It’s always important for companies to reward its employees and give them their due recognition, and one of the best ways to do that is acknowledging their achievements with an awards ceremony.
However, planning a memorable awards ceremony comes with its own challenges which may result in certain mistakes being made. As a result, this may affect the experience of the very employees you are trying to acknowledge.
While many of these mistakes are common, the good news is that they are also easy to avoid. Here are five common mistakes made while planning an awards ceremony, and more importantly, how to avoid them:
1. Setting an unreasonable budget
The process of putting an awards ceremony together is, in many ways, similar to planning other large events, such as conferences, and one of the common factors is budgeting.
Many event planners get their budgets wrong for a multitude of reasons, but one of the most prevalent causes of an either overinflated or understated budget is a lack of understanding of your event’s needs.
How to avoid:
To ensure you allocate an appropriate and effective budget for your awards ceremony, first you must do two things:
- Define your goals and objectives
What do you want to achieve in your awards ceremony? How many attendees are you planning to host? What kind of experience do I want them to walk away with? - Determine your target audience
Who are the employees who will be present at your awards ceremony? What are their interests and/or goals? How can you make sure your awards ceremony turns out to be a memorable experience for them?
Once you’ve figured out the above, you can then safely move on to the actual budget. For more details on how to draw up your budget, check out these seven must-know tips for effective event budgeting.
2. Selecting an inappropriate venue
A venue greatly contributes to a memorable awards ceremony, and where you hold your event will ultimately determine how positive your attendees’ experiences will be.
How to avoid:
When researching for venues, keep in mind three essential factors:
- What is the maximum capacity?
Does it cater to the size of your audience? - What dining options or services does the venue offer?
Does it match the theme and ambience of your awards ceremony? - What audio, visual and lighting (AVL) technology does the venue come equipped with
Does it support your programme requirements?
If any of these criteria are not satisfied, it’s likely that the particular venue may not be best suited for your needs. On the other hand, these three simple questions can not only help you to pinpoint which venues are viable options, but also increase your lead time from venue selection to confirmation.
Alternatively, you may consider taking a look at our list of partnered venues. We have strategic partnerships with 16 unique venues, each with their value propositions and offerings that make them ideal for many event types, including awards ceremonies.
3. Booking an unsuitable host
As the key person who runs your programme on stage throughout the duration of your awards ceremony, booking an excellent host is an integral point of consideration. The personality and energy of your host will dictate the tone and vibe of the evening, and booking a host that is unable to keep your attendees’ spirits high may have a less-than-stellar impact on your attendees.
Nikki Muller (pictured in red and white) hosting the SG Mark 2022 Awards Ceremony & DBCS Gala Dinner.
How to avoid:
Review the concept of your awards ceremony, and look for a host who is not only suitable, but is able to elevate your event. Be sure to also factor in their experience levels and their areas of expertise to see if they turn out to be right fit for your event.
4. Not testing your programme
Perhaps the easiest mistake to avoid in awards ceremony planning is failing to test your programme. A lot of ideas and concepts may sound good on paper, but unearth potential issues in the testing phase. It’s always better to identify and remedy them during a test run of your awards ceremony, instead of the actual event.
How to avoid:
The solution is simple: allot a certain amount of time to doing a practice run with all members of your staff and planning team. Take note of what went well, and importantly, what areas could be optimised to make your awards ceremony run smoother.
5. Mispronouncing award recipients’ names
Trust us when we say this happens more often than one might think. Whether the confusion stems from alternate spellings of common names or more unique names, messing up a name is never ideal, especially when it happens on stage in front of hundreds or even thousands of attendees.
How to avoid:
Same as above: Make sure to do a practice run of your entire event programme, which would include the segment where the host gives out the awards. This gives your host the opportunity to confirm any pronunciations and make any notes for the actual event.
Plan an unforgettable awards ceremony with us today
We may have highlighted five easily avoidable mistakes in awards ceremony planning, but these merely represent a fraction of the complexities and potential complications that may occur during the planning process. That’s why the most straightforward solution to bypassing all these common (and even uncommon) mistakes is by working with an experienced events agency with the relevant expertise.
Unearthed Productions is an award-winning full-service agency that conceptualises meaningful experiences for a multitude of event formats, including awards ceremonies such as the SG Mark 2022 Awards Ceremony & DBCS Gala Dinner. From conceptualisation to on-site execution, we’ll help you deliver one-of-a-kind experiences and make your next awards ceremony truly one for the ages.
Plan your next awards ceremony with us today!
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