What’s going on with IABC London’s Virtuoso Awards?
Over the past year, IABC London members and stakeholders were open and honest in their feedback on our local project-based awards program. Now we’re doing the same. We’re pleased to share the Virtuoso Awards Review Report and to announce that the Virtuoso Awards will return in 2020.
IABC London made the careful decision to take a ‘purposeful pause’ on Virtuoso Awards in 2019. A committee was formed to oversee a strategic review and input process. After months of stakeholder engagement and research, the committee developed a number of recommendations to steer the future direction of awards programming.
The Virtuoso Awards Review Report, now available to all IABC London stakeholders, provides a thorough summary of the review, its findings and the committee’s recommendations.
There is fantastic work being done here in London and area, and our region’s professional communicators deserve to be recognized for their talent and strategy. The decision to resume Virtuoso Awards is based on stakeholder input. We heard from our community that you believe in Virtuoso and that local project-based awards should continue.
But we also heard that there is room for improvement. The review committee has developed a number of recommendations for enhancements and a group of dedicated volunteers is already hard at work to implement change.
In the months to come, you will begin seeing these changes, including enhanced resources for preparing your submission; important changes to the evaluation of award submissions; and better recognition for award winners, ensuring you are celebrated in the ways you deserve. We also want to ensure you are recognized for amazing work done in 2018, and so we will allow award entries for work done over the past two years.
Start thinking about which of your projects deserve recognition and keep an eye on our channels as we ramp up to bring you a refreshed Virtuoso Awards in 2020! For any questions or concerns, please contact Robert DeLaet, IABC London Awards Director, at iabclondonawards@gmail.com.