There are just days remaining until the entry deadline for the 2025 GIMA Awards. Entries must be submitted by Friday 30th May, and with an updated roster of awards and a top-tier panel of judges ready to assess the very best in innovation, design and marketing, there is no time to waste!

This year’s GIMA Awards will once again recognise excellence across 10 product categories, plus Best Point of Sale, Best Marketing Campaign and the new-for-2025, Associate of the Year awards.  Returning favourites include the HTA-sponsored Sustainability Award, which will once again recognise a Sustainability Champion within each category, the Gardenex Export Achievement Award, and the GCA’s Supplier of the Year. The highly coveted GIMA Sword of Excellence will also be awarded to the standout product or initiative of the year.

While the main entry deadline for the 2025 GIMA Awards is Friday 30th May, entries for the Gardenex Export Achievement Award and GCA Supplier of the Year will remain open until Friday 15th August, giving entrants additional time to submit for these two prestigious categories.

With judging taking place at Warwick Racecourse on the 23rd and 24th June, this year’s judging panel has been revealed, showcasing those lucky people whose job it will be to select this year’s winners from the almost 200 entries received already!  The 2025 judging team brings together a wealth of experience and insight from across the garden retail spectrum. Among them are Sarah White of Hillier Garden Centre, Bradley Piziura from B&Q, and Adam Szabo of Charlies Stores, offering insight from both independent and national retail perspectives. Trevor Pfeiffer, editor of Garden Trade News, and Kim Stoddart, editor of Amateur Gardening, will bring their editorial expertise to the table, while Kati Taylor of Fron Goch Garden Centre and Helen Lloyd from Stratford & Warwick Garden Centres will represent leading independent retailers. Completing the panel is Jo Iddon of QVC, offering a view from televised and online retail.

The winners will be announced in style at the GIMA Awards Gala Dinner, which takes place on Thursday 6th November at the five-star Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, South Wales. The event promises to be a highlight in the industry calendar, celebrating not only product excellence but the creativity, sustainability and strategic thinking driving the garden retail sector forward.

How to enter

Entry fees for the 2025 GIMA members are £65 + VAT per entry, while non-members can enter at £130 plus VAT per entry. The judging venue for this year's awards will once again be the centrally located Warwick Racecourse, with judging scheduled to take place on Monday 23rd and Tuesday 24th June.

For the night itself, GIMA members can secure a ticket for £369 + VAT per person, or £3,479 + VAT for a table of 10, whilst non-member costs are £439 + VAT per person, or £4,199 + VAT for a table of 10 (all costs include dinner and accommodation).

Full details regarding how to enter can be found at www.gima.org.uk