Synnex New Zealand has taken honours as Lenovo's Most Innovative Partner of the Year across Australia and New Zealand at the PC vendor's partner awards.

The awards gala dinner saw Kiwi companies taking several top regional awards, with Staples New Zealand also beating out Australian competition to take the New Partner of the Year award.

Meanwhile Datacom took out New Zealand Partner of the Year.

Ian Hume, Lenovo ANZ channel director, says New Zealand had a 'very strong showing' at the awards, claiming three of the six awards. The even split between New Zealand and Australian winners, was not deliberate.

“The awards were based on engagement, growth and, principally, revenue and sales targets,” Hume says.

“The winners were companies we felt were deserving of awards benchmarked against larger partners in Australia.”

Since being appointed to handle Lenovo in October 2011, Synnex New Zealand has developed the ‘Live, Life, Lenovo’ branding statement, ‘to infer excitement around the brand and dovetail their tag line “For those who do”,’ says Richard Harri, Synnex New Zealand country manager.

“The concept developed into an umbrella campaign that involved resellers winning experiences rather than items.

“Previous experiences Synnex resellers have won to date include Lamborghini racing, hang gliding, acrobatic plane rides, driving Ferarris, skiing holidays and travel vouchers, culminating with the most extravagant promotion to date being ‘Win a Luxury Escape to Dubai’.”

Hume says that branding statement and the associated campaigns have helped ensure 'everything associated with Lenovo is seen as very positive'.

“We have a very enthusiastic and loyal partner community as a result,” Hume says.

Harri says the distributor – currently celebrating its eighth birthday in New Zealand – is 'delighted' to have won the award.

“We value the award as it shows to us that Lenovo value the extra work we do in helping them drive demand and increase their market share – not just move boxes.”

Hume says Staples has provided Lenovo with 'really strong new business out of its New Zealand office' and won its award for New Partner of the Year based not only on results, but the way they engage with Lenovo.

Meanwhile, Datacom has helped drive Lenovo into new areas of business, with year on year growth, 'significant over-achievement of revenue targets' and its support for Lenovo helping it take out the top partner award for New Zealand.

The Aussies didn't completely miss out at the awards, with Dicker Data named Distributor of the Year, ASI Solutions taking Growth partner of the Year and Southern Cross Computer Systems named Australian Partner of the Year.

Lenovo was recently named the world's number one PC vendor, ousting HP from top spot, according to research firm Gartner.

Lenovo says it has achieved 'positive financial results despite the challenges presented by the global economic downturn' and chief executive Yang Yuanquing has reportedly announced that he will share around US$3.25 million of his bonus with the company's 10,000 staff, for the second year in a row.