Award ceremonies can be great for business. They provide you with the perfect opportunity to say thanks to the people who make your company what it is, your employees. It’s a brilliant way to bring everyone in the company together and motivate your workers by praising their successes. Planning such an event can be stressful and time consuming, but the effort is always worth it. On top of the planning there is the stress of the actual night to deal with. We’ve put together a number of tips that will ensure your hosting goes without a hitch.
Hosting Award Night
Eat and Be Merry
No one likes waiting to be fed so the first thing on the agenda for the evening is the food. Let everyone eat and have a drink or two to relax and converse with the other guests at their table. Use this time to mingle very briefly and go over your notes and cues. While the food is digesting play a video showcasing the employees or discussing the growth of the company in the past year. You can make the video funny and witty to avoid boredom! Remember your employees have come to be entertained for the evening, so keep things light.
Keep Your Speeches Short but Powerful
No one wants to know about how you started the business or the time your mother showed your baby pictures to your delightful wife. They want to get down to business, so keep your opening speech short and to the point. Thank the entire room for coming and for the work they’ve done and perhaps make a joke (test drive the joke first to ensure it’s actually funny) and end with something inspirational and then start handing out awards.
Be Authentic
If you’re lying the audience will pick up on it so ensure you really mean what you’re saying. Make sure you stay relaxed and have fun up there; your energy will filter down into the audience and create the right atmosphere. Speak only about things you’re really passionate about and give thanks to the employees you really want to mention, not those you’ve not really been in contact with. Avoid the tears too, you may be proud and overwhelmed but no one wants to see you cry.
Don’t Make People Uncomfortable
When you welcome people on stage to collect their awards allow them a minute or two to speak if they want to but never force this on anyone who is uncomfortable with the limelight. Give the winner a warm handshake or kiss on the cheek and hand them their award. Offer the microphone but if it’s not accepted smile and ask the audience to give the winner a round of applause as they leave the stage.
Make the Awards Desirable
Your employees will feel appreciated if the award is something they would actually like to own. You can design your own awards or add branding onto pre-designed ones by visiting 1st place for trophies. Give each award a decent title and go to the effort of engraving the name of the winner, the name of the award they have one and the year onto the plaque.
