will not be returned due to the high volume of submissions received. Failure to comply fully with contest rules may result in disqualification. Entry fee is non-refundable. Biz 417 is not responsible for lost, stolen, ineligible, misdirected, damaged, mutilated or postage-due entries. Winning submissions become the property of Biz 417. Entrants should not submit photographs they do not own outright. NOTE: The property owner must agree to allow Biz 417 to photograph their business.