Start Planning for 2025 Awards

Now is the time to start planning your 2025 awards strategy.

This will give you plenty of time to work on what evidence and information you need to gather together to do you award entry justice. I am just back from the New York having recently won a Stevie Award so today I am sharing the story of the preparation that went into this!

Why planning for awards is essential

Back in 2023 I started planning to enter The Stevie? Awards for Women in Business. I knew the 10th anniversary of the Best Business Women Awards was coming up on 2024 and I felt with 10 years under my belt and over 15 years running networking events which included Businesswomen UnLtd it was my time!

Entering a global award was daunting. But I wanted to give it my best shot.

So over the months before it opened I reasearched the information about the awards, picked the category I wanted to enter and worked on putting together the evidence. So once it opened I could enter on the early bird rate and got the entry sent in way before the deadline.

Entering awards at the last minute is rarely a good idea! The entry will be rushed, you will omit important information and probably won't showcase your business and acheivements to their best.

Start planning now which awards you want to enter in 2025

Start to decide now which awards you will enter. Use www.awards-list.co.uk to check awards for your industry, also check Google for local and relevant national awards.

You can register now for information on the awards you want to enter, then the organisers should send you details on open and closing dates, awards night final information and put these costs into your marketing plan.

Then you will know when they are due, and when the final is, so you will be able to ensure more focus on the entry and your availblity for the final!

Ask clients for reviews now and make it a continual process

If you are lacking online reviews start asking people now and then make it part of your sales process to ask for reviews at the end of working with a customer.

These reviews are vital for award entries as they provide the judges with digital proof. You can then reuse on your website or marketing material.

Gaining reviews on Google is great for search optimisation. On LinkedIn ask for recommendations and on Facebook send customers a link to your profile.

How I use reviews

For my 'Stevie Award' Entry I created a document with several of the very best reviews and then shared a link where the judges could see the rest. I also put together some case studies to illustrate how clients have benefitted from working with me.

This helps the judges understand what I have accomplished and how I have supported my clients.

PR

PR is so valuable and as soon as I knew I was finalist in the Stevie Awards I sent off a press release to local news outlets. I got two pieces of PR in my local and county news.

You can read them here

https://www.chardandilminsternews.co.uk/news/chard_news/24618313.chard-businesswoman-finalist-us-awards-ceremony/

https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/chards-debbie-gilbert-named-finalist-9594042

Always make sure you send out a press release!

The Final

Entering the Stevies took a lot of planning as I knew if I was shortlisted I would want to attend the final in New York. With the Stevie Awards once you know you are finalist you will win either a Bronze, Silver or Gold Award. You can arrange for the award to be sent if attending the final isn't possible.

But I knew I wanted to be there in New York to collect the award if I was selected. So I put aside the money in my business to ensure the funds were there for the flight, hotel and the ticket to the final. I was so excited when I got the email to say I had been selected and couldn't wait to attend.

If you travel to the UK for the Stevies, you get recognised on stage and are presented your award. You also get to do a short video. Click here to watch mine. The final is also tranmitted live so people can watch whereever they are.

More help to enter awards in 2025

I have a generic online Awards Masterclass which will help you understand the best ways to approach entering awards and its packed full of tips of information. You can purchase it here and use code NET20 to get ￡20 off. The cost is then reduced to just ￡55 plus VAT. This gives you lifetime access and means you can refer back to it.

I also host The Business Awards Show, a weekly podcast ,which shares interviews with award winning business owners, judges, sponsors and award organisers. You can go to your podcast platform to listen or to the website here. This episode tackles the topic of evidence which I discussed with Denise O'Leary MBE who also joined me at the Stevie Awards, winning 4 Silvers, 1 Gold and 1 Grand Stevie Award. She is also author of 'Winner; How to Win Awards' a fanastic resource to help you with awards entries.

The Best Businesswomen 2025 Launch

My awards are back for the 11th year in 2025 and if you want to know more register here for our free online launch event. 4th February 1030am-11.45am

This covers the entry process and you can meet judges, sponsors and previous winners.

Our dates for 2025

4th Feb - Best Businesswomen Awards open

10th June - Awards close 6pm

First week in July - Finalists announced

10th October 2025 Gala Awards Night at the Daventry Court Hotel in Daventry Northamptonshire.