About the Experience Awards

The Drum Experience Awards once went by the name of the UK Event Awards, however in 2018 we changed the name to better represent the industry. 2019 marks the 10th anniversary of this well-known and respected event.

As we know, experiences are one of the most effective ways in which we can engage with our audiences and drive brand sentiment. That’s why the awards were created, to give those who are behind the scenes the chance to take centre stage and be celebrated for a job well done.

The international competition is open to anyone who can demonstrate that they are producing innovative, creative and most importantly, effective events.  The categories are vast and include In-house event, Caterer of the Year, Small Venue, Product Launch, Best Technology – check them out as there is bound to be one that suits you.

Momentum is riding high for this event and we are fortunate enough to attract lots of attention. So, to capitalise on this, we are making a pledge to make our nominees even more famous than before by publishing shortlisted case studies, with the entrants’ permission, to our global audience. We will be using thedrum.com and our social assets.

Whether you have staged a hugely successful annual event, launched a brand new one, or created a unique, never-to-be-repeated experience, this is your chance to demonstrate that you can create events that meet and exceed your objectives. So, whether you organise or promote, create brand activations, are a venue/hotel or an industry supplier, this is your chance to prove to peers, competitors and clients that you are the best at what you do.

For the cost of one entry price, you could secure global amplification and profile.

The benefits of entering

Motivation

Picking up an award proves that all the hard work was worth it. It gives your team the energy to keep pushing boundaries for another year.

Client relationship

It's good to remind your clients why they work with you from time to time. Having the work you've done for them recognised by the industry is powerful stuff. Even more so if you bring them along to the awards night to pick up the trophy with you.

Recruitment

If your agency is picking up awards, It also picks up the interest of new talent. You can expect smart people to be knocking at your door to see if you have a desk for them.

New business 

Prospective clients who are after great work will keep an eye out for the teams who are winning awards. A few extra trophies can give you a real advantage when you’re hunting for new
business.

PR

There's no better way of getting publicity than for being excellent. The Drum covers the winners of the awards online and in print. With over 1 million unique visitors and over 200,000 social followers, that’s no small deal. We recommend that you use an award win for further PR opportunities too, if you achieve something this special, you really should make a noise about it.

Knees up

Then, of course, there's the awards show. Have you heard? Our awards shows are legendary. They're a great opportunity to reward your staff, pamper your clients and let your hair down.

Standard - First entry - £145 + VAT 

Standard - Additional entries are free 
 

• You may enter as many categories as you like
   
• In order to get the discounted rate for any additional entries, please ensure you enter them all at once.
   
• If you are a member of The Drum Network, you will receive 10% off your entries, and if you are a charity you will receive 40% off your entries

Please follow these steps to enter: 

• Sign in as a member (very top right of site) to set up your account or sign in/submit entries if you have already created your account and are ready to enter
   
• Browse the categories to decide which ones suit you best. Remember you can enter as many as you like but they will be treated as separate entries and charged at the reduced second rate entry fee.
   
• Once you have registered and logged in, go to your ‘dashboard' (top right) and ‘add an entry’
   
• Upload your report (PDF/Word, .doc or .docx max size 10mb) in the box provided.
   
• Submit your 100 word summary, in the box provided, which will show live on the site if you are nominated/win. This will be used to give visitors to the site an insight into what your entry was about and why it was successful (do not include confidential information here) 
   
• Upload URL if applicable to your entry, in the box provided.
   
• Attach a leading image in the box provided to support your report (Jpeg max size 10mb ). Please note this image will go live in the event of your work being nominated so please take this into account when choosing this image. Image for judges eyes only should be added to the private media field.
   
• Option to upload additional images in the boxes provided to support your entry (Jpeg max size 10mb)
   
• If you are entering a video, please follow the instructions provided.  This will also go live in the event of a nomination.
   
• Check your entry meets the rules criteria. 
   
• Follow the onscreen instructions to submit your entry and make payment. Please note: you will only receive the 2nd entry rate if you enter all your submissions at the same time. Leave your entries in your basket until you are sure they are complete.
   
• Entries received after the 12 September 2019 deadline will be subject to a 10% late fee.  This will be added on at the payment stage. 
   
• A confirmation email will be sent to you and a receipt will be issued to you within a few days
   

Once this process is complete your entry will go forward for judging.

•  Give each entry a unique title to grab the judges' interest - try to avoid generic names.

• When writing your report, don’t assume the judges have seen the work or campaign. Give clear concise answers on the brief, objectives and results. Figures should include the starting point and any increases in numeric terms, not just in percentages.

• Only use additional password protection if it’s absolutely necessary.

• Please include usernames and passwords, if required, for the judging; i.e. a private YouTube video and make sure the links work.