After months of anticipation, submissions are now open for the third annual Vision Monday D.A.R.E. Awards for Dispensing and Retail Excellence. Based on reader submissions, the awards will commend seven independent optical retailers who have a “daring” approach to dispensing eyewear that makes them stand out above the rest. Six winners are determined by a panel of judges and one winner is chosen by Vision Monday readers.

In each of the six award categories, our award judges will select the best submission for:

The PDA (Public Display of Attention) Award for Most Daring In-Store Merchandising and/or Window Display (NEW for 2013)
The Lead, Follow or Get Out of the Web Award for Most Daring Social Media or Web Presence (including websites, social networking and viral marketing)
The Seeing Green Award for Most Daring Eco-chievement
The Resistance Is Futile Award for Most Daring Advertising Campaign (print, TV or radio)
The Sphere of Influence Award for Most Daring Community Outreach, Philanthropic or Patient Education Program
The Shop It Like It’s Hot Award for Most Daring Store Design or Retail Environment

The first round of winners will be chosen, one from each award category, by our judging panel of Vision Monday editors and experts from featured fields such as retailing, merchandising and marketing. Following panel selections, judges will choose six additional outstanding retailer submissions to be entered into the “We The People” Reader Vote Award for the most daring retailer as decided by VM readers.

To see each award category explored in greater detail, look for the D.A.R.E. page featured in the Front Lines section of Vision Monday’s print and digital issues, highlighting each award with expert tips and recaps of last year’s winner profiles. Readers may enter an optical retail store (or enter your own—we D.A.R.E. you!) and find more information on contest requirements at www.visionmonday.com/DARE. The Vision Monday D.A.R.E. Awards are sponsored by Europa International.