Polaris Awards
The Inland Empire Chapter's Polaris Awards celebrate professionalism and success. Awards recognize exemplary public relations efforts that successfully incorporate sound research, planning, implementation, and evaluation.
Winning entries represent the highest standards of PR and communications excellence within the Inland Empire.
Polaris Awards Gala
The Inland Empire Chapter brings Inland Empire PR, communications and marketing professionals together each year to celebrate award winners at the Polaris Awards Gala. The 2026 Gala details will be announced soon. We hope you'll make plans to attend.
📅 2026 Polaris Awards Gala Date: TBD
📍 Location: TBD
BECOME A Sponsor
Businesses that provide products or services to the public relations, communications and/or marketing industry can become a sponsor of the PRSA-IE Polaris Awards Gala.
Gain visibility for your business and increased access to PR and communications professionals who represent a variety of industries, inclusive of agency, education, entertainment, healthcare, government, and more.
Contact the Polaris Committee to secure your sponsorship for this year’s event.
Submit Your Entries
Please access the 2026 Entry Form here. Further instructions and guidelines can be found in the entry form.
To add your entry submission(s) to your cart, click here.
Entry Categories
PRSA-IE offers three major categories for submissions: Campaigns, Tactics, and Student Projects. Each major category contains subcategories. We encourage you to review all categories and subcategories to choose the most appropriate category(ies) for your entry(ies). View category descriptions here.
Campaigns
Campaigns are defined as large-scale, multi-faceted programs and projects that incorporate multiple tactics. All entries should demonstrate the four stages of public relations – Research, Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation. View category descriptions here.
Tactics
Tactics are defined as focused efforts. All entries should demonstrate the four stages of public relations – Research, Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation. View category descriptions here.
Student Projects
Undergraduate or graduate students, individually or in teams, may submit a project done for a public relations course (i.e., press kit, campaign proposal, special event proposal, etc.) Submissions will be judged on how well the project uses the four-step process of public relations in its development. View category descriptions here.
Eligibility
The Polaris Awards are open to:
- PRSA Inland Empire members
- Non-members serving the Inland Empire
The Inland Empire is defined as Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
There is no limit to the number of entries per category. Submissions must meet at least one of the following criteria:
- The company or client resides in the Inland Empire (except student projects)
- The program or project was implemented within the Inland Empire (except student projects, which may be proposals rather than executed projects)
- Work completed for a former employer / client (must obtain permission before submitting)
Eligibility Period:
All work must have been completed between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026 and must not have been entered in prior Polaris competitions.
2026 Entry Fees & deadlines
PRSA-IE Members
- Early Bird (through July 24): $95
- Standard (July 25–August 7): $115
- Extended (August 8–14): $120
Non-Members
- Early Bird (through July 24): $115
- Standard (July 25–August 7): $130
- Extended (August 8–14): $135
Students
- Early Bird (through July 24): $25
- Standard (July 25–August 7): $35
- Extended (August 8–14): $40
Entry Guidelines
All entries must meet the following requirements. Entries that do not meet these criteria will be disqualified.
Project Summary
- Two-page typed description (8.5” x 11”, minimum 0.5” margins)
- Must explain how Research, Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation were applied
- Separate page with:
- 60-word project description
- One representative image (used during awards presentation if selected)
Supporting Materials
Use title pages to separate supporting materials. Supporting materials may include:
- Program plans
- Financial documents
- Images
- Letters
- Scripts
- Media clips
- Video or audio files
- Other materials
Items over 10MB should be submitted via URL or screenshots with links included in a PDF.
Packaging Your Entry
Non-compliance with these guidelines will result in disqualification. All entries must:
- Include actual program or project elements
- Be submitted as PDFs of no more than 20MB · Complete the entry form and include the category number and title, the entrant’s name, company, and email address
- Include proof of payment
- Include all entrants’ information where there are multiple entrants
Package your entry into a PDF of no more than 20MB that includes the two-page description, supporting materials, and proof of payment. Use the following naming convention:
File naming format:CompanyName_EntryName_Category_Subcategory
(Example: PRSAIE_JuneteenthParade_Campaigns_MulticulturalCommunications)
Submitting Your Entry
Entries must be submitted through a personal or professional Google Drive account.
Grant sharing access to: [email protected]
Note: All entries will become the property of the PRSA Inland Empire Chapter.
Judging Criteria
Entries are judged by a PRSA sister chapter. Entries can earn up to 100 points. Based on final scoring, an entry may receive:
- Polaris Award: 90+ points
- Capella Award: 75–89 points
- Best in Show Award: This coveted award goes to the highest score of all entries in the Campaign category
Scoring Breakdown
- Overall Presentation (Up to 10 pts)
- Professional entries will demonstrate adherence to Entry Criteria and will be produced professionally.
- Introduction (Up to 10 pts)
- Provide a brief description of your organization, description of the program or project, why the program or project fits into the entry category, when the program or project was undertaken, entrant’s role in the program or project, the purpose of the program or project and how it benefited or is benefiting the organization.
- Research (Up to 20 pts)
- Summarize the primary and/or secondary research used to identify problems or opportunities addressed by the entry. Include the planning and execution of the research conducted.
- Planning (Up to 20 pts)
- Outline the implementation plan. Specify the entry’s budget, timeline, goal(s), strategy(ies), target audience, SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, timely) objectives, creativity, etc.
- Implementation (Up to 20 pts)
- Describe the various elements of the program or project, techniques used, tactics undertaken, implementation of the plan and difficulties encountered. Participating or cooperating agencies should be identified along with their roles. If advertising materials were used, the entrant must identify and demonstrate that costs amounted to less than one-third of the total program cost.
- Evaluation / Results (Up to 20 pts)
- Demonstrate how the program met or exceeded its SMART objectives (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) through quantifiable measurement methods.
On-Demand Webinar
Need help preparing your entry? Watch the July 17, 2025 webinar: Winning with RPIE: Your Roadmap to Polaris-Winning Campaigns.
Contact Us
For questions about the Polaris Awards, entries, or sponsorship opportunities, contact the Polaris Committee at [email protected].
