how to write a kick-ass - chs awards › wp-content › uploads › 2020 › 01 › ...a kick-ass...

HEARING THE WORDS AND THE WINNER IS… FOLLOWED BY THEIR NAME SHOULD BE ON

EVERYONE’S BUCKET LIST...

PRESENTS

How to write

A KICK-ASSAWARDS ENTRY!

CONTENTS

Introduction

Key Dates

Our CEO, Emma

Overview

Our Award Categories For 2020

Our Judges

Entry Guide

Tips

T&Cs For Submitting Entries

Table Prices

Entry Deadline

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CHSAWARDS.CO.UK • THURSDAY 18 JUNE 2020 • ICC BIRMINGHAM 2

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But, as with most worthwhile things in life, awards are not easy to come by; they do not just fall in to your lap – it takes expertise, time and focus to prepare a winning entry.

Award programmes can provide you and your team with an endless range of benefits; improved brand awareness and greater scope for PR opportunities; to name just a few. If you have a proven success or innovation that you and your team are proud of, why not shout about it? Why not position your company as an industry leader? Sharing your story not only drives business, but elevates morale.

If done correctly, taking part needn’t be time consuming. Five reasons why you should consider taking part in any industry award scheme...

Attract new business opportunities As well as keeping current customers and investors happy, entering awards can also be key to attracting new clients; an important part of any business strategy.

By winning an award, you’re showing that the work you’re doing is of exceptional quality and thus generates a positive feeling about your business.

INTRODUCTION

Business awards offer the chance to shine and be rewarded just the same. Knowing that you, your team, your company is the best it can be is immensely rewarding and is very good for business too.

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CHSAWARDS.CO.UK • THURSDAY 18 JUNE 2020 • ICC BIRMINGHAM

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Demonstrate your position in the MICE industryAn award win highlights your business as experts in its respective field. It gives you something to announce and a winner’s logo to proudly display. A bit like a seal of approval, it acts like a differentiator and improves your credibility.

Motivate your teamCreating an entry brings a team together. It demonstrates that the business value the work that their employees are producing and it can be a great way to not only improve employee retention, but also attract new talent.

Whilst winning is a bonus, making the shortlist is cause for celebration in its own right and positions your team alongside the best of the best.

Analyse your offeringPutting together an entry gives you a unique opportunity to take a step back and look at what you, as a business, are doing. It allows you to analyse your offering and service level and identify the areas that you could improve.

Public relationsEntering any award scheme opens up your business to a wide range of opportunities for improving your public relations. Making the shortlist gives you something to shout and proudly tell your clients about; it inspires confidence in your team. Beyond that though, it puts your name in the spotlight of other media outlets.

Award schemes present a unique opportunity to really get your business noticed

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KEY DATES

Here are the key dates you need for your diary...

Closing date for entries

FRIDAY 20 MARCH 2020

Shortlist Announced

MONDAY 27 APRIL 2020

Judging Panels

21 MARCH - 17 APRIL 2020

Awards Ceremony

THURSDAY 18 JUNE 2020

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OUR CEO, EMMA

I am absolutely delighted that CHS Awards is returning

for 2020. These awards are unique to our industry

in that they champion those venues and suppliers

who normally don’t get an opportunity to share

excellence in a variety of different disciplines.

The CHS team has carried out an independent review

of the entire awards process for 2020 to ensure that

it is inclusive, demonstrative of excellence across the

venue and supply chain and impartial and clear to judge

excellence across those disciplines that are important

to event planners and agencies in the industry.

We have audited and updated the judging

process and made the criteria focused and

defined but most of all transparent.

Please use this document to help you enter the CHS

Awards as they will help you at every step and when

followed correctly you will be just a few clicks away

from creating that kick-ass awards submission!

I am really excited to see the submissions for

the CHS Awards 2020 and encourage all venues

and suppliers across the UK to apply.

Good Luck!

Emma Cartmell, CEOCHS Group

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2019 was my third year of sponsoring an award at the CHS Awards and I have to say that the team at CHS are incredibly proactive pre-show to acknowledge you as a sponsor to their client base and the actual programme on the night ensures that maximum PR is achieved. For me it’s not just about what I get from it though – it is more a case of I am proud of our association with what is an amazing event which is organised by an amazing team with great attention to detail.

We were delighted to be involved in such a prestigious event that celebrates the very best in our industry. It was a great opportunity to get our new venue in front of the perfect audience of event and hospitality experts whilst recognising the hard work, professionalism and innovation in our sector.

