You know and love The Association 100 newsletter – your go to place for 100-word updates, news and helpful tips from experts within the association industry. The A100 podcast takes these topics beyond 100 words, allowing association leaders and experts to take a deeper dive into the issues they care about.
On the latest episode, association and communications experts Colleen Gallagher and Meghan Henning discuss all things awards– why they matter, what applications look like and how associations can use them to boost visibility and credibility. Both Colleen and Meghan bring their decades of awards experience to the podcast, having successfully created, judged and applied for a variety of awards programs.
The two begin the episode by walking through why applying for awards should be an integral part of every associations’ communications plan. Colleen and Meghan share how awards not only provide your association with recognition, but show your value to the industry and your members. Applying for awards, and winning them, shows your board that you are doing your jobs well, putting in the effort and getting things done. They explain how just the act of applying for an award is an important exercise in measuring the success of your efforts and identifying areas for improvement as well.
Meghan then goes on to share how just like there is an association for everything, there is an award for everyone! She stresses the importance of taking advantage of these awards opportunities since they can be used to leverage so much for your organization. As the awards application expert, Meghan provides insights on what she loves about applying for awards, what she finds challenging and what makes for a stellar application. Having judged many awards programs herself, Colleen steps in to share her thoughts on what associations can do to create winning applications. She mentions the importance of being brief, closely following directions and relaying everything back to your initial goals.
Lastly, the two walk through how to leverage an award win from a communications perspective. They provide a multitude of different ways in which association teams can promote their win and use it to communicate with everyone from members to industry leaders. Listeners will finish this episode with all of the tools, resources and strategies needed to successfully apply for awards. So go ahead, press play and get ready to become an expert on all things awards!
