The GEO awards are given on an annual basis. Winners of the GEO Awards will be recognized during the annual conference with an elegant trophy to be presented at the GEO Awards Celebration. In addition, winners will also receive prominent recognition in GEO print and Internet materials as well as other publicity opportunities. Winners will also be invited to sit on the GEO advisory council for the coming year.

The Global Equity Organization (GEO) is a member-founded and member-driven non-profit organization created to provide a forum for an open exchange of information between members, regardless of position or affiliation, of the latest information as to the strategic, financial, cultural, legal, tax, communication, and administrative issues involving the use of equity and incentive-based employee compensation around the world.

• How global does the plan have to be?
As long as your company operates a plan outside its home country, you can apply for an award.

• What kind of plan?
Any kind of plan that gives employees the opportunity of owning stock or receiving the cash value of the stock or increase in value of the stock. Award preference will be made for plans that extend beyond executive compensation, however all plans will be considered on their relative merits. Applicants do not necessarily have to have plans that are ultimately settled in stock distributions;

• Which application division do you belong?
The determination for the number of employees working in your company should be based on the date at which you submit your application to GEO. Please do not include self-employed workers, like consultants, in your employee number count unless they are eligible to participate in your equity compensation plans.

"Publicly traded" companies are corporations quoted on any stock exchange, anywhere, for example the New York Stock Exchange, NASDAQ, EASDAQ, the London Stock Exchange, AIM, the Tokyo Stock Exchange, and the National Stock Exchange of India. Companies that have shares traded "over the counter" or whose shares are traded through a private arrangement with a market maker, will be considered private companies for purposes of our applicant divisions.