Entry Tips

To help you make a successful entry, here are some tips to assist you in writing a compelling entry for the British Youth Travel Awards.

Download our entry toolkit. This contains important information and tips on creating a stand-out awards entry

Answer the questions

Read the questions carefully, and ensure you target your answers to the question
Keep focused and ensure all information is relevant

Don’t ignore the rules

Word count – The judges are on a deadline too so are keen to read the concise copy
Keep within the upload sizes requested
Adhere to stipulated PDF and .doc upload formats
Submit by the closing date!

Communicate with Clarity

Remember the judges will be looking through many entries, so:

Be concise, clear and focused – with clean, easy-to-digest copy
Make it easy for them to make sense of your entry
Create a narrative, and make your submission a good read
Write with verve, be compelling and passionate, and aim to stand out
Avoid jargon, inflated claims, unexplained acronyms and unedited copy-and-pasting
Set the scene – provide insight into your business/product, with the context where appropriate

Include supporting evidence

Make sure the supporting material backs up your claims in the main submission
Pertinent facts and figures can improve your awards entry
Where necessary validate your claims to enable the judges to evaluate their impact

Words beat links

The words of your submission form should be the main focus and thrust of your entry
Make it easy to access websites and files
Create a Dragons Den video to talk about the reasons that you should win
Do not populate your entry with hundreds of URLs. They take up valuable word count space and can detract from your statements
Avoid weighty download files that have to be sifted through to find your point

Leave enough time

Enter early – a last-minute rush is likely to impact the quality of your submission
The process invariably takes longer than expected, particularly if you need sign-offs
Allocate yourself more time than you think you will need

Assign somebody to the job

Designate someone in your company as the Awards coordinator – responsible for collating information, contacting referred clients, consulting colleagues, checking facts, chasing up, writing the initial draft and keeping an eye on the timeline and deadline

Seek the client’s permission

Ensure any relevant clients are happy to have their product/service/campaign entered, especially if it contains commercially sensitive information

Proofread

When the basics are finalised give it to the best writer in your company to polish
Typos can make a good submission look sloppy

Choose the right category

Consider entering categories you think might attract fewer entrants to give yourself a higher chance of success
You can give yourself a decent chance of being shortlisted/winning by entering more than one relevant category

Using these guidance notes will not guarantee success, but it will give your entry the best possible chance of making compelling reading for the judging panel.