And the award goes to…….
What does it take to win an award for hard work, creativity and skill? Dennis Helderman, co-founder and chief marketing officer at Rentuu, the event equipment hire specialist, looks at how to write the perfect awards entry and how best to grab the attention of a judge
A South Korean film about two families from different classes living in Seoul won Best Picture at the Academy Awards on Sunday (February 9). Parasite’s award for best film was one of the biggest surprises of the night. Directed by Bong Joon-ho, it was the first-ever non-English film to win the top prize at the Oscars.
The honour caused a stir, as 1917, the war movie directed by Sam Mendes, was hotly tipped to take home the accolade. But that’s award ceremonies for you. It’s an occasion where anything can happen — an opportunity for the underdog to win and be recognised for their hard work.
The same can be said of any industry. Whether it’s events or technology or entrepreneurship. The award is not guaranteed until your name is read aloud and you are handed the prize.
However, there are ways in which you can increase your chances of being recognised for the hard work that you and your employees do. So, in honour of the most glamorous awards ceremony on the planet, we thought that you might find it useful to learn some best practice tips on how to write the perfect award entry.
Read the question — No matter how many awards you may have entered in the past, each one will have a different focus. Over the years, I have had the privilege of judging a few awards and am amazed by how many people do not read the questions. Take note, make notes and do not write a generic response.
It’s all in the detail — Directly address the question being asked. Stay on topic and do not waffle. Judges have to grade your answer so make it easy for them. Give them an answer that is detailed and concise, and back it with proof or testimonials from clients. Don’t wander off-topic and talk about something that isn’t relevant to the question being asked.
Stick to the word count — Judges are under pressure to mark a lot of award entries and often don’t get paid for their time. Therefore, stick to the word count that you have been given. Going over the word count can annoy judges and sometimes they will not read beyond the allotted word count. Your ignorance of the word count demonstrates an inability to stick to a brief.
Time — The majority of awards give companies and individuals plenty of time to submit an awards entry. However, it is clear that many are submitted at the last minute. An experienced judge can recognise who has spent time preparing a considered award entry and who has rushed the process.
Points mean prizes — Most awards adopt a points system. Judges award points for clarity, evidence, answering the brief, demonstrating excellence and even grammar. If you score low on any of these areas, it could mean the difference between first and second place.
Be honest — Answer the questions honestly. Sometimes judges will do their own homework. If you have embellished your awards entry, you could be disqualified.
Ask for help — If you are not very good at writing, ask someone else within your business to help. Also, get an additional pair of eyes to read the entry before submitting it, as a colleague may spot something that you may have missed. And, if you need supporting evidence from other business departments, give them time to gather and collate that data.
We work in events so tell a story — Can you imagine how many boring awards entries judges have to read? Make yours stand out by telling a story. Utilise storytelling techniques.
Face facts — Back up what you are telling the judge with facts and figures. If you are a “leading provider” then quantify this statement with proof.
No room for errors — Make sure that your application is perfect. Ask colleagues to proofread the submission and check it for spelling, grammar, language, tenses and punctuation. These are all taken into consideration. Badly written sentences and bad punctuation can change the meaning of an entire sentence, leaving a judge confused. If the judge cannot work out what you mean, how can they mark your entry properly? Ensure your final submission does not have any errors. Attention to detail is everything.
Checklist — All awards will feature a checklist, detailing all the information that is required to complete the submission. Make sure you have all included all relevant material, contact details and evidence before you send off your award entry.
Go that extra mile — Sometimes a judge will value two different award entries but may have to make a decision as to which one they like the best. When faced with this scenario, attention to detail and companies that have gone that extra mile will win through.
Stand up and be heard — Before you submit your award entry, read it aloud. By doing this you will discover clumsy sentence structures that interrupt the flow of your words. Reading the entry out will allow you to perfect your submission.
I hope you have found the above points useful. Following them is by no means a guarantee that you will win an award. But by using this advice wisely, you can demonstrate to busy judges why you are deserving of a prize. Make life easier for the judges by submitting an easy to read and insightful award entry and you will already be one step ahead of the game.
If you are organising an awards ceremony and need help sourcing vital event equipment, look no further. Rentuu, the event equipment hire specialist, has all you need. Including access to award-winning event equipment hire companies, which can supply AV, staging and furniture. Visit www.rentuu.com or call 0333 939 8074.
