As we begin January 2021 in the UK with another call to stay at home and save lives, there can be no doubt that the pandemic continues to make an impact on business.

Of course, this situation is very real for the awards industry too, but interestingly, this makes for some rare and very positive new opportunities that should not be overlooked.

I want to share some valuable insights with you now, so that you can take your business into 2021 with all the motivation and power you need to come out of this stronger than ever before:

• Awards programmes have adapted to take any impact from the pandemic into account in your entries – so don’t let a blip while you pivoted or transformed put you off entering.
• A new wave of categories has been embraced by awards, giving employers more opportunity to reward and celebrate their teams’ work during the pandemic, driving them forward with the boost they need to bring the business through the next wave.
• More businesses than ever entered awards in 2020 – surprising but true! The most popular awards in the country received record entries, creating thriving, buzzing events.
• Awards logos became more valuable than ever as the world went shopping online, seeking reassurance from award-winners’ logos on websites and social media, giving them the trust they needed to buy and know they were in safe hands. For example, one of our clients saw a 30% uplift in sales within three months of adding a logo to his site!

Many awards programmes took their ceremonies online in 2020 and will do so again in 2021. This means a few things:

1. No hotels, no transport, no new LBD. So awards ceremonies have become better value than ever to attend and celebrate with your teams, suppliers and partners. You can even arrange awards hampers to celebrate in alternative ways together!
2. Instant PR can be gained during ceremonies with screenshots of the events, teams, videos etc. and shared instantly online, which is where your target market is.
3. Networking at awards has become easier than ever with opportunities set up for one-to-one and round table chats with entrepreneurs and leaders who can help you, and whom you might otherwise never meet… and who you certainly couldn’t take a screenshot with and share before now!
4. International awards are more easily accessible than ever before as the pitches to judges and ceremonies are all online. This strengthens and grows your global audience in an instant, growing your reporting potential immediately.
5. Even The Queen stepped up with an extra list of honours for people pulling together in business and the community during the pandemic!

So what do you do now? How do you make sure your brand stays alive and thrives in 2021?

I’d love you to come to my next FREE 2021 Awards Strategy Meeting. It’s just 1 hour, it’s all on zoom (obvs), and you can ask me any awards and business-related questions you like. I promise you will leave feeling braver, stronger and more inspired to take your business forward into 2021 with more power than ever before.

We have limited seats so click here to save your space now.

And if you don’t have time next week but you want to get started on making sure your brand still shines brightly in 2021, you can learn a lot from listening to inspirational awards stories on my podcast and you can start work on your award strategy and entries with our support at our next Awards Accelerator online training day on the 22nd January.

It’s time to stop waiting and start winning again in 2021.