Things to avoid at your next award show
Award functions are very crucial to making any mistake at the live event. Bookmark the 9 things NOT to do at your next awards ceremony.
1. Never announce the wrong winner's name
Let's address the elephant in the room and get it out of the way. Plan your awards program and organize it from the very beginning, with a clear entry and judging process and credibly determined winners with a proper criterion.
Print the names of winners out correctly on cards and have them verified by a team of editors and the judges as well. For the winners, name declaration clarity is an important aspect and multiple levels of verification are recommended.
AWARDEX Tip: Choose an awards management software like ours to help you organize through every phase of the program.
2. Don’t have a monotonous stage and podium
The stage is the part where all the stares ll be restricted. It should be grand. Create a sense of extravagant ceremony on stage to help make it memorable for the winners, announcers, and all the audience who will be staring at it all night.
Be sure, it provides and matched the backdrop you want and have imagined for the celebration you would desire. And also be sure it’s clear of any sort of hazards, such as tricky steps or wires that might cause someone to trip. The pathway to the stage and floor of it should be clear.
3. Don’t hire an inexperienced host
Hosting an event is more than just reading names off cards. The job role demands precision and presence of mind. An awards program isn't static, the dynamic nature of it calls to hire a host who is proven, has the expertise and is highly experienced in the given field. The host should be fun and entertaining but also professional and organized. Someone who will handle situations and make the event memorable, exciting and fun.
4. Don't choose any impractical venue for your award ceremony
We strongly believe that your venue can make or break your awards ceremony. The venue is a very important and aesthetic part of any program. Make sure the space meets all your award function demands and needs while providing the pomp and aesthetic for the event that you're looking out for.
5. Don’t forget to brand the entire award show
If the event is hosted by your company, don’t forget to integrate your branding into the awards marketing and event space. This is the perfect time to name drop and image build-up.
Be sure to provide the branding to event planners and graphic designers, who can incorporate your logo into the presentation templates, table cards and decorations, signage, as well as on stage branding.
AWARDEX Tip: Create a hashtag for your event and promote it on social media and then popularise it to your audience before and during and after the event to drive engagement and buzz around the awards and event.
6. Don’t forget the actual award- It matters!
Having a physical- in hand and tangible, commemorative award is important not just for presentation purposes but also for each winner to be given in hand. Whether it’s a trophy or certificate, plan in advance to provide something tangible that your winners can hold up in photos and take home at the end of the night.
7. Don’t overlook flow
Make the award function flow as smoothly as possible. The overlooking of flow can be a big flaw in the end if not considered right. It's important to plan the seating arrangements of winnet and how they would walk and take the awards while their names are on board. There should be multiple guides to execute the task and control the flow of the event.
8. Don’t forget to capture and record it
Award functions are the perfect opportunity for photos and videos that you can use on social media and promote later on in your marketing campaigns, and at future award ceremonies. Be sure to have a photographer and/or videographer there to capture all the special moments in a very creative manner.
9. Don’t forget to follow up and take feedback
Feedbacks are the key to your next successful event. When the award event is over be sure to follow up and ask for feedback. What worked for you? What did not? What improvements can be made?
Your awards event will get better and better each year and feedback will only fuel that as it goes by.
Now that you’ve got these reminders top of mind, it’s time to buckle up and get going with a gala networking award function, doing possibly the best that can be executed.