International Egg Commission

What can an IEC Award do for You and Your Business?

Read what previous IEC award winners say about the beneifts they have received from winning their awards:

The Golden Egg Award

2006 - Nagib M. Budejen, Inprohuevos, Venezuela

"Competing with several countries to obtain the 2006 award for Venezuela was really an excellent experience. Looking at what other countries are doing in promotion and advertising to increase egg consumption has encouraged us to work harder and take into consideration what these countries are doing in that aspect.
USA, New Zealand, Australia, Canada and Germany, the countries we competed with last year in Guadalajara, México, did excellent job. We feel that more countries must demonstrate what they are doing at the IEC Budapest 2007 Conference in September.

Egg producers in Venezuela were proud and excited about the 2006 Golden Egg Award. The news was published in several newspapers all over the country, also through TV and radio programs.
The award helped us to increase egg consumption even more in Venezuela.

Today, our production facilities cannot cover such a high egg demand. We are delivering eggs to stores twice a week and many of the supermarket chains and retail stores are out of eggs most of the time.
We encourage egg producers all over the world to promote egg consumption. We have to be up to date regarding the results in recent investigations on nutrition and health benefits iof consuming eggs and publish these results in our countries. Some consumers are still confused, lets take the confusion out of their mind.”

2005 - Mark Williams, British Egg Industry Council, UK

“We were delighted to be awarded the IEC’s Golden Egg Award. Recognition by our peers across the world has augmented our belief that the UK industry’s marketing campaign is paying dividends.

“The Golden Egg Award was used widely within our PR campaign, and was helpful in reinforcing the campaign’s credentials among the retail and foodservice trade.”

2004 - James Kellaway, Australian Egg Corporation Ltd, Australia

“Winning the Golden Egg Award was a great thrill to the team at the Australian Egg Corporation and a solid endorsement of the hard work in achieving an increase in egg consumption for the direct benefit of the Australian egg industry. What made it even more gratifying was the high level of competition for the Award. The Golden Egg Award is held in high regard among the international egg industry and the Award is testament to the strong support and quality campaigns that vie for it each year. We will keep showcasing our promotional campaigns and activities that directly benefit per capita consumption of eggs for the benefit of the IEC community.”

2003 - Peter High, Eggs Incorporated, New Zealand

Winning the award has brought not only national recognition, but also a wealth of new marketing opportunities. “My first reaction on receiving last year’s Golden Egg was one of immense pride. It seemed remarkable to achieve world recognition for the efforts of what is essentially a small team of three people – who’ve battled hard to keep eggs on the New Zealand menu – with the ongoing support of a highly motivated and active committee.

“To be honest, we were all thrilled – as were the many producers we represent – who, as a result of the award, recognised that we were on the right track with our single-minded focus, and often highly unusual and creative ideas (essential when working to limited budgets). “New Zealand media were quick to pick up on the story and the resulting coverage brought us what I call ‘big brand credibility’.

“For the past year we have been approached with opportunities that would not normally be offered to a generic marketer – perhaps the most extraordinary being this year’s involvement with the Olympic Games – and eggs named as the ‘Official Protein Supplier’ to our Olympic athletes.

“It was also due in part to the Golden Egg Award that our generic campaign was awarded at the local Public Relations Institute of NZ Awards ceremony for ‘sustained publicity’ and our Eggs Balloon is now requested at events, where once we’d be asking to appear. “The IEC has allowed me personally to benefit enormously from the opportunity to mix with other egg marketers and share in new and exciting initiatives that can be adapted for our local market. In fact, our new ‘Eggs for Your Pets’ campaign was inspired by Dr Don McNamara’s presentation in Chile.

“I wish every entrant in this year’s Golden Egg Awards the very best of luck – and am confident that the winner will reap in numerous rewards, as we have in New Zealand.”

The Crystal Egg Award

2006 - Vincent Guyonnet, Burnbrae Farms Ltd, Canada

"Dear fellow IEC members: I attended the IEC conference for the first time last year in Guadalajara, Mexico. The venue was fantastic and the conference was indeed a great opportunity to meet people from all over the world involved in the same business, dealing with the same issues and seeking similar new opportunities. As a new participant who did not know too many faces, I decided to enter the Crystal Egg Award competition. I had not heard of this competition until I arrived in Mexico so I prepared my presentation in less than 24 hours! I thought this contest would be a great way to showcase our company, Burnbrae Farms Ltd.

I wanted to present all the marketing programmes we have put in place in Canada to develop the omega-3 egg market. I thought it would also give me the chance to meet the participants faster. Well, I was right as in just 10 minutes, I must have talked to about 80% of the attendees!

Three things I learnt from my experience:
1) preparing for the Crystal Egg Award competition does not necessarily require a huge amount of time and extra work - in fact the work has already been done at home, every day, when you develop marketing programmes and activities to increase awareness in your brands;
2) do not wait to be in Budapest to enter the competition - enter the challenge now!
3) this competition is a great way to know people faster.
And if you win, it is even better!... This award provides international recognition by our peers of our expertise and excellence in marketing and Burnbrae Farms Ltd. is proud to mention it as often as possible in its list of achievements.

Best of luck to all, Vincent Guyonnet".

2005 - Charles Lanktree, Eggland’s Best, USA

Eggland’s Best, Inc. is a co-op whose owners are some of the biggest and the best egg producers in the United States. Totally they currently represent over 90,000,000 layers.

