‘Tis the Season … To Nominate Your Favorite Innovator! Awards Season is Here!

2014 PYMNTS Innovator Award Nominations Open Today – The Innovation Project, March 19-20, 2014

Hello everyone!

On behalf of PYMNTS.com and our 2014 panel of most amazing judges, I am so pleased to officially to once again roll out the red carpet at PYMNTS for our 2014 Innovator Awards, the most prestigious recognition awards in the payments industry. For the 2014 Innovator Awards, we have a number of surprises ahead and wanted to open nomination season by introducing you to our panel of judges and launch our nomination process for our 16 best-in-class award categories.

Meet our 2014 Judges’ Panel

I am honored to be a part of our 2014 esteemed judges’ panel, with deep and practical expertise in payments and innovation. We know that we have a tough assignment ahead of us, and we are eager and excited to vet our 2014 nominations in 16 best-in-class categories. I speak on behalf of all of our judges that we take this responsibility very seriously. Each submission is read carefully and there are many calls to discuss the merits of each submission.

So, without further adieu, please meet our 2014 PYMNTS Innovation Awards Judges Panel:

David Evans  Chairman  Global Economics Group
David Evans
Chairman
Global Economics Group
Matt Harris  Managing Director Bain Capital Ventures
Matt Harris
Managing Director
Bain Capital Ventures
Karl Mehta  Venture Partner Menlo Ventures
Karl Mehta
Venture Partner
Menlo Ventures
Hans Morris  Managing Director General Atlantic
Hans Morris
Managing Director
General Atlantic
Paul Purcell  Partner  Continental Advisors
Paul Purcell
Partner
Continental Advisors
Dan Rosen   General Partner  Commerce Ventures
Dan Rosen
General Partner
Commerce Ventures
Karen Webster  CEO Market Platform Dynamics &  President,  PYMNTS.com
Karen Webster
CEO, Market Platform Dynamics & President, PYMNTS.com
Matt Witheiler  Principal  Flybridge Capital Partners
Matt Witheiler
Principal
Flybridge Capital Partners

How to Get Your Favorite Innovator in the Mix!

We are often asked how to submit a winning nomination, but the good ol’ truth is that it’s simple: tell us, even better, show us, how you, or an innovator you admire, solves a problem in payments and commerce or creates an opportunity to deliver value to the ecosystem.

We are once again bringing back popular categories such as Best Merchant Innovation, Best Newcomer, and Best Credit Innovation, as well as the two most prestigious awards – Most Innovative and Most Disruptive, but I am especially pleased to announce a new category, Women Driving Innovation in Payments, which will recognize specific accomplishments and results of women in the payments industry making a transformative impact.

Now for the details… All category nominations are due by January 22, 2014 at Noon, so get busy! Submit your nomination via the online entry form on our website today.

The judges will review all submissions and then narrow the field down to the top five in each category. Then, we’ll open up the voting to you, the PYMNTS.com community, to decide the winners on February 13th! Voting will close at midnight EST on February 28th!

We will award Gold, Silver and Bronze awards the evening of March 20th. And, the winners are a secret until that night – so you have to come to the dinner if you want to be in on all of the excitement!

All of our winners will not only have bragging rights, but will be able to celebrate innovation excellence in style in front of 600+ senior payments and commerce executives at the awards gala dinner on March 20, 2014 during The Innovation Project at Annenberg Hall at Harvard University. And, wait ’til you hear who our emcee is this year. Fun doesn’t even begin to describe it!

We look forward to receiving your nominations, and for any questions about our nominations process, please contact Lauren Laino or Pam Bittner.

Good luck to everyone! Can’t wait to start reading your submissions!