Martin Stephens, Director at Offlimits (Category Sponsor)

Gary Cook, Venue Director, OEC Sheffield (Headline Sponsor)

For our 6th anniversary the CHS Awards will be held in the heart of England at The ICC in Birmingham.

FREE TO ENTER You can enter as many categories as you like

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OUR AWARD CATEGORIES FOR 2020

UNSUNG HERO (EXCLUDING FRONT OF HOUSE)

RISING STAR

BEST FRONT OF HOUSE PROFESSIONAL

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENTEVENT ORGANISER OF THE YEAR

VENUE BOOKER OF THE YEAR

Excellence in People

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NEW FOR 2020

NEW FOR 2020

OUR AWARD CATEGORIES FOR 2020

Excellence in Business

BEST LARGE MEETING SPACE

BEST AV COMPANY

BEST HOTEL GROUP/BRAND CONSORTIA

BEST UK CONVENTION BUREAU

BEST MID-SIZED MEETING SPACE

BEST CATERING COMPANY

BEST INDEPENDENT HOTEL

BEST UK REPRESENTATION COMPANY

BEST INDEPENDENT VENUE - NON RESIDENTIAL

BEST EXHIBITION FACILITY

BEST SMALL MEETING SPACE

BEST UNUSUAL EVENT SPACE

BEST ACADEMIC OR RESEARCH INSTITUTION

MEETING VENUE

BEST EXTERNAL SPACE

BEST SUSTAINABLE /CSR PRACTICE

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OUR JUDGES

We take the judging process very seriously hence why we pre-qualify all our judges to make sure they are all senior event professionals and have the appropriate experience in the industry.

THE PROCESS

– Each category will be initially judged online

throughout March.

– From 21 March - 17 April 2020, judges will have

access to their allocated category to carry out a

robust audit on entries to agree the final shortlist

and of course the all important winners!

– Judges will be invited to attend the Awards

Ceremony on Thursday 18 June 2020

NOTE: Judges will not take part in judging certain award categories where they have a vested interest.

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Business awards offer the chance to shine and be rewarded just the same. Knowing that you, your team, your company is the best it can be is immensely rewarding and is very good for business too. But, as with most worthwhile things in life, awards are not easy to come by; they do not just fall in to your lap – it takes expertise, time and focus to prepare a winning entry.

Even though the CHS Awards are incredibly easy to enter, we thought we would give you a little helping hand; we have gathered advice gleaned from the very best ‘rock star’ award entry writers in the business to help you enter our awards (and keep on file for the other awards out there too).

You’re welcome…

ENTRY GUIDE

Winning an award is exhilarating, but sadly, the vast majority of us will never win an Oscar, will never get to wear ‘that frock’ or perform a teary Gwyneth style acceptance speech.

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Do… read the guidelines properly and thoroughly before you startStart by taking a note of exactly what is needed – such as the time frame of the awards, the client permissions needed, testimonials, and facts and figures.

said Jill Hawkins, director at Aniseed PR.

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Do… make sure that you have an event, a product or a person that is truly award winningIt is all too easy for an organisation to start their award entry process by looking at the questions and deciding the best way to answer each of them.

says Adam Baggs, creative director at Soaring Worldwide.

That is a valid approach but there is a much more important question to answer before that stage: should you actually enter the awards in the first place?

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Do… leave enough time to enter the award properly You should approach your entry as you would any other marketing communications activity, allowing plenty of time to gather your evidence.

Comments Sarah Webster, owner of Webster Wright Marketing Communications.

A well written award entry should take time; it is not something to be rushed or taken lightly.

Says Baggs.

Too many award entries are thrown together at the last minute with not enough thought and an expectation that the judges will do all the work.

Alistair Turner, managing director of Eight PR and Marketing.

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Don’t… ignore the word countYour entry should be succinctly written– don’t waffle. If you ignore the word count then at best you will be docked some points, but at worse you will annoy the judges who may even dismiss your entry because of it.

comments Hawkins.

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Do… take care in your answers I think one of the key attributes to a good award entry is the demonstration of ‘care’.

Care that you have read the questions and stipulations carefully, that you have given your answers good thought and that you have spent time finding evidence and presenting it in a way that shows respect to the awards themselves.

says Turner.

