A Year of Milestones and Growth Another unforgettable 12 months to reflect upon, as we near the end of 2025… It’s been a year that saw a Coldplay fan-cam go viral for all the wrong reasons, the first all-female spaceflight in more than 60 years, global superstar Taylor Swift getting engaged to NFL player Travis Kelce, and the election of a new pope. In the sporting world we saw the Lionesses winning the Women’s Euros, the Red Roses storming to glory at the Rugby World Cup, and the Europe Ryder Cup team triumphed on US soil in a thrilling clash, culminating in Rory McIlroy winning BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year award. As 2026 rapidly comes into view, we’ve looked back on what has been achieved by our team – both in and out of the office. Here’s how our year in numbers looks… - 367,020 words written - 2,000+ people reached from speaking events - 1,500+ cups of tea and coffee - 650+ books gifted - 500+ PR placements - 441 trees gifted - 397 client projects - 250 entries judged - 33 inspirational speaking events - 30 valuable partnerships - 25 award dinners enjoyed - 7 pet portraits painted - 2 golden Ticket winners - 2 team house moves - 1 white paper published - 1 new puppy - 1 wedding Client Wins – The Numbers That Matter For our clients, our successes grow and grow! - 2025 Win rate: 69% - 2025 Shortlist Rate: 88% - Most Award wins in a Month: October - Most Shortlists in a Month: August We’re beyond proud to be working with some of the world’s most influential and inspiring brands, and bringing their stories to life in a way the judges love and which delivers exceptional value back to their businesses. We have supported businesses of all sizes, in all sectors, and we keep their results close to our heart. Some of our wins we can share include: Global giant Sodexo, who won multiple prestigious learning and development awards for their achievements.

If you’re savvy you’re probably already thinking about how to grow in 2026. And this is the perfect time to consider new goals, new strategies, and new opportunities. One of the best ways to boost your growth is to win valuable business awards. And if you are keen to gain recognition for your business, the work really needs to start now. Most brands tend to miss this crucial stage, and then miss out when awards season arrives. So if you’re serious about standing out and getting the recognition you deserve, from the right awards programmes, you need to take three key steps before the year ends. Seize this moment to prepare for next year's recognition Awards aren’t interested in what you’re going to do, they want to celebrate what you actually have achieved, who was behind the work, and how you got there. The good news? That means you’ve already done the hard work. All you need to do now is capture it as a story, prove it, and plan how to present it to the judges. But all of this doesn’t happen overnight, and if you leave it until the submission deadline you’ll be scrambling to pull an entry together, or missing it altogether. So, what is the secret to becoming an award-winning brand in 2026? Start today. Here's how: 1. Look Back Before you Move Forward Before you chase new targets, take stock of what you’ve achieved in 2025, because that’s exactly what award judges will look at and consider. Even if it’s been a tough year, it’s likely that you’ve made progress in ways you might not have noticed. For example, did you launch or grow something new? Maybe you hit an internal milestone, or overcame a challenge? Did you serve your customers in a new way, or improve your processes or culture? It’s important to remember that awards aren’t just for record-breaking growth, or flashy marketing campaigns. They’re also for meaningful progress, innovation, leadership, and resilience. Grab a blank page and write down what your business and people have achieved this year… you might surprise yourself.

Winning a business award is a brilliant accomplishment. It’s a moment to celebrate, and it’s proof that your work is not only being seen but validated. But most businesses make a crucial mistake after they win: they keep the news to themselves, or they post it once on social media… and that’s it. If you’ve won an award, it’s important to remember that winning isn’t the end of the journey, it’s just the beginning. Here’s how to turn your wins into lasting value, with practical steps that build your brand profile, boost your credibility, and open new opportunities for growth. 1. Communicate the Win with Your Team Before you tell the world, make sure you prioritise telling your team. Afterall, they are the ones who made the win possible. Sharing the news with them first doesn’t just show respect, it creates pride and momentum inside your organisation. Here are some ways you could do this, depending on the size of your team; - Announce the win in a team meeting or internal newsletter. - Record a video message from leadership thanking everyone. - Celebrate with an internal event for those who couldn’t attend the ceremony, whether it’s coffee and cake or a full-blown party, mark the moment (and don’t forget to take pictures!) - Highlight individual contributions where possible. It’s proven that teams who feel recognised are more engaged and loyal, so tell your team and start seeing the impact of that award win in an instant. 2. Share the ‘Why' Behind Your Win on Social Media Posting “We’ve won an award!” is a start, but you need to explain why you won, and why it matters. What’s really powerful is when you explain the story behind the success. So, what did you win for? Was it an innovative project? A product transformation? A service that changed lives? Your audience also wants to know who was involved, what impact you’re having, and what that award means for your teams, community or customers. People love to see visual content, so include photos, videos, and winner graphics to bring the win to life. And make sure to tag the awards organiser, your team, and any partners who were part of the success to spread your message as wide as possible.