These Eggland’s Best producers were elated to receive the 2005 Crystal Egg Award as it recognized what Eggland’s Best has done for the egg industry in the United States. Eggland’s Best started the specialty egg category, which continues to grow and grow, and be the profitable part of their business.

The 2005 Crystal Egg Award made all of them again very proud to be an Eggland’s Best franchisee.

2004 - John O’Hara, Sunny Queen Pty Ltd, Australia

“The Crystal Egg Award is a terrific concept in that it gives companies marketing eggs the world over a chance to not only measure their performance amongst their peers, it is also a great avenue to pick up new ideas and ways to approach our very tough markets. Actually winning the award was very satisfying knowing that we were chosen from a world wide range of entrants. I also found that it gave our staff a morale boost knowing that our company has received world recognition. The Crystal Egg Award has given us the opportunity to promote ourselves to our customers, shareholders and suppliers as a successful business.”

2003 – Andrew Joret, Deans Foods, United Kingdom

Since winning the Crystal Egg Award in Santiago Deans Foods’ branded egg sales have continued to grow strongly. This is no small achievement in the UK egg market, which has for many years been dominated by the house brands of the major retailers. Part of the growth has been organic, reflecting the consumer appeal which we have tried to build in to each brand, but we have also benefited from increased distribution. That of course, depends heavily on decisions made by the supermarket buyers whether to stock a brand or increase the number of stores where it is on sale. To be able to say that Deans’ brands and the campaigns supporting them have received international recognition undoubtedly strengthens the case that we can present the buyers.

We also feel that the award has helped us in our relations with egg producers. The continuing switch from cage to free range production in the UK market means that Deans are competing with other egg marketing companies to gain new free range production. Many factors influence an egg producer’s decision on who they should contract their eggs to and marketing expertise is certainly one of them. Here again winning the Crystal Egg Award has considerably strengthened Deans’ standing as a leading egg marketing company and helped us to recruit the new producers we need to keep pace with growing demand.

The Denis Wellstead International Egg Person of the Year Award

2006 - Dennis Casey, Hy-Line International, USA

“I have been fortunate to work a lifetime in an industry I dearly love and respect. One endeavors to return to the industry as much as it has given. Receiving the Denis Wellstead Award was enormously gratifying. It signified a recognition of contributions not only I, but many people around me have made to the international egg industry.

An industry gracious enough to take a moment to express appreciation with the prestigious Denis Wellstead Award is certainly an industry future leaders can take pride in being a part of it's continued progress.

Respectfully Submitted, Dennis Casey”

2005 - Joanne Ivy, American Egg Board, USA

It was such an honor and privilege to have received the Denis Welstead Memorial Trophy as the 2005 International Egg Person of the Year during IEC’s Annual Conference in Amsterdam. Denis Welstead was an exceptionally outstanding individual who had great vision into the creation and development of the International Egg Commission. To receive an award in his name and to be in the company of previous, extraordinary recipients of the Denis Welstead Award is an outstanding tribute which is tremendously humbling, but very much appreciated and revered. The IEC award has been acknowledged by industry friends and the media, which bestowed on me exposure and recognition beyond my expectations. I am extremely grateful to have received this marvelous award. It is such a great feeling to be recognized by your industry peers for your efforts in doing what you love. IEC provides a global network unmatched by any other agricultural organization. Through the International Egg Commission I have made many valuable friends from all over the world. I feel very fortunate to be part of the friendship that is the IEC family. I have gained so much from the organization, which has enabled me to grow personally and professionally and to be more proficient at my work with the American Egg Board.

2004 - Frank Pace, Pace Farm, Australia

" When my name was announced as the recipient of the Denis Wellstead Memorial Trophy I was both delighted and humbled. The journey from being a chap with a few chooks out the back, to Australia's largest independent egg producer and then into the international spotlight has been overwhelming. I certainly enjoy a good party in the company of friends, and I'm never lost for words in that environment, but when faced with the media spotlight I am somewhat retiring - so you can imagine my surprise when my name was broadcast on radio and in newspapers as far as China! I want to take the opportunity to express my gratitude for being a member of the world egg community. The members of the IEC have, in no small part, helped me ensure that Pace Farm leads the way in innovation in Australia. As part of my commitment to this business I have searched the globe for the best examples of egg production, and the members of our egg community have been gracious in extending their hospitality and learning curves. Thank you. The Denis Wellstead Memorial Trophy has underscored our brand profile as a quality company worthy of the trust given to us by consumers, grocers, restaurants and manufacturers. The honour of this year is one that I will treasure. Thank you, again. "

2003 - Willi Kallhammer, Ovotherm International, Austria.

Having known Denis Wellstead for some years and appreciated his knowledge and him as a mentor as well as his passion and dedication to the IEC it meant a lot to me to receive the trophy as “ International Egg Person of the year.” Denis has set an example and it makes me proud to know that I was able to contribute my share of making the Egg Commission even more International by convincing quite a few new members to join, following some of Denis` ideas. I also have to admit that winning the Denis Wellstead Award after having served the egg industry for 35 years has given myself and thereby my company Ovotherm increased international recognition which, as a business man, of course I highly appreciate.

The trophy has a place of honour on my desk and makes me happy whenever I look at it.