Professional Awards competitions have become the benchmarks of success in industry after industry and generate profit for media companies and professional associations. They have become increasingly sophisticated, right from entry submissions to worldwide online judging and glittering Oscars-like ceremonies.
In the UK today, there are an estimated 400 professional awards ceremonies, ranging from the 82-year-old Baftas to the 36-year-old Cateys for hospitality, the Campaign Media Awards, the Brits (1977) and awards for everything from care homes, to motor dealers, nurses to teachers and banks to housebuilders. Everybody and every organisation wants to win recognition from their peers.
Business and professional awards competitions are a multi-million pound industry which, in the UK, has grown by more than 50% during the last 20 years. Some are glittering events held at London’s Grosvenor House hotel whose chandelier-decked Great Room (a former Victorian ice rink) is host for some 120 awards ceremonies attracting an estimated 120,000 people throughout the year.
These award ceremonies at venues throughout the UK (but also throughout the world) recognise achievements across all industries, professions, the arts and science are variously organised by professional organisations, media companies, charities and even public bodies. At some ceremonies, the winners will receive trophies inspired by the Oscars, at others they will be equally thrilled to receive a simple memento or certificate or just a photograph with a celebrity or industry luminary.
That’s why Acclaim – the UK-owned, global market leader in B2B awards competitions – is launching its custom-designed platform in the UK. The 20-year-old company’s multilingual, multi-currency system is used by awards organisers in more than 40 countries. Its launch plan has been slightly hijacked (of course) by Covid and by organisers rushing to develop online ceremonies temporarily to replace formal events. Busy times.
Dean Wheeler, CEO of the Acclaim Awards Platform, said this week: “There has been a growing realisation among organisers that the whole entry, judging and awards process needs to use bespoke systems in order to maximise the benefit for entrants, sponsors and organisers alike. As a result of the virus restrictions, we have had to hit the ground running and help organisers safeguard their competitions at the same time as developing their longterm plans. Most awards organisers have been surprised at how easy-to-use and cost-effective the Acclaim system is.”
The privately-owned Acclaim (and its co-founders Wheeler and CTO Anthony Palmer) are based in the UK, although their clients have been primarily in North America, the AsiaPacific and Europe. Now they’ve come home.
Disclosure: Colin Morrison is a non-executive director of Acclaimworks Ltd.
