Back to reality

With my holiday a distant memory already, it is time to start nagging about the Channel Awards deadline

Having 12 days off in a row is a blissful thing indeed, but it certainly makes returning to work all the harder.

Luckily the weather has been so atrocious throughout that I'm not missing lazy days enjoying the sunshine in my garden or anything!

But one thing that struck me on my return was that the Channel Awards deadline is steadily creeping up on us, and before you know it, it will be here.

For those not in the know - the deadline is 20 July.

That is just over two weeks away. Two weeks to get entries done and completed - hopefully this will be enough advanced warning!

Please don't leave it until the last minute - cut yourself some slack and get them done early - it will save hassle in the long run.

All the information you could possibly need can be found on our web site - including the full criteria and also top tips to entering - what you can do that will make the judges sit up and take notice of your entry.

My main advice would be to try and imagine you are one of the judges - what would make you read an entry/remember an entry?

Make them fun to read - don't just repeat marketing spiel and hope for the best - sell your company to the judges - why does it deserve to win this award?

Make sure it is UK relevant - this applies particularly to vendors - rolling off a general PR piece about the overall company strategy is not the way to the judges' hearts - tailoring an entry so it talks about nothing but the UK market and the importance of UK partners/customers will win brownie points.

Include facts and figures, but make sure they are in context and are backed up. Don't forget testimonials.

If you have done something that you are particularly proud of, please do include it - it could be the thing that marks you as a winner.

I look forward to reading them all again and chewing over the entries with my ever-growing judging panel.

We run these awards because we believe our industry has a lot to shout about and a lot to be proud of.

Best of luck to you all.