Hints & Tips for Writing Great Award Entries

Here are a few hints and tips for you to complete your entry for the Herts Tourism Awards:

• Don’t leave it to the last minute! The forms are short but you need to read through the application form, assess the judges’ weighting for some of the questions. And don’t forget the other questions… often it’s the little things that make a big difference and push your entry into making as a finalist!
• The deadline for entries is midnight 17^th May 2020.
• Your entries must be completed online. We are using the VisitEngland platform, which facilitates wining participants to go through to the national awards later.
• A sample entry form can be downloaded for each category. Please check the eligibility criteria carefully and use the form to help you draft your entry before completing your online submission.
• Some categories have additional eligibility criteria – for example the number of years your business has been trading or the number of bedrooms. Make sure you apply for the correct category.
• You can enter as many categories as you wish as long as it fits the eligibility criteria.
• The judges are independent and therefore are unlikely to know anything about your business, so please ensure you provide sufficient information.
• Do not leave unanswered questions as it is a sure way of not getting points against a blank space and affecting the likelihood of your business being shortlisted. It’s normal to perform better in some areas than in others but it’s not an excuse not to put your thinking cap on!
• Whenever you tell us of your successes, initiatives and developments, give an example of how that translates in business terms. Use numbers and percentages! Tell us about your successes in terms of increased occupancy, visitor numbers, average spend, improved customer feedback…
• A good answer will provide specific examples and evidence to back up your response, in particular when asked about the outcome of a certain activity or development.
• Answers require 3 to 5 examples per questions. The top entries will be able to highlight a range of examples from different areas of the business, such as customer service, developments, accessibility, marketing, sustainability and staff training.
• Ask someone to proof your draft entry to they can sense check it. Think… would it make sense to someone who doesn’t know your business? Also, ask them to check for spelling mistakes, grammar and typos.
• Be mindful of the word counts as the online system automatically cuts out your answer if you exceed the number of words stated.
• Your answers should mostly focus on what you’ve done in the last two years.