Best in Show!

The campaign for convergence was alive and well at the Fall 2006 Channel Partners Conference & Expo at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C., Aug. 23 - 25 — but the exhibitors also were campaigning for votes in the competition for PHONE+ magazine’s Best in Show Awards. After trophies were distributed to the Best in Show winners from the Spring show in Las Vegas, the race was on to obtain one of the Fall show’s six coveted Best in Show designations.

The polls are now closed and the ballots have been tallied. The counts were very close, but PHONE+ is honored to present the Fall 2006 Best in Show Awards to the following standout exhibitors:

TMC Communications snags the Best Trade Show Theme Award for the second consecutive time. The service provider made sure it was very clear to attendees that it knows “Agents Rule.” The TMC team is shown here accepting their Best in Show award for their “I _ Agents!” theme at the Spring 2006 show in Las Vegas. www.tmccom.com

Runner-Up

Lightyear Network Solutions is the runner-up for Best Trade Show Theme with its football motif and motto, “You always score with Lightyear!” www.lightyear.net

Panasonic Corp., along with partner StarMobile (representing Panasonic, Cingular, Verizon and Sprint Wireless), wins the award for Best First-Time Exhibitor. This major computing device vendor made its foray into the indirect channel by implementing a wireless partner program for resellers and customers. Panasonic was also proud to showcase its Toughbook laptop line with integrated wireless connectivity. www.panasonic.com

Master agency TelcoIQ is the runner-up for Best First-Time Exhibitor, launching Envoy, its real-time pricing engine and partner portal. www.telcoiq.com

The Best Trade Show Booth

The Best Trade Show Booth award goes to ACC Business. Bringing one of the biggest (and best-dressed) teams to the show, this long-time exhibitor has an open and inviting booth, begging partners to come on in and stay awhile. www.accbusiness.com

Runner-Up

Voilà IP Communications is the runner-up for Best Trade Show Booth with its trademark green and purple hues. www.voilaip.com

Best Channel Promotion/Incentive

Want to drive to your next sales meeting in style? Excel Telecommunications created quite a stir with its Mercedes promotion. Subagents can earn a two-year lease on a Mercedes Benz C-Class or S-Class depending on billed revenue during a 12-month period. Master agents also qualify if three subagents become eligible. www.excel.com

McGraw Communications is the runner-up for Best Channel Promotion/Incentive, promoting its President’s Circle trip for two to the Ritz Carlton Resort in Grand Cayman for selling $50,000 in new business between Sept. 1 and Dec. 31. www.mcgrawcom.net

Best After-Hours Party

Hey, partner! Let’s grab a cold one and shoot some pool! ANI Networks played host to the Best After-Hours Party at Channel Partners. Georgetown Bar & Billiards was abuzz with partners — some were shaking the day off and others were just getting started! www.aninetworks.com

XO Communications is the runner-up for Best After- Hours Party for its Americanathemed event at the Omni Shoreham Hotel. www.xo.com

Best Trade Show Giveaway

Channel partners are crazy for toys! XO Communications hit it right on the money with its rubber Frisbee and jumping ball. These gadgets were in high demand on the show floor — now, that’s what we call getting the ball rolling! www.xo.com

Shared Technologies Inc. is the runner-up for Best Trade Show Giveaway with its robot pen. If you have one of these, there’s no doubt you’ve opened and closed it a hundred times. www.sharedtechinc.com