he Green Sheet Inc. brought four runs home when the 18th Annual Awards for Publication Excellence (APEX) were announced in July by Communications Concepts Inc., which gives out the honors.

For the second time, The Green Sheet won a Grand Award. In addition, Three Awards of Excellence recognized writing in The Green Sheet and graphic design in GSQ. The 2006 awards were announced for publications and articles that appeared in 2005. Award winners were chosen from among 4,756 entries.

This year GS Online took home a Grand Award for Web & Intranet Sites, a category that received 363 entries. (The Green Sheet had previously won the Grand Award for our 20th Anniversary issue, Oct. 13, 2003, issue 03:10:01.)

We also received Awards of Excellence in the Magazine & Journal Writing category for The Green Sheet (Dec. 12, 2005, issue 05:12:01) and in Design & Illustration for the December 2005 cover of GSQ (Vol. 8, No. 4).

Senior Editor Patti Murphy received an Award of Excellence in the Regular Departments & Columns category for "Insider's Report on Payments: New Interchange Rates Confuse and Confound" (The Green Sheet, Feb. 28, 2005, issue 05:02:02).

'Massive site, deftly presented'

"We are always pleased to be the recipient of an APEX Award," said Kate Gillespie, The Green Sheet's General Manager and Chief Operating Officer. "However, the Grand Award presented for our Web site is very special to us. We have been striving for the past few years to make the site a valuable tool for merchant level salespeople. This award is a wonderful validation of the work we have been doing."

"[A] very well-designed navigation device (incorporating five clickable circles) allows site visitors instant, intuitive access to the five main areas of the site," the APEX judges wrote about GS Online. "An award winner for this feature alone, the site is fast, packed with an enormous range of useful information, research materials and feature articles. A massive site, deftly presented."

"Look for more improvements to the Web site in the coming year," Gillespie said.

Murphy's award-winning column analyzed the competitive reasons behind interchange rate increases and provided comparative examples of the impact the increases have on merchant categories. "One thing is certain: ISOs and the feet on the street will have a devil of a time explaining to clients why multiple transactions for the same amount of money at the same business establishments are priced so differently," she wrote.

Fat Tuesday + Photoshop = Award

The GSQ cover "The Changing Face of Card Acquiring," featuring a Mardi Gras mask, was a Photoshop design derived from many photos and tied together with a complementary typeface. "If we can package it nicely, someone might spend more time enjoying it," said Art Director Troy Vera.

The awards are based on excellence in graphic design, editorial content and the success of the entry in achieving overall communications effectiveness and excellence, according to Communications Concepts.

The Green Sheet has won APEX awards in each of the last five years. The new awards bring our total number of APEX awards to 24.