It’s suddenly that time of year again, the evenings are getting darker, the weather is turning colder, and the invites are starting to come flooding in – yes, it’s awards season and this month we’re considering – why do awards matter? 

Whether you’re a seasoned pro at submissions, a multi-award winner or have never even considered entering – we’re here for support and make it that little bit easier. You’ll be celebrating in no time! 

We spoke with some of our award-winning Savills Team, to understand what motivates them to enter industry awards. 

Fiona, why do awards matter? 

We know that when our clients create a culture of delivering award-winning work, it puts their people on the path to excellence, pushing the team to be more creative and daring, to go the extra mile and to deliver the best possible outcomes. Savills employees don’t just aspire to be mediocre, and we know that as a company, we want to be the best at what we do. We also know that being award-winning and industry leading, helps us to attract the very best new talent, as people want to be associated with us and know that we only hire the best. Too often in our industry, we see organisations operate in a bubble, only lifting their heads up long enough to check what the competition is doing to judge how they are performing. But there’s a great big world out there, with many companies doing amazingly creative and innovative things. When you make the effort to measure yourself against the best of the best, then you’ll know where you stand – you’ll quickly see whether you’re a bar raiser, or not! 

Fiona Wright – Director, Savills Place 

Michelle, for those who may be hesitant to enter awards, what advice would you give them?  

Have a strategy. At the start of the year, sit down with your team or Surveyor and agree which awards you want to apply for and discuss whether you will have credible submissions for them – be realistic and don’t overstretch yourself. You won’t have the full details of the categories, but you can use the previous year's entry requirements as a guide. Make a note in your diary of application open/close dates and book time out in advance to spend time developing your submission. Re-use documentation wherever possible, for example your initiative summary and KPI result reports, reducing the time it takes to complete the application process. Keep track throughout the year of your successes and highlights, so you have them to refer to later in the year – the applications may open 9-12 months later! 

 Remember to not only consider the industry awards, but local awards, as they usually cost less and can have just as big of an impact, especially within your community. What I would say, is there are so many awards out there that it’s easy to get swept away and feel pressure to apply for everything - but stick to your plan and remember why you’re entering.

Michelle Menezes – Centre Manager, Princesshay (Silver at Devon Tourism Awards, Diamond Loo of the Year, PMMA winner for Best Partnership / Community Engagement, Silver Green Apple, Exeter Impact Awards) 

Bryan, what impact does winning an award have on your team, your client, your stakeholders? How do awards contribute to team morale and employee engagement?  

Winning an award helps the team feel a sense of achievement and allows them to be recognised for their participation and the successes. When we submitted our nomination for the Green Apple Award, we included the team in the whole process, from gathering the evidence and researching through to compiling the submission. It is amazing what hidden gems each team member was able to include, which really strengthened our nomination and allowed us to stand out.

We also use these nominations as an opportunity to acknowledge when things haven’t gone as well as planned, ensuring we learn for next time. I feel it helps the team grow in confidence, allows them to network and supports their development, enabling them to learn about different business areas, whilst sharing their own invaluable knowledge. 

We have always found that our owners/community and partners have followed us on this path and helped us achieve the great success we have had. They support our goals and trust us to perform to a high standard, which is reflected in our centre's trophy cabinet!  

Bryan Young - Centre Manager, The Harvey Centre (2012 Heart 4 Harlow, 2017 Community Engagement Award, 2019 The Green Apple Awards - Environmentally Friendly Business or Organisation, 2022 European Solar Awards, Silver Award Public Relations, 2023 Best Marketing Campaign up to £10k, 2023 Harlow Town Centre Awards)

Amy, how can Savills Place assist with supporting sites that want to enter awards? 

Savills Place are really familiar with the awards processes, our team members have acted as judges, have won awards and have supported with writing nominations and submissions.

Firstly, we can work with you to understand which awards and categories you feel are going to have the biggest impact and recognition for your centre. Next, we will work to understand what the requirements are, what the judges are looking for, and what previous winners have done, ensuring your plans meet these requirements and are ‘award-worthy’ from the get-go. We know that judges look for innovative, customer centric, integrated campaigns – and these can be categorised by budget and scale so there is usually something for everybody to enter.

Then, as we understand that the awards are often results focused, we can help you set measurable, results driven KPI’s in advance, so when it comes to nominations you have everything lined up ready to present.

Amy Lea - Associate Director, Savills Place

We’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate all 21 of the Savills managed finalists at this year’s Sceptre Awards – and the Savills Property Management Team who won the coveted Grand Prix award for the second year running.

Check out the full list of finalists and winners.