It’s always nice to get recognition for your efforts and with the deadline for entry into the CIHT Awards 2026 on 20th February 2026, now is the time to act. Here are some pointers for entries that could make the difference between receiving correspondence beginning with the word “Congratulations!” rather than “Commiserations”.

Start your application as soon as possible

Get the admin out of the way so you can see how easy it is to apply. You can save and return to your application at any point before the closing date on the 20 February 2026.

Review the guidelines

Entry criteria and rules are provided on the individual awards pages on the website. Sticking to them will enable you to keep focused and ensure you not only meet the requirements of the judges but also give you the greatest chance of success.

Start gathering the information you need to answer the criteria for the award(s)

You might need to contact your colleagues, making it clear exactly what you need them to provide. Set a deadline for them to get you the relevant information that is well in advance of the awards’ closing date.

Keep it focused

Concentrate on addressing the assessment criteria. Don’t just complete your entry with the contents of existing sales and marketing materials without addressing the criteria.

Don’t be intimidated

When approaching your awards entry, there should be no obstacle to enter, and no project too big or small. The most important thing is to start work on your entry as soon as possible. The CIHT awards team has made the application process as easy as possible to enable you to showcase your work as effectively as possible. That means no trick questions and nothing that is designed to catch you out.

A single project can be many things

It is important that you find the right category or categories for your entry. Some entries might be eligible for several categories; however, you must write bespoke text for each entry and make sure that you address the brief and criteria for each award category.

Tell a story: beginning, middle and end

Award criteria let you write your entry in this way, which helps to create a clear structure and narrative for your entry. What might make things easier is if you have an existing case study, report or presentation that you can adapt for your entry.

Support with facts and evidence

It is not enough to say that you have improved results. Provide quantitative and qualitative evidence to show real results.

Add further context

You are encouraged to upload additional images, videos or PDFs with your awards entry. While this is not part of what is judged, it can provide judges with a better picture of your work and bring it to life if presented clearly and succinctly.

Get a second opinion

Before submission, circulate the entry to those involved with the work for their feedback. It is also a good idea to get someone who is not familiar with the work, or even with the profession, to read the entry as they will not take any information for granted. Revise your text to accommodate the feedback.

Enter the awards now (deadline 20th February 2026).

Image: concept of winning award in front of a crowd. Credit: Shutterstock.