THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT TROPHY H advertisers on Guides for Brides with no entry fee. Director Alison Hargreaves explains: “As weddings become increasingly experiential, venues and suppliers do so much more than simply provide a product or service. Couples want to choose businesses that have been recognised for both the quality of their work and their customer care. They Which of the programmes should want to be guaranteed a stress-free, you enter? special experience and therefore There are various industry awards; look scrupulously at reviews and some are specific to a sector such as recognitions. bridalwear, or to a particular region, “The awards process has a double while others are national. impact, especially for those too modest Aim high but be realistic. Most to ask for praise. It gives companies awards programmes have a nominal a great reason to ask couples to cost either to enter, or to attend the awards ceremony, or to cover the cost leave a review, and the more reviews of the award or certificate. It’s important a business has, the more enquiries to weigh up the cost versus benefit for they tend to get. Even if the business only makes the shortlist for an award, your business. it shows industry recognition, and Guides For Brides, for example, provides good reason to post about use their awards scheme specifically their achievements online. For winners, to elevate the most proactive and there is considerable free publicity and customer-focused businesses listed a trophy to display in their business on their website with their annual premises (or at fairs and shows they Customer Service Awards. attend) to remind themselves and their Based on reviews left on business clients of their standing in the industry.” listings on guidesforbrides.co.uk throughout the year, each review How much does it cost? acts as a nomination for the awards Industry awards tend to fall into three so the business doesn’t have to put categories. themselves forward. Those with the highest number of 5-star reviews, 1. Commercial awards These are run relative to business size, are put primarily for the organiser’s financial forward to a panel of independent gain. They tend to have high charges judges. The awards are open to all olding an Award winner title can be a good indicator that a business has been trading within the wedding sector for a reasonable amount of time as most awards initiatives have lengthy nomination, assessment, and judging processes.
Choosing a venue and suppliers they can trust to look after them has never been more important for couples planning their wedding. Industry specific awards can demonstrate that a business stands out above its competitors. Guides For Brides advises…
40 ♦ W E D D I N G T R A D E R ♦ M A Y / J U N E 2 0 2 2