THE 300 CLUB - AN ENORMOUS TREASURE TROVE OF COMMS LEARNING

Phew, you’ve been busy, busy people. This week’s UnAwards deadline passed and resulted in a record, inbox-busting, 300+ entries.  Wow. We thank you so much for this.

It’s an immense response and represents a very significant body of your work, skills, creativity and learning.

We’re now busily logging and getting your entries to our team of external judges. The shortlists will be announced in mid-November – we’ll share more on this soon.

Together we've created a beautiful thing. But we could not host the UnAwards without the support of our partner, GovDelivery, and our sponsors and supporters, Alive With Ideas, the Local Government Association, Social Simulator and the NUJ PR and Communications Council. We doff our caps to you all.

UnAwards16 tickets…

We’re expecting another sell-out UnAwards ceremony on 1 December. Last year’s event was a sell out and there’s a strict limit on ticket numbers this year.

Tickets are on sale and the only way you can guarantee being at the big day is to grab your ticket now. We’ve held the prices at just £20+ vat – you can bag yours here.

Good luck to everyone who has entered. I can't wait to see many of you on the big day at my favourite industry event of the year.

Darren Caveney is creator of comms2point0 and organiser of the UnAwards16

image via the National Library of Wales

WHAT A DAY AT THE UNAWARDS16 WILL LOOK LIKE

"Are the UnAwards a proper awards event if it only costs £20 to attend them?"

I was asked this question last year. Well, actually, it was an attendee who said her boss had asked the question.

It's fair to ask. We're all busy and our time needs to be spent on things which add value, help us develop, make us better at our jobs.

Yes, the UnAwards are proper awards because the people who take part, enter, nominate and attend are what make an award. Not the ticket price or the venue.

Now we could run the UnAwards in a large London hotel, make it black tie and exclusive and charge £300 a ticket. But that isn't our style. And I don't believe it's what colleagues across the industry that we meet every week want either.

350 entries and 5k public votes in the 2014 and 2015 UnAwards back up our thinking.

So come along and enjoy what's my favourite industry gathering of the year.

The UnAwards16 will take place at the cool Everyman Cinema in Birmingham's Mailbox. It will feature a winners ceremony, a film - which remains a closely guarded secret until the big day (last year we watched the brilliant Planes Trains and Automobiles) - and then you'll have a rather lovely meal in the Everyman's Diner which we also hire for the event.

But best of all it's the number one meeting and networking opportunity I know. It's a chance to meet a really wide range of people at the cutting edge of our industry and from all across the UK.

And many of you used last year's event as the springboard to your office Christmas celebrations afterwards. Go you.

How much is it to attend?

We have held the ticket price for a third year running because we want as many of you to have the chance to be there as possible. Tickets are just £20 + VAT.

Will the event sell out?

Yes, almost certainly. The UnAwards15 was a complete sell out and we have a strict limit on numbers. So if you want to be at the coolest and most unique event in the industry calendar you should book sharpish.

You can book tickets to the glittering UnAwards16 ceremony taking place on 1 December right here. Don't miss it, it's going to be a cracker.

Darren Caveney is creator of comms2point0 and the organiser of the UnAwards16

post image via The Library of Congress 

3 GREAT NEW CATEGORIES YOU'LL WANT TO ENTER IN THE #UNAWARDS16

We're committed to the UnAwards because we think they are an important initiative. Really important.

One of the reasons why we created our online learning platform comms2point0.co.uk five years ago was to fly a flag for comms people across the sectors.

We know you do an amazing job and often under difficult circumstances.

So the UnAwards is our own unique way of shining a spotlight on our industry and the people within it but with a very clear remit: It must always be accessible to everyone no matter who you are or what your budget is.

We are also committed to keeping the UnAwards fresh and ever-evolving.

So this year we have created three important, all-new categories which we think you should take a look at and enter yourself, your team, or nominate someone you think does a brilliant job.

Three new categories for the UnAwards16...

First off we have the 'Best social media account' category.

It struck me that this was perhaps the most competitive area in comms, marketing and digital right now in 2016. So why not create a new category to highlight the brilliant accounts we see operating across the UK and beyond.
Think of this one as the blue riband 400 metres final at the Olympics - fast and demanding a sustained effort plus a large slab of enthusiasm and creativity.

Does this sound like one of your accounts? Then don't be bashful, get your entry in here.

The next of our new entrants is the 'Best young communicator' category.

