The Importance Of That Trophy

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…

Holding 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.

Which of the programmes should you enter?

There are various industry awards; some are specific to a sector such as bridalwear, or to a particular region, while others are national.

Aim high but be realistic. Most awards programmes have a nominal cost either to enter, or to attend the awards ceremony, or to cover the cost of the award or certificate. It’s important to weigh up the cost versus benefit for your business.

Guides For Brides, for example, use their awards scheme specifically to elevate the most proactive and customer-focused businesses listed on their website with their annual Customer Service Awards.

Based on reviews left on business listings on guidesforbrides.co.uk throughout the year, each review acts as a nomination for the awards so the business doesn’t have to put themselves forward. Those with the highest number of 5-star reviews, relative to business size, are put forward to a panel of independent judges. The awards are open to all 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 want to be guaranteed a stress-free, special experience and therefore look scrupulously at reviews and recognitions.

“The awards process has a double impact, especially for those too modest to ask for praise. It gives companies a great reason to ask couples to leave a review, and the more reviews a business has, the more enquiries they tend to get. Even if the business only makes the shortlist for an award, it shows industry recognition, and provides good reason to post about their achievements online. For winners, there is considerable free publicity and a trophy to display in their business premises (or at fairs and shows they attend) to remind themselves and their clients of their standing in the industry.”

How much does it cost?

Industry awards tend to fall into three categories.

1. Commercial awards These are run primarily for the organiser’s financial gain. They tend to have high charges

to enter, a compulsory awards ceremony and a cost for winners to display the awards logo or receive the award.

2. Sponsored awards These have a headline sponsor, for example a business bank, covering the costs of the awards in return for an opportunity to promote their business to those involved in the process. For sponsors, it is a good way for them to reach a very relevant audience. types of awards are covered by a secondary benefit, perhaps client loyalty, increased publicity, social media coverage, or in added benefits to the client.

It’s worth understanding the motivation behind the awards before deciding which ones are right for your business. Most wedding industry awards fall into the third category, and these are seen as the most credible type of award as there isn’t a commercial bias.

Guides for Brides, for example, don’t charge an entry fee as they want to highlight the best of the businesses they represent, so have removed any barriers to entry. Most of the finalists attend the black-tie awards night which covers the costs of the awards, but it’s entirely optional.

Alison adds: “To charge a fee to enter or make it a prerequisite to buy tickets for the awards night would seem inauthentic. Our winners are chosen based on their achievements, not the amount they can pay. I’m not saying that others shouldn’t charge a fee, it’s just not a route we have taken.”

Credible judges

The credibility of an award isn’t just

dependent on how many other businesses you are up against, but also relies on having totally unbiased judges with relevant experience. This can be a challenge in a relatively small industry where a business’s good reputation stands before it.

Most awards use industry experts (for example, Wedding Trader’s Susi Rogol is a frequent and well respected judge) but often from different sectors from within the industry, so that they know what will be relevant judging criteria, without necessarily knowing the finalists.

It’s common to use a panel of judges and take an average score across the judges in order to remove any possible risk of bias. However, adjudicators would agree that there tends to be a clear consensus of opinion.

Repeat Awards

Any business already achieving success tends to build on that success by continuing to do the same as they have in the past, but better – it’s the primary reason that businesses often hold the same award year after year. But although this helps demonstrate consistency, it can also add unnecessary pressure in ensuring no one overtakes you!

Professional wedding photographers, Sam and Steve Vaughan, recognise the benefit of repeat awards:

“We have been honoured to be awarded two Customer Service Awards for Photography and one Highly Commended over the last three years” say Sam and Steve. “Our status as award winners give prospective customers the confidence that they are booking experienced, professional wedding photographers with lots of satisfied customers over the last three years, and that has definitely helped us book more weddings!”

Making the most of the opportunities

For awards where there are several stages. For example, regional rounds before the national finals or a short list being published prior to winners being announced, make the most of the opportunity to shout about it at every stage.

That way, if you don’t go beyond that stage, your business has already had positive publicity. If you do go further, you’ll find your supporters are even more invested if you win, as they have felt they were with you throughout the

whole process, from start to finish.

Most awards organisers will supply a badge for you to display on your website, your social media platforms, and in your email footer. Some will also help you write a press release for your local paper. You know the tone of your local paper and what’s important locally, so adjust any press release to fit that and always include a photograph of you or your team either showcasing the service you offer or with the award itself.

You may feel camera-shy, but awards are all about the people behind them, so it’s your time to shine!

Charitable Aims

The publicity around awards can be the perfect springboard to raise funds, and raise the profile of a charitable cause. The 2022 Guides for Brides event resulted in funds for their charity partner, VOW for Girls, who are working to end the global child marriage crisis. Thanks to the generosity of the finalists in attendance, and those who donated raffle prizes, Guides for Brides raised over £1,400 at this event.

When asked about the charitable aspect of the event, Clay Dunn, CEO of VOW for Girls said: “The wedding industry at its heart, celebrates couples’ choosing each other, making it such a natural alignment with VOW for Girls and our work to help girls choose love on their own terms. We’re thrilled that Guides for Brides chose VOW for Girls as their charity of choice for their 2022 Awards Ceremony.

“The amount raised is enough to cover all of the costs for ten girls to attend school for a year – from school fees to supplies and transportation.

“The longer a girl stays in school, the less likely she is to become a bride. She meets friends and mentors who encourage her to dream big. She gains self-confidence and learns that her voice matters. School also gives her more economic opportunities, which lets her own her future.”

Think industry awards may be for you?

Your next steps will be to start researching the best awards for you and how to enter them. It’s important to assess the costs against the benefits, but if the award is relevant to your business and is from a credible and respected company, they can be worth their weight in gold! WT

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