HP launches inaugural NZ Partner of the Year Awards

HP New Zealand will honour its Kiwi channel partners this year, as the company seeks even tighter engagement with partners.

The inaugural HP Partner of the Year Awards will be held in November, with the awards night also being used as a celebration of the new organisation, following the split of the vendor into two separate entities.

Oliver Hill, HP New Zealand channel sales organisation manager, says the time is right for HP to hold the awards – something it has floated internally several times.

"We have a really strong channel. More than ever we're channel focused," Hill says.

HP had a record market share in the New Zealand PC market in calendar Q4 2014, claiming 42.6% of the market.

"The vast majority of that is through the channel.

"We really value their ongoing support, and the success we see in market share is really their success. They generate it for us; we just help them do it.

"[The awards] are about giving back to them and ensuring they know we appreciate the contribution they make to our business.

Hill says the recognition similar awards provide for channel partners show winning an award can provide value for channel partners' businesses.

Nine awards will be presented at the black tie awards evening, which is expected to be attended by 150-200 people.

The HP Partner of the Year will be the evening's headliner award. Also expected to be hotly contested is the Distributor of the Year category, where Exeed and Ingram Micro are likely to be fighting it out with digital signage and retail point of sales distributor Sektor, and Croxley.

The retail sector isn't being left out, with an award for Retailer of the Year also up for grabs.

Other awards up for grabs are the Printer Partner of the Year, PC Partner of the Year, Growth Partner of the Year, Innovative Solutions Partner of the Year and Education Partner of the Year.

Hill says one award he's particularly keen to be giving out is that for Channel Salesperson of the Year.

"We have organisations that do a great job, but we also have individuals in those organisations who work very closely with us, engage with use and help to convert customers to HP.

"This is a fantastic opportunity to reward them directly because it is often an individual within an organisation that drives our cause.

Hill says winners will be selected on a range of criteria based around growth, consistency and, in particular, engagement.

"We want to be more engaged with partners than ever before," Hill says.