One of our followers and workshop attendees asked us, earlier in the year, why we didn't have a best young communicator category?
She was absolutely right, why didn't we? So here you go, we've created one.

Now we had a debate about what 'young' was and we've plumped for 30 or under.

Do you know someone who should be in the running and recognised?
Then get your entries or nominations in here.

The last of our new categories for 2016 is 'Best ethical comms or behaviour'.

If you have been working in comms for a while, or even a relatively short amount of time, you have probably faced challenges in this often not discussed area of our industry. Well that changes now.

Thanks to the good people at NUJ PRCC for sponsoring this important UnAward category.
You can enter here.

The closing date for entries is 31 October. We know you're busy but we really do believe that you owe it to you and your teams to make some time to enter and feel the love for the work you've crafted this year.

Good luck.

Darren Caveney is creator of comms2point0 and the organiser of the UnAwards16

You can book tickets to the glittering UnAwards16 ceremony taking place on 1 December right here. Don't miss it, it's going to be a cracker.

image via the State Library of New South Wales

NOMINATE SOMEONE BRILLIANT IN THE UNAWARDS16

We know that a common complaint from comms folk, and others for that matter, is a lack of recognition for their work.

Whether it’s a brilliant campaign, managing communications through a crisis or just turning up every day of the year and being the best you can be, it’s not a lot to ask to get the odd ‘well done’ or ‘thank you’.

But it doesn’t happen often enough for many and that is one of the reasons behind the comms2point UnAwards16 - to shine a light on the professionals proudly flying comms, pr and digital flags across the sectors.

Now there’s only one thing better than being shortlisted for an award - that’s being nominated by someone else for an award. It’s a special thing.  It means you’ve caught someone’s eye, demanded their attention or impressed them with your creativity, doggedness, enthusiasm and skills.

Know someone like that? Then why not nominate them in the UnAwards16.

All you need to do is complete this dead easy entry form here and email it through to admin@comms2point0unawards.co.uk

You can nominate an individual or a team in any of this year's categories. Two which really lend themselves to nominations are...

-          Best comms/digital team

-          Lifetime achievement award

When we set up the UnAwards we were absolutely clear that they would be the most accessible industry awards around.  Where the community were actively involved in shaping and deciding.

So, best of all you, the comms community, gets to choose the winners through a public vote in these two categories, as well as our 'Post of the year' category.

We’ll tell you more about the public vote soon.

HOW LONG HAVE I GOT TO NOMINATE SOMEONE?

The closing date is 31 October so get nominating.

BE THERE ON THE DAY…

Want to soak up the atmosphere of the coolest comms, PR, marketing and digital event of the year in person? UnAwards tickets are priced at just £20 + vat each. See, we told you the UnAwards were really accessible.

Tickets are available on a first come, first served basis and will sell out so don’t hang around.  Book yours now here.

Darren Caveney is creator of comms2point and organiser of the UnAwards16

WHY YOU MUST, MUST, MUST ENTER THE UNAWARDS16

You owe it to yourself and your team to enter the UnAwards16, It's free and easy to do and you have plenty of time to do it. So no excuses, right?

By Darren Caveney

Each year the UnAwards has a theme – and this year, our third UnAwards, the theme is team work and collaboration.

Whether you’re a team of one relying upon other colleagues, a medium-sized team who’s taken some financial hits and trying to keep pace, or a large team with big expectation on your heads, it all comes down to great team work and really effective collaboration.

Along with great planning, good use of research, brilliant execution, measured outcomes, and big slabs of creativity, it’s team work and collaboration that is going to make your comms, pr, marketing and digital work fly high.

We know so many of you are doing great things and this is your chance to showcase yours, and your team’s, best work.

Some reasons why you ‘might’ not enter

I’m in the very fortunate position that I get to see first-hand the work which comms professionals across the UK are delivering. I’m constantly impressed by the hard work, professionalism and creativity which keep organisational wheels turning.

But I spotted a couple of people I know who didn’t enter in 2015. I pondered on why this may have beenthen I- but thought “stuff the pondering, why not just ask them?”.

The reason they gave wasn’t the reason I expected…

I expected them to say they hadn’t had time. But what some of them said was that they didn’t think their work last year was award-entry standard. This made me feel a bit sad to be honest, but I thought about this and suspected that their work HAD been good enough. The issue was one of confidence.

