Wedding Industry Awards 2020
NOMINATIONS // ENTRIES OPEN – March 1st 2020
This year, we’re allowing NOMINATIONS or ENTRIES to be received from March 1st 2020. In the past, we’ve had a nomination phase, followed by a formal entry phase. THIS TIME once a business has been NOMINATED (TO NOMINATE, simply click on the 2020 NOMINATIONS tab HERE), we’ll notify the respective business of their NOMINATION, and once advised, the business can choose whether they wish to formally ENTER the awards.
The only exception is where a business elects to simply SELF-NOMINATE (same process, the business simply needs to click HERE), and by doing so can proceed ahead beyond March 1st 2020 if they choose to formally enter the awards.
**DUE TO THE EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES OF COVID-19, WE HAVE EXTENDED THE NOMINATION/ENTRY CLOSING DATE**
ENTRY CLOSING DATE WILL NOW BE Sunday, June 7th 2020 – 9pm NZ time. We then move into the next phase. If we haven’t already communicated with all nominated businesses, we then go about inviting nominee businesses to formally enter the Wedding Industry Awards (NZ) process.
It is NOT COMPLUSORY for a business to enter the awards if they instead elect to decline the nomination.
Later in the piece, entries received will be submitted to our 2020 Wedding Industry Awards (NZ) panel of category judges whose unenviable task is to determine the finalists. Then, the ultimate winners in each of this year’s categories will be determined by our panel of experts.
There will also be an opportunity for you to win an award on the premise of the popularity of your business. This will be the More FM “People’s Choice Award”. There is only one People’s Choice Award up for grabs.
So, if you’re not successful in winning in your specific category, and if you’ve entered the ‘People’s Choice’ category, there’s still a chance you could WIN ‘The People’s Choice Award’ as a result of most number of votes received.
The theme for this years Wedding Industry Awards is ‘Making a difference’.
Why ‘Making A Difference?’ The New Zealand wedding industry while comparatively small to its global peers (i.e., Australia, USA, Europe), is an ecelectic and extremely talented melting pot of wedding artisans. And, while we observe the newest overseas trends, we are also increasingly seeing a rise in the unique aspects of Aotearoa becoming infused into the weddings being created across the Country.
Its exciting and becoming more commonplace to see a No8 wire, Kiwiana DIY “pop-up”, Backyard, and/or Bespoke approach being taken, as opposed to the traditional Church or large, lavish wedding affair.
That’s not to suggest big wedding soirees are going out of fashion. Quite the contrary. They are still very much an “in thing”. They, however, become more an opportunity to bring the family and wider network of Friends together, and moreover, international inbound guests are taking opportunity to tour our gorgeous Country post-wedding day.
The infusion of Maori culture to attract international inbound guests, promotion of our natural resources (i.e., epic Mountain ranges, stunning landscapes, and other sublime aspects of of what makes us memorable), is a vital part of our exponential success as a wedding destination of choice.
We ARE making a difference as a nation in this lucrative space. Any difference made is in large part down to YOU. Yes, you. The person who juggles full-time, part-time work, Husband, Wife, Kids, and every other commitment, while also working tirelessly to hone and perfect your craft. And, for many it goes beyond perfecting your craft, it’s outworking what YOU see as your “calling”.
As you make a difference in your wedding vocation, wether part-time, full-time, whether you’re new to the industry, or have well estasblished with offices across the Country – we wish to acknowlege and celebrate your achievement(s).
That’s the reason Wedding Industry AWards (NZ) exists. Moreover, this is the reason behind our theme for 2020 is ‘Making A Difference’.
In Conclusion ::
As you’ll appreciate given the number and variety of categories, the process of determining a finalist, and then an ultimate winner in each category is no easy task.
We have endeavoured to throw a great deal of weight on an aspect of your business common to all businesses, irrespective of size, length of time in the market, or number of employees within the business. The common thread weaved across the landscape of any business pivotal to its success is “client experience”.
Understanding your client needs, effective relationship building, and end-satisfaction are vital elements of any successful client experience. Mastering these principles goes hand-in-hand with a businesses continued prosperity and long-term sustainability.
As you’ll already be aware, businesses can win or lose as a result of poor service. The implications can be far reaching, especially with the increasingly evolving mediums through which clients can communicate their displeasure.
Judging Criteria
“Customer service is about encouraging proactive, customer responsive selling skills, client centric behaviours, building new client relationships, and ensuring client retention wherever possible.” – Pete Duncan, Co-founder/Chief Excitement Officer, WIANZ
In 2020, our panel of judges will be looking at 5 major components:
(1) Your nomination form(s). While there are 3 ways in which a business can be nominated into the awards, the most recommended of these is client nomination. This is where you have gone out to your past/present clients/customers and asked them for their nomination based on their past/present experience with your business. Your client(s) “rave review” is your categpory Judge(s) first real insight into your business/client interaction, and feedback of your client experience from their point of view.
An industry peer nomination is similar to a client nomination, the key difference being your peer will have worked alongside you in a business/client context, or dealt with you in a business-to-business context, and based on these interactions will have elected to nominate you into the awards on the premise of their experience with you and/or your business. So, as you’ll note, whether a Bride + Groom or an industry peer, each has nominated you as a result of their “experience” having interacted with you and/or your business.
Now, as earlier mentioned, there are 3 ways in which a business can be nominated. If not by your client(s), then you could also have been nominated by an industry peer, or of course you had the option of self-nomination. While self-nomination is the easiest way to circumvent the need to have to reach out to yur clients and/or industry peers, it also affords the least amount of feedback from a client perspective. However, tis can be overcome as your category Judge has other avenues through which to assess your client(s) experience.
(2) Your client(s) experience in dealing with you and your business;
(3) Local industry regard, i.e., what, if anything, is the reputation of your business in the wider community;
(4) Independent reviews or feedback, i.e., facebook, Trip Advisor, WeddingWise, TradeMe, etc;
(5) Sustainability (do you have a current business plan, best practice model, robust accounting practices etc in place).
Entry fee
There is an entry fee of $55.00 (New Zealand) per category entry (to a maximum of 3 categories including the MORE FM People’s Choice category). Your entry fee covers related processing/administration costs.
This fee is payable at the time you submit your official entry form.
If an official entry is received without payment of the related entry fee, the entry will be deemed null and void and will not be included as an official entrant in the 2020 Wedding Industry Awards {NZ}
Our preferred method of payment is via internet banking. For your convenience, our account details are as follows :
Bank/Branch: ANZ Bank, Albany
Account Name: The Love Company Limited
Account Number: 01-0277-0177116-00
IMPORTANT :: PLEASE ENSURE your business name is included in any REFERENCE/PARTICULARS field of your internet banking transaction.
On receipt of your official entry form and your subsequent payment, you will receive confirmation via email your entry has been received.