Written By Paul Harvey, Editor, M&IT

 

Entering and winning awards is one of those mysterious arts that some people seem to have a natural knack for – while others look on, baffled, wondering how their competitors keep striding on stage, trophy in hand, grinning for the camera.

The M&IT Awards has been the industry’s biggest night out for nearly 40 years. And every year without fail someone will ask something like: “Paul, how do I actually go about winning one?”

Well, wonder no more. Here’s an insider’s guide to how to enter – and win – an award. Spoiler alert: it’s not about luck, it’s about doing your homework, telling your story, and giving yourself the best possible shot.

🏆 Step 1: Know what you’re entering

Not all awards are created equal. There are two main types: judged awards and voted awards.

Judged awards are decided by a panel of experts – usually a group of fellow industry pros who’ve seen it all.

For the M&IT Awards, for example, our Personality of the Year and Rising Star categories are judged – and I’m the head of the judging panel. We sit down, go through every submission, and score each entry against published criteria.

We look for clear evidence that the nominee meets the criteria; things like leadership, innovation, integrity, and impact. We take the process seriously, debate the finer points, and occasionally have to be prised away from the biscuits.

Then there are voted awards, where the power lies with the people – the vast majority of the M&IT Awards are voted for. These are the big crowd-pleasers: destinations, venues, hotels, agencies, suppliers – the categories voted on by event professionals across the industry. At the M&IT Awards, voting runs from January to March, and every vote is counted and verified by the Audit Bureau of Circulations. No mystery, no funny business – just good old-fashioned democracy.

Here’s the thing: for the judged awards, you win by proving your case. For the voted awards, you win by getting the most votes. Simple, but not easy.

📚 Step 2: Read. The. Rules.

This might sound painfully obvious, but you’d be amazed how many people trip at this first, very low hurdle.

Every awards programme has entry guidelines, rules, and judging criteria. They’re not just there for decoration; they’re your roadmap to success.

Cast your mind back to doing GCSEs and A-Levels. (I know this may be painful for some readers, apologies). The number one piece of teacherly advice would always be: Answer the question. Don’t turn up with a revised answer in your head and write it out on the exam paper regardless of what the question happens to be.

If the awards criteria say “Provide measurable results,” that’s your cue to show how your event delivered – with stats, outcomes, feedback, and impact. “It went really well” isn’t measurable. “Attendance exceeded targets by 30 per cent, with 94 per cent satisfaction ratings” is.

When we sit down to judge, we often find ourselves frustrated by entries that sound promising but don’t give us enough to go on. We might know that a company or person does brilliant work, but unless it’s there in the submission, we can’t take it into account. Judges can’t (or at least shouldn’t) rely on reputation or assumption. We can only score what’s on the page.

So before you start, do yourself a favour: download the criteria, read it properly, and tailor your entry around it. It’s the single easiest way to move yourself up the shortlist.

✍️ Step 3: Tell a story, not just the facts

Yes, you need the facts. But you also need a story.

Award entries aren’t just about listing achievements, they’re about making people care. A good entry takes the judges or voters on a journey. What was the challenge? What was your idea? How did you execute it? What made it different? What was the result?

Think of it like the pitching process. You wouldn’t walk into a meeting and say, “We did some stuff, it was fine.” You’d show passion, personality, and proof.

That’s what separates a good entry from a forgettable one. Bring your submission to life. Include quotes from clients or attendees. Share what made you proud. Add colour and energy, and don’t be afraid to show a bit of personality.

(Just maybe not too much personality. Nobody wants to read 800 words of AI-generated slop about how “transformational” your team is. Let your evidence do the talking.)

📣 Step 4: Campaign smartly

If you’re entering a voted award, you need to treat it like a mini campaign.

At M&IT, the voting window is open for around three months, the same time every year. Mark it in your calendar. Build it into your marketing or communications plan. Think about who you’ll reach out to – your clients, your partners, your network – and remind them, politely and persistently, to cast their vote.

The best campaigns don’t spam inboxes; they build goodwill. They remind people why they value your business. They make it easy to vote and easy to share.

One important note: don’t get creative with the eligibility rules. Every year someone tries to get their friends, family, or the office dog to help out. Don’t. We have a verification process, and those votes get removed.

Focus instead on your real voters; the people who’ve experienced your service, attended your events, or worked with your team. Those are the votes that count, both literally and figuratively.

⏰ Step 5: Plan ahead – way ahead

You’d be amazed how many people have asked me for tips on how to win an M&IT Award – a month out from the awards. By that point, my friend, the winners are chosen, the trophies are engraved, and the table plan is printed.

Winning an award isn’t a last-minute sprint; it’s a slow and steady walk to the finish line. The best entries are the result of months of preparation: collecting data, gathering testimonials, planning campaigns, and writing submissions thoughtfully.

So, before the next cycle rolls around, look at what you want to enter. Work out the deadlines. Assign someone to lead the process. Build it into your marketing plan. Treat it as seriously as you’d treat a major client pitch – because that’s what it is.

💡 Step 6: Don’t forget why you’re doing it

Let’s be honest; yes, it’s nice to win. The trophies are shiny, the champagne flows, and the photos look great on LinkedIn.

But even if you don’t win, entering awards has real value. It makes you take stock of what you’ve achieved, reflect on your successes, and benchmark yourself against the best in the business.

You’ll often find that just going through the process helps you improve your own narrative – your pitch, your story, your confidence. And if you do make the shortlist, that’s a fantastic piece of recognition in itself.

🎉 Step 7: If you win, enjoy it!

If you’re lucky (and strategic, and well-prepared) enough to win, take a moment to really enjoy it.

Don’t rush straight to the next target. Share the news, thank your team, celebrate your success. Winning an award is validation for hard work, creativity, and collaboration, and in our industry, that’s worth its weight in gold.

Plus, it’s a great excuse for a night out. (And, let’s be honest, you’ve earned it.)

🔑 In summary

If you want to enter and win awards, here’s your checklist:

• Read the rules. They are your roadmap.
• Hit the criteria. Give the judges exactly what they’re asking for.
• Tell a compelling story. Make your entry memorable.
• Campaign with integrity. Rally genuine support, not sympathy votes.
• Plan ahead. Don’t leave it to the week before.
• Reflect and learn. Even a near miss can teach you something.
• Celebrate your wins. Loudly, proudly, and with good wine/alcohol free alternative.

Follow those principles, and who knows – the next time that golden envelope gets opened at the M&IT Awards, it might just have your name inside.