It’s really important to feel confident in your work. But if you’re in a team which has taken quite an internal beating it’s completely understandable that confidence gets knocked. The UnAwards are an opportunity to redress the balance – remind yourself that you do good things, work which makes a difference.

It’s a truism that will never go away and it’s that no one else is likely to shout about you and your work. You need to do it yourself. Nobody likes a show-off but putting your work forward to compete with the rest is a really good way to tackle this issue. I've seen it work, first-hand and many times.

There has literally never been a more important time to shout about your work than right now, especially for those facing another round of annual cuts to budgets and teams and morale in some teams in need of a small boost.

Yes, I know you’re busy. Everyone is. But the people who get on - and get noticed - manage their time so that they give themselves an hour to nail a really strong award entry, You owe it to yourself and your teams.

The world won’t end if you take a little bit of time to submit an entry. If you don’t crow about your best work for sure no-one else will.

So enter the UnAwards16 and let our judges decide whose work stands out.

OK, I’m in – how do I enter

Simple. You simply complete a short word document and you email it to us. That's it.

Take a look here for everything you need.

There are 18 categories to choose from so absolutely something for everyone.

And this year we have three all-new categories - best social media account, best young communicator and best ethical comms or behaviour.

Make the next thing you do, right now, putting an hour in your diary asap to get the ball rolling with a brilliant entry or two.

Darren Caveney is creator of comms2point0 and organiser of the UnAwards

Come along to the big day on 1 December - it's the coolest comms event of the year and you'll have the chance to meet and connect with some new colleagues from around the UK.

You can book your tickets here.

If you’ve forgotten how epic the UnAwards15 were, or you’ve not been involved in them before, here’s a neat, short video...

THE UNAWARDS16 ARE OPEN

The UnAwards are back – and here’s everything you need to know to enter, showcase your best work and attend the coolest communications event of the year bar none…

By Darren Caveney

Following their huge success and popularity in 2014 and 2015, the comms2point0 UnAwards return on 1 December 2016. Bigger and better than ever, but remaining true to their original ethos.

So step forward and enter your best work now and show why you and your team deserve to be recognised in 2016.

What are the UnAwards?

The ‘UnAwards’ are different to any other comms, pr marketing and digital industry awards and, we believe, all the better for it.

They mean a lot to us because we know they make a real difference to the people working on the front line of comms across the sectors. We believe that you deserve proper recognition and real celebration.

The UnAwards are laid back, take place in a cool, quirky venue, and they recognise genuine creativity, innovation and results.

And with awards determined through a mix of independent judging panel and community voting, they’re also fair.

They are free to enter and intentionally cheap to attend. This is about connecting and celebrating you and our industry, not stripping you of your precious budgets.

The UnAwards in numbers…

The communications industry really bought into the UnAwards concept when we launched them in 2014.

Over 350 entries and 5k public votes have made them the ‘peoples’ awards’.

Shedding a tear…

Leading figures from the comms and digital industry got involved, entered and attended the ceremony. Some of the winners shed a tear. And many more of you took the opportunity to share a cool space with colleagues from around the UK for some important networking.

This year’s theme

We theme the UnAwards each year. This year themes are team work and collaboration, the thinking being that you can't achieve much without them however small or large your team.

Now, more than ever before, collaborating with good partners and suppliers is vitally important to the success of organisations and their communications achievements.

Strong team work and collaboration will resonate as a theme across our industry, and we suspect it will resonate with you too.

New and fresh for the UnAwards16

True to form, we’re keeping the UnAwards fresh and exciting. So this year we’re introducing some new categories, including ‘best social media account’ – now that’s going to be a battle royal...

The #UnAwards16 FAQs

OK, I’m in – how do I enter?

It couldn’t be simpler – you complete this short word document and you email it to us at admin@comms2point0unawards.co.uk  That’s it.

Here's our entry page for more info.

You could nail it is 30 minutes. And that may just be the best 30 working minutes you spend this year. Get yourself to a coffee shop one lunch time, order yourself a nice flat white and get cracking armed with good intel on what your work delivered.

How much is it to enter?

These are the UnAwards - there is no entry fee. Free, zilch, nowt, nothing. We want to see your best work so we strip away all of the barriers to make it as easy as possible for you to enter.

How long have I got to get my entry in?

The closing date for entries is 31 October 2016 (midnight)

So there really is no excuse to enter this year. We know that we comms folks can be coy about shouting about our own work. But if you don’t no one else will.

