Let the games begin... Loeries is open for business!

Traffic managers are crying themselves to sleep while fast food delivery services are laughing all the way to the bank. The excitement is mounting and it's palpable.

It's perfectly understandable. This year's event is going to be unlike any of the previous ones, with just one difference being the change in venue. Margate is bracing itself for when the advertising, design and communication industry will descend upon its shores like a spaceship from a planet where the beings are boisterous, brand-toting and a little too loud.

The roads of this quaint, quiet town will be transformed into arteries that pulse and seethe with unadulterated creative passion. Bemused locals are sure to be seen clustered around the creatives, marveling at the biggest collection of skinny vegetarians and long pants in living memory. If there's one thing that can be guaranteed about this year's Loerie Awards, it's that it's going to be interesting.

The important dates have been released, but just for the goldfish out there, entries close on 31 July 2005. Entering The Loerie Awards is now easier than it's ever been - just go to the website at www.theloerieawards.co.za and follow the simple instructions. This means less paperwork hassle for everyone, no endless rewriting of the same information, and more time to focus on polishing that soon-to-be award-winning entry.

The website is also where you'll find all the details regarding entry criteria, categories, entry preparation, and just general niggles. Bookings for the Awards event as well as accommodation are also to be done over the website.

Margate aside, The Loerie Awards 2005 is all about celebrating innovative thinking, and in traditional industry style, celebrate is certainly the right word. Judges will be looking for one thing and one thing only: creative excellence.

With a panel consisting of both local and international ad gurus, actually winning a Loerie Award is not going to be easy. But that's what makes it worth it. So give these last months your best shot. Pour yourself another cup of coffee and get back to your layout pad. After the 31st of July, you've got Africa's premiere advertising, communication and design award to look forward to, as well as a whole lot of sunshine.

So log on right now to get the low down on everything about The Loerie Awards 2005 - and we'll see you in Margate.