Awards & Useful Tips

We encourage Hospitality Assured businesses to identify recognition opportunities

Entering Awards

We encourage Hospitality Assured businesses to identify recognition opportunities, and to review, benchmark and implement good practice. One way to do this is to identify appropriate awards to submit entries for. 

Here we give a few tips about how to approach your entry, and link to a list of potential awards that may be of interest. Although the list is long, it is not definitive! In addition to the options listed, there are also many local awards for tourism, quality, excellence and business that could be identified.

When thinking about completing your entry form, remember that this is your opportunity to shine. The judges will read through hundreds of entries, and therefore you need to make sure that your entry stands out. It is essential that you provide all the information the judges need to assess your entry. Read the criteria and make sure that you have included evidence for each element.

There is a definite art to crafting a successful award submission. So we’ve produced our top 10 tips for awards success to bear in mind when writing your award submission.

TIP 1 – Be in it to win it

Awards are a great way to raise your profile and showcase your organisation’s ethos, acknowledging your team’s efforts, engaging your team members, gaining recognition from senior management and obtaining UK and international recognition! Make sure that your application does not let you down. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Make sure you do all you can to submit the best application and make the submission relevant to the criteria stipulated. 

TIP 2 – Time management

Make sure that you allow yourself plenty of time to both consider and develop your entry. Plan ahead. Consider the Awards criteria and how you can showcase positive impact. Any appropriate measurements can be included. Make sure that you send in your application form in plenty of time – don’t leave it until the last minute in case of any last-minute IT/Internet issues. Check out the deadlines and flag the relevant dates.

TIP 3 – Preparation

Make sure you read the entry criteria for each category and the entry rules before you start to complete your application. This way you will answer the questions being asked and not the questions you think are being asked!

TIP 4 – Do your research

Take a look at previous winners and highly commended entries. Read what the judges said about their entry, and where possible visit their organisation. Read about the Hospitality Assured winners case studies here.

TIP 5 – Think… audience

Consider who will be reading your entry. Find out who are on the judging panel. Imagine you are one of the judges and think through what you would want and need to read to be able to judge an entry.

TIP 6 – Keep it simple

Focus on what the judges are actually asking for in the category criteria. Don’t just fill your submission with the contents of existing sales and marketing materials. Make sure the submission is succinct, clear and easy to understand.

TIP 7 – Numbers

Use real figures which you can substantiate, so they provide an accurate representation of your achievements. Emphasise the benefits. Demonstrate how you have achieved clear benefits to your organisation, your employees, your customers or other relevant stakeholders. Provide compelling before and after data, wherever possible. Statistical evidence is one of the most important factors in all successful awards submissions. To make a strong application please provide facts and figures to support your application.

TIP 8 – Shout loud and clear

Don’t be a wallflower, make sure that your entry highlights the sense of pride you have in the things you have achieved. Prove you’re the best! Always back up your claims with evidence, especially proof of innovation, positive impact on stakeholders, return on investment, strategic success, outperforming the sector, customer focus, leadership and social responsibility.

TIP 9 – If at first…

Learn from the experience. If you don’t win at the first attempt, learn from the process and try again next time. Use Award entries as a tool for assessing and benchmarking your performance. This will help you improve faster than your competitors and increase your chances of winning awards in the future.

TIP 10 – We are here to help

If you still need some guidance or are unsure about which awards to enter, then please ask your assessor when they visit or your Key Account Manager will be happy to give you some advice. Good luck. We look forward to hearing about your successes and sharing them via the Hospitality Assured community.
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