Who can enter?

The UnAwards are open to all sectors – public, private, third, charitable and education - and if you’re based outside the UK you’re also very welcome to enter.

How do I attend the UnAwards16?

You will definitely want to attend the UnAwards16.

Keep them peeled for an announcement on event tickets very soon – the UnAwards15 sold out so don’t hang around bagging your ticket to the coolest comms event of the year.

The UnAwards16 will be held at the rather lovely Everyman Cinema in Birmingham’s iconic Mailbox on 1 December, running from 10am - 3pm.  Make sure you’re there to enjoy the UnAwards ceremony, a fab film, and a rather nice meal.

Be a part of #UnAwards16

Darren Caveney is co-creator of comms2point0 and organiser of the UnAwards

If you’ve forgotten how epic the UnAwards15 were, or you’ve not been involved in them before, here’s a neat little short video which should hopefully whet your appetite...

IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR: THE UNAWARDS 2015

There was real celebratory feel about the UnAwards15, which we’re pretty pleased about because that’s exactly what we hoped to achieve.

By Darren Caveney

The UnAwards15 saw 140 colleagues from across the industry descend on the very cool Everyman Cinema in Birmingham last Thursday. The mood was one of big event excitement - Christmas party meets trip to a posh cinema mixed with lashing of great communicators celebrating one another’s work.

Holding the UnAwards at Christmas is deliberate too – we wanted to add a little festive sparkle to the proceedings.

We’re a tad biased but we felt the whole day was a little bit special.

Sitting watching the fabulous Planes, Trains and Automobiles with what felt like a great big group of pals was pretty amazing. The film had a whole bunch of relevant messages and takeaways (and if you have ever watched the movie remember – ‘never assume you are cuddling a pillow’)

If you were a part of the UnAwards15 we hope it was fun. We hope you felt recognised.

If you missed the UnAwards then get it in your diary for next year, we suspect it might just get even bigger in 2016 (1 December looks rather tempting)

FIRST OFF, SOME WELL-DONE MESSAGES...

If you entered, well done. The entry process will have made you stop and think about your project or campaign - what worked, why it was successful and how you measured it. It may also have made you think about how and where you may do things differently next time. Quiet reflection, review and evaluation is vital for us all.

If you were one of the 81 shortlistees then huge congratulations. We said it on the day of the event and it’s true - the standards have risen this year. And that’s so encouraging to see.

If you won you should be seriously delighted. It means independent and experienced judges from the industry thought your work was great and made a difference. Get it on your LinkedIn profile sharpish.

If you lost out in the public vote for the best guest post, best comms team and lifetime achievement UnAwards you should take great pride and satisfaction that someone else nominated you. That’s something special. Something to be cherished.

THE WINNERS

There are too many to mention here but some standouts from the UnAwards included Sheffield City Council grabbing three wins and Sarah Lay collecting the lifetime achievement UnAward from last year’s winner Fran Collingham.

It was really pleasing to see wins for local government, NHS, police, housing, creative agency and the fire and rescue service. Excellence was spread across the sectors.

And both Leeds City Council and Shadow Giants remain as the only two organisations to win at both the UnAwards 14 and 15. Go you.

We’ve published the full list of winners and judges’ special picks. Many thanks to our judges.

SAYING THANKS

The UnAwards15 would simply not have been possible without a lot of help and support from some brilliant people. So from Dan and I huge thanks to:

-          Musterpoint

-          Alive With Ideas

-          GovDelivery

-          Luke Williams

-          Nicky Speed

-          Nigel Bishop

-          ByeByeBirdieUK

SO WHAT NEXT?

We created the UnAwards to celebrate the achievements of the comms industry. But to do it in a way which was a little different. We don’t like stuffy and so try to make our events genuinely entertaining. We also developed them as an antidote to an awards industry which is fast pricing the public sector out of the market.

The UnAwards set out to be the most accessible industry awards around.  We think we pulled it off. But if we didn’t, tell us.

Lots of you have been asking for more details about what winners did so that we can share the learning. So we’ll now work on an event for the New Year to bring together winners and shortlistees and give them the chance to tell us all in more detail what they created, delivered and learned. We’ll need a venue and a sponsor or two to make this fly (and a couple of people have already signalled an interest)  More as soon as we have it.

