The OpenWater Blog

Protecting Your Investment: How to Retain Your Awards Judges Year Over Year

When it comes to your awards judges, considering them an investment is somewhat of an understatement. Between the time and energy you spend trying to find the right judges, the uncertainty of knowing whether or not they will accept your invitation to judge, and the process of guiding them through your judging criteria, they are one of the most invaluable components of your awards program.

But, what does all this mean? It means that when it comes time for your program next year, being able to turn to the same judges from the year prior is critical in saving time and building the prestige of your organization. So, how do you do this? By keeping them excited and engaged with your organization! And, by following a few simple tips, you can do just that.

Keeping Judges Included in the Awards Program News

One of the simplest ways to keep your awards judges engaged is keeping them in the loop of all your program’s news and maintaining personal contact with them as well. There are several proven tactics that you can use to do this, including:

1. Sharing High-Level Noteworthy News – Awards judging is more than just a once-a-year event. In fact, there are going to be events that happen consistently throughout the year, many of which are of interest to judges.
   Consider this: judges are experts in your field, and your organization is of general interest to them! This means that if a winner accomplishes something of significance, if another participating judge achieves something worth talking about, or if something else occurs, you can put it in a newsletter and send it off to spread the word.
2. Remind Judges of Your Thankfulness – Like all professionals (and people in general), judges enjoy being reminded of their role and your appreciation. This means that when appropriate, you should send your judges a simple thank you to keep them actively engaged and reminded of your organization. And yes, this simple gesture does go a long way.
3. Hand Out Secret Rewards – While this won’t be an option for all organizations, a secret reward can come out of the budget if there is additional money that you can spend. Giving your awards judges a secret bonus is not only a good way to encourage them to participate again, but it will also serve as a reminder of your appreciation and help retain them as an investment for your organization.
4. Invite Judges for a Dinner or Other Event – Your judging period or awards gala doesn’t have to be the only time that you see your judges during the year! In fact, if all of your judges are centrally located or will all be within the same location at once, you can use dinner as an opportunity to discuss industry trends and keep them familiar with your organization as well.
5. Share Industry-Specific Articles You Find Interesting – Because your awards judges are experts in your industry, they appreciate new industry innovations and news just as much as you do! This means that if you ever come across anything interesting in the news, sending it out to your judges with a personal, succinct message will add to the legitimacy and prestige of your organization. As a result, judges will want to participate in your program and your precious investment is protected.

What communication methods do you use to stay in touch with your judges year-round?

Not sure how to keep your awards judging process from getting cluttered or confusing? Download our guide to stay on top of everything you need to plan a successful program!

[button id=”” style=”” color=”orange” type=”large” size=”large” href=”http://www.getopenwater.com/subscribe-to-openwater-blog” align=”center” target=”_self”]Like what you’ve read? Click here to subscribe to this blog![/button]

Miriam Hancock

Miriam Hancock
Miriam is the Marketing Coordinator for OpenWater. When she isn't writing and designing content she paints and cooks for her own personal blog.

OpenWater Introduces OpenWater Verified Awards – a New Way to Securely Audit Awards Programs

Capture Demographic Data with Entrant Profiles