Each year, MADD Georgia hosts the Statewide Law Enforcement Recognition Banquet to honor officers, law enforcement agencies, organizations, and individuals that make outstanding contributions throughout the year to the abatement of drunk driving. This past year, N-tersections Communications Group (N-tersections) worked with the event’s committee to assist in branding the awards ceremony, streamlining the applications process, and producing formal awards show presentation.

N-tersections suggested developing brand for the awards to transform it from being generic to being an identifiable brand that embodied the contribution of law enforcement to MADD’s mission. The collaborative efforts between N-tersections and MADD Georgia resulted in renaming the MADD Georgia Annual Statewide Law Enforcement Recognition Banquet to the MADD Georgia Golden Shield Honors. N-tersections designed a logo featuring a knight’s shield and scarlet banner that would be used on the certificates, plaques, programs, banners and other award-related collateral materials.

With nearly 500 applications each year, the process of collecting and tabulating was a cumbersome undertaking. N-tersections developed online applications to streamline application process to one primary collection location, simplify sorting and evaluation of submissions, maintain accurate record of submission, decrease human error and loss, notify applicants automatically with confirmation of submission, increase submissions by screening online applicants for missing agencies and follow-up, and reduce use of paper making an eco-friendly application. In 2009-2010 award year, over 97% of nominations were received through the online system; In the 2010-2011 award year, 100% were received through the system. Feedback from applicants was that it was easy to use and they were overall pleased with the new method of collection. Staff and volunteer hours in application sorting and data entry were reduced exponentially allowing more time to focus on the awards ceremony and other operations.

Both years, N-tersections produced an original show to bring esteem to the awards cer emony through use of stunning audio/visuals presentations. The firm collaborated with stage and lighting crew to set an atmosphere of honor. The most recent Golden Shield Honors event was attended by nearly 600 law enforcement officers and others – an increase of 15% from the previous year. The Governor of Georgia, Nathan Deal, was among special guests.