We want your blog posts on your entries so that we can share widely across the comms community. That’s the whole point of comms2point0.co.uk – sharing and learning. So get scribbling and send us your posts as soon as.

UNAWARDS 2016

survey services

AND FINALLY

I was repeatedly asked two questions on the day. The first, light-heartedly, centred on my Val Doonican Christmas Special UnAwards outfit (you had to be there). Well for all you discerning gents out there, here’s where you can grab your own velvet jacket to make an impression (or not) this Christmas.

And secondly, I was asked whether the UnAwards was a whole load of work and was I worn out from it? Honest answers, yes, it’s a lot of work. But as Morrissey once said, “the pleasure, the privilege was mine.”

So thanks for letting us have so much fun.

See you at the UnAwards15 Winners Masterclass in the New Year.

Darren Caveney is co-creator of comms2point0 and the UnAwards

UNAWARDS15 - THE SHORTLIST

Well that was fun.

Yesterday saw the end of our public vote and the announcement of the #UnAwards15 shortlist. I went slightly bog-eyed watching it all unfold but we now know the runners and riders in all 15 categories.

By Darren Caveney

Over 140 entries poured into the UnAwards15 from across the UK and from as far afield as Norway. Central government, local government, NHS, Police, Housing, Fire, Higher Education, third sector and the agency world all took part and our 14 external judges have had quite a task in getting down to our final shortlist.

The standard of your entries this year has been high. We know this because some of our judges are hard to impress, But impressed they were.

Our love and respect for this fabulous comms, PR, marketing and digital community, which we all exist in, just grows and grows and thank you so much for supporting the #UnAwards15.

It’s extra work for everyone who gets involved – from entrants all the way through to judges - but I shall never stop believing that recognising great work, memorable achievements and creativity is just about the most important part of what we believe in at comms2point0 headquarters.

The fact that 2.7k votes were cast in the public vote tells us that you believe this too.

Here is the shortlist - huge thanks to everyone who entered.

If you weren’t shortlisted this time, I’m sorry. The standard this year was incredibly high and in some categories really good entries still weren’t good enough to make the final cut. This doesn’t mean that your work wasn’t great, of course, and reflecting on what worked well is always time well spent. Don’t give up – as us Birmingham City F.C. fans say, “there’s always next year”.

Tremendous thanks go to our team of judges for taking the time to make this happen – Dan and I were itching to judge but as we know so many of the entrants now through our consultancy work, training and events we thought it fairer all round to butt out.

And whether you are shortlisted or not do get yourself to the best comms event of the year on 3 December at the very cool Everyman Cinema.

The event features the ceremony, the watching a classic comms and PR film, eating a tasty meal with friends and colleagues, and the chance to learn and network with your industry.

‘Yes, it’s work’, if your boss questions it.

And ‘no’, it’s not a stuffy black tie affair where you have to part with £300 and listen to a bad after dinner speaker.

Tickets are selling fast and once they are gone, they are gone I’m afraid.

To guarantee your place on a very comfy sofa for the big event rustle through your wallets and purses for £20 and grab your prized ticket now.

I hope to see lots of you there. Dan may even buy you a drink.

Darren is co-creator of comms2point0 and the UnAwards

Image via Flickr creative commons

UNAWARDS15 LATEST: THE SHORTLIST, THE PUBLIC VOTE AND ATTENDING ONE COOL EVENT

By Darren Caveney

Wow.

We are just getting our breath back from working our way through the mountain of UnAwards entries we’ve received. And we thank each and every one of you for that.

The standard of your entries this year is very high and it has been fascinating looking through your work - the challenges you face and the creative solutions you have found to tackle them. We’re impressed.

We have entries from as far afield as Norway. And, interestingly, the top four most popular categories were ‘best creative comms’, ‘best internal comms’, ‘best use of video’ and ‘best low cost/free work’. The creativity and sheer breadth of your work has been a real treat to be able to delve into.

SHORTLISTING

Your entries are now winging their way through to our crack external team of judges. They have a tough job on their hands to get us our shortlist.

But decide they will and we’ll be posting the shortlists here on and around 16 November.

Winners will then be announced at our rather exciting UnAwards15 event taking place on 3 December.

MAKE SURE YOU ARE THERE ON THE DAY

The event will be a fantastic, fun day celebrating our industry and is a unique chance to learn and network, whether you are shortlisted or not.

It will run from 10am – 3pm at the very lovely Everyman Cinema, which is just a three minute walk from the all-new