The festive season is here, and we are within reaching distance of the New Year. But until then, there are still plenty of awards open! And we're shining the spotlight on a selection of awards open now and deadline in the next few weeks. From HR, sales and customer service, to legal innovation and energy, here are just some of the awards open in December for entries. If you're ready to get started, get in touch with us today and let us help you to win. The Stevie Awards for Sales and Customer Service These international awards recognise the achievements of contact centres, customer service, business development and sales professionals worldwide. You can choose from 150+ categories that celebrate all aspects of sales and customer service excellence. Sales-specific categories include ‘Sales Achievement’ and ‘Sales Partnerships Ethics in Sales Award’, while Customer Service and Contact Centre categories have categories such as ‘Customer Service Success’ and Customer Service & Contact Centre Team’. Deadline: Wednesday 14 January 2026 The National Technology Awards These awards celebrate the pioneers of technology and encourage excellence in this sector. Any relevant organisation or individual based in the UK can enter the National Technology Awards. A total of 43 categories are available, including ‘Smart Tech Project of the Year, ‘Digital Transformation of the Year' and ‘Tech Team of the Year' as well as nine new ones for 2026 including Software Development Team of the Year, Payments Innovation Award, Transport, Logistics & Supply-Chain Tech Award, and Responsible & Ethical AI Award. Deadline: Friday 23 January 2026 The Energy Awards The Energy Awards celebrate industry achievement and innovation intended to address the crucial need for cleaner and affordable power. For the 2026 awards, there are 18 categories that aim to recognise best practice in areas such as business leadership, technology development, customer service and industry collaboration. They are open to energy suppliers, brokers, and technology providers in the UK and Ireland.

So you’ve entered an award and made the shortlist, but that voice of doubt is creeping in. The one that makes you unsure about whether to attend the ceremony. The voice that asks; What if you don’t win? Firstly, we will always encourage you to ignore that voice and start thinking about what if you do win. But let us reassure you that attending the awards ceremony isn’t just an excuse to get dressed up and go out, it’s a strategic move whether you walk away with the trophy or not. Showing up puts your brand in the spotlight, connects you with the best in the business, and unlocks long-term value you simply can’t get anywhere else. Here's why… Real Connections with Real Business Impact An awards ceremony is not just a dinner and pleasantries. It’s a unique room full of like-minded decision-makers who are actively building remarkable businesses like yours. You’ll be rubbing shoulders with potential clients, future collaborators or partners, high-quality suppliers, and even the new and upcoming businesses bringing new ideas. And you’re all there because you've done something excellent, that shared recognition creates instant credibility and trust. Because of that, there's a huge amount of actual business that gets done at awards ceremonies too. So just by being a finalist and being in the room, that already opens up new opportunities before the ceremony even begins. Content That Keeps on Giving In a world where content is king, and people want to see the real people behind the brands they are purchasing from, ceremonies are goldmines for content creators. (Your marketing team will thank you!) By attending, you’ll have access to: - Professional photography and video of your team - Moments you can turn into reels, posts, blogs, or newsletter stories - Live content from behind-the-scenes stories to bring your audience along with you You’ll leave with a bank of visuals and experiences that showcase your brand’s credibility, confidence, and culture. Plus if you tag the awards themselves, they are also on the lookout for great content so may share to their audience, giving your brand even more visibility.