We've all watched an award ceremony before, whether it was the Academy Awards, the Grammys, or the Golden Globes. These events are a great way to recognize and reward talented actors, actresses, and other celebrities for their accomplishments, but did you know they're also a fantastic opportunity to celebrate your employees' hard work and dedication? Award ceremonies are just as common in the business world as they are in the entertainment industry. Your company's award ceremony might not have a million-dollar budget, but with some careful planning and creativity, you can host your own incredible event, with you as the organizer and your employees as the stars. Read on to learn how to run a business award ceremony.

How To Run a Business Award Ceremony

Determining the Basics

Before you start planning, you need to know the basics. To start, your award ceremony needs a name, and it doesn't need to be overly fancy. You can choose a simple, straightforward name or opt for something more creative. Once you have your name, determine where and when you'll host your company's award ceremony. You can host a virtual award ceremony on Zoom or Microsoft Teams, or pick out an appropriate venue and make it an in-person event. Make sure to give yourself adequate time to plan the event. You don't want to scramble last minute to get everything together.

Choosing the Nominees, Judges, and Winners

Another tip on how to run a business award ceremony is to determine how to select the nominees and winners. To host a proper award ceremony, you'll need nominees and a set of judges who convene and vote on the winners. There are three steps to setting up the nominating and voting process. Ask yourself these questions:

• Who can nominate people?

• What categories can they be nominated for?

• How will the nominations be submitted?

Once you have the submission process figured out, it's time to select the judges. The judging panel will usually consist of a company's higher-ups. Finally, you’ll need to prepare the awards that you’ll hand out. A personalized award will feel more meaningful to the recipient. To make them as personalized as possible, considering adding a short message to each award or plaque.

Make It Entertaining

An award ceremony is all about celebrating your employees, and a celebration should be fun. Your event schedule should include more than just speeches, announcements, and awards. If you're hosting in person, you can serve dinner, host raffles, and hire someone to play live music. Your choices for a virtual ceremony are a bit more limited, but you can still host raffles and play music. Another fun activity you can try involves breaking into teams and playing a round of trivia, with smaller prizes awarded to the winning group.