Skift Take
With the inaugural Skift Meetings Awards set to celebrate the business events industry’s most respected and innovative suppliers in 2023, we highlight the foundations of submitting an award-winning entry.
The Skift Meetings Awards will be the benchmark for suppliers that are setting the standard for excellence in business events. Recipients of Skift Meetings Awards demonstrate their nuanced understanding of planner needs, reliable delivery of outstanding service, and show-stopping offerings.
The first cohort of Skift Meetings Awards winners will serve as a guiding star to other planners looking for meeting services and venues they can rely on when choosing a supplier partner.
With a range of categories, including hotels, destination marketing organizations, tech providers, and convention centers, you may be wondering what steps to take to ensure you submit an award-winning entry. Luckily for you, we have a helpful guide to start you on your journey of creating an award-winning application.
1. Familiarize yourself with the categories
The first and most fundamental stage of planning out your submission is making sure you are selecting the correct category for your business. As with most award programs, each category will be catered to a specific service or sector – and the Skift Meetings Awards are no different – so it’s important to tailor your entry to fit. Of course, you can always apply for more than one category.
Skift tip: You can download a blank copy of the application through our online portal to plan out your entry before you start inputting information.
2. Focus on the good (and what you turned around)
While crafting an award entry, it’s crucial to emphasize your accomplishments and experiences that differentiate you from your rivals. This may include a noteworthy growth in revenue, increased customer base, positive feedback from customers, or innovative service offerings. Additionally, it’s a rare chance to showcase any challenges and how you overcame them.
Skift tip: To make your application stand out and to help the reader better understand you and your offering, add personality to it.
3. Back up your application with facts
Always provide evidence wherever possible. This could be in the form of customer testimonials, sales figures, case studies, or media coverage. This is your opportunity to shout about your achievements, so be sure to use concrete examples to back these up wherever possible. Our application portal will also allow you to attach creative assets to support your submission in the form of imagery and video, so utilize that aspect if appropriate.
Skift tip: Be open and candid, but don’t include any information that you do not want publicly available.
4. Be concise, but keep it engaging
When filling out an award application, condensing your entire offering into a few paragraphs can be challenging. While providing comprehensive information is crucial, ensure that your entry is not excessively lengthy or monotonous.
Skift tip: If you are entering more than one category, make sure each entry is tailored to that category.
5. Edit, edit, edit!
Before you hit submit, make sure you edit and proofread your entry carefully. Check for any grammar and spelling errors, and make sure your entry has a nice flow to it. Bring in another team member to review your entry, as a fresh pair of eyes can often spot mistakes or areas for improvement that you might have missed.
Skift tip: You can edit your submission until the entry deadline, even after you have hit submit.
Submitting an award entry undoubtedly demands planning, preparation, and attention to detail. By considering the tips above, you will be well on your way to standing out from the competition and winning this coveted award.
Interested in entering? You can start your application here. Don’t delay – limited early bird submission rates are available.
