How long have you been working for the events industry - and which awards have you worked on?
I have worked in the events industry for over a decade and my portfolio includes an array of high-profile clientele such as the development of the national Sky Sports Living for Sports Awards, Sussex Business Awards, Brighton and Hove Business Awards and the UK Startup Awards.
You also have a background in events management and PR. What events and clients have you worked with?
Alongside my events experience, I worked for an award-winning agency in Brighton working on a number of notable PR campaigns and product launches spanning travel, beauty, and tech. Clients included Fujifilm, Grand Designs Live, Hotel Du Vin, Lookfantastic.com, Planet Whale and Red7.
Which of these were most memorable?
The Sky Sports Living for Sport Student of the Year Awards.
The Awards celebrated the successful way secondary schools across the UK were using sport to inspire young people.
As my husband is a teacher, I gained a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for individuals who work in education. Therefore I recommended an award was introduced to recognise teachers who go the extra mile in helping their students – and it happened! What’s more the event was named Best Awards Scheme at the UK Event Awards in 2011!
What makes an awards event stand out?
Credibility, reputation and a rigorous judging process.
What are the main benefits of winning a business award?
Exposure for you and your organisation – The opportunity to take advantage of PR and marketing activity around the awards and your involvement.
Seal of approval - It reassure clients that they have made a good choice in working with a business that has been recognised with a prestigious award.
Networking - It creates opportunities to build contacts, meet and network with other award participants, sponsors, press and other influential businesspeople.
Reward and motivate your team - Entering awards provides an immediate boost to workplace morale, even more so when you involve your team in the entry process. Many entrants will also find the process of entering is beneficial to a business.
Recruitment – You attract better quality applicants, and you see an improvement in the attraction and retention of talent.
Return on investment - Awards influence buying decisions! Boost Marketing, the largest awards entry consultancy, found that over 80% of businesses and consumers surveyed were influenced by awards.
Is the process of writing an entry an essential method of understanding your own business?
Yes. You need to write a compelling story that brings your business to life whilst also providing hard evidence of your success. Writing a successful award entry can be time-consuming but once you get the hang of it, future entries will become much quicker to write.
What tips would you give to people entering awards - and what mistakes should you avoid?
Pick the correct categories
Answer all the questions
Provide robust evaluation
Outline your vision for the future of your business
Stick to the word limit
Avoid jargon and typos
Don't leave writing your entries until the last minute and make sure you submit on time!
With the increase in remote working and use of social media, have events become even more important in connecting people?
Yes - whether it’s increasing awareness or finding new contacts, entering business awards can open doors for any business. You can use the images and share the news on social media, in PR and in news posts and blogs on your website.
You have now joined Platinum Event Management (PEM) as Events Director. What do you hope to achieve in the new role?
The response since joining has been overwhelmingly positive. The business awards have gone from strength to strength and with Platinum’s connections and understanding of the business community, we’ll be able to offer an unrivalled package for entrants and sponsors like no other. Some might say it’s a match made in heaven!