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Do… make sure you tailor your copy to the specific questions being askedWhat ever you do, don’t ignore a question or fudge the answer.

says Hawkins.

If you really can’t answer the question then perhaps you should think twice before entering that award.

Chris Lewis, director at Clareville Communications agrees:

Show clearly how your entry has exactly answered the brief and complies with the rules; make it easy for the judges to mark.

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07

Don’t… use jargon or marketing terminologyWrite clearly and use language that everyone can understand.

comments Hawkins.

Explain abbreviations too – don’t assume that the judges will understand your industry’s language.

Lewis agrees:

A great award entry should be well written and easy to read.

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Do… steer clear of using wild claims and unsubstantiated figuresJudges hate overblown hype, so, wherever possible, provide facts and statistics to prove value and effectiveness, together with endorsements from respected third parties.

says Webster.

A great entry will be backed up by facts, figures and testimonials, and therefore it should only be undertaken if you are truly proud of your work and abilities.

says Baggs.

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Do… get client permissionIf your award entry mentions a client or some work for a client, then make sure they approve that you can use their name and cite the work that you did for them, hopefully they will be flattered by the fact that you consider their event to be award winning, but don’t assume anything.

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Do… back up your claims with great supporting evidenceConvince the judges of its case by backing it up with factual evidence, testimonials from clients and third-party endorsements.

says Lewis.

These might be presented as images and video if they are permitted, but must be easy to view and not too long.

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Do… proof it, and proof it againEnsure that it is written professionally, and read objectively by colleagues before submission.

comments Webster.

Take time and consideration to make sure you don’t have any typos or bad grammar – if the judges don’t understand exactly what you are saying then key (possibly award winning) facts may be overlooked.

says Hawkins.

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The most compelling award entries are clearly and succinctly written, in such a way that they bring to life the very best experience that your venue can provide, and demonstrate without making boastful, unsubstantiated claims, that it stands head and shoulders above the competition.

Sarah WebsterWEBSTER WRIGHT MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS

Awards are created to acknowledge those at the forefront of an industry, those leading the way and demonstrating best practice. Be honest and ask yourself whether or not you are good enough to win.

Adam BaggsSOARING WORLDWIDE

Remember that the judges will be looking through dozens of entries, make yours stand out; tell its story simply and with due consideration to the awards.

Alistair TurnerEIGHT PR AND MARKETING

A good award entry is like a well presented exam paper. It successfully manages, to wow the judges with inspiring ideas, impressive execution and superb factually quantified results – all engagingly presented

Chris LewisCLAREVILLE COMMUNICATIONS

Remember that less is more – don’t waffle or use superfluous words; make every word count. Use bullet points to make facts and key statements stand out.

Jill HawkinsANISEED PR

TIPS


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T&Cs FOR SUBMITTING ENTRIES

1. Only submissions via the correct portal (CHS Awards Website) will be considered for judging.

2. All entries will be judged on the information and supporting evidence given, no other factors will be taken in to consideration.

3. Please ensure you are submitting your venue for the correct category before submitting.

4. The judges’ decisions are final. No negotiations will be entered into.

5. Coercion of the judges is not permitted and will result in the venue being removed for consideration.

6. Tickets to the Awards Ceremony may only be purchased through the official CHS Awards website and must be paid in full prior to the event.

7. Tickets can be transferred. It is the responsibility of both parties to ensure the organisers are aware of any name changes prior to the event.

8. Tickets are £135+VAT individually or £1300+VAT for a table.

9. The price is not negotiable.

10. No refunds will be given for non-attendance at the Awards Ceremony.

11. CHS Group reserve the right, as the organisers, to refuse entries if they are incomplete and do not meet the guidelines for submission, or are submitted to the wrong category.

12. CHS Group reserves the right to publish or display any of the images submitted as part of the awards process either in print, online or as part of the ceremony.

These Terms & Conditions are correct at December 2019.

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TABLE PRICES

Table price (for 10 people)

£1300+VAT

Individual prices

£135+VAT

C ontact Chloe to book your table, C ontact Chloe to book your table, or for any queries: or for any queries:

07725 747 976

[email protected] WatsonChloe Watson

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ENTRIES IN BY

FRIDAY 20 MARCH 2020

VISIT THE WEBSITE FOR MORE DETAILS

http://chsgroupuk.com

http://www.chsawards.co.uk

how to write a kick-ass - chs awards › wp-content › uploads › 2020 › 01 › ...a kick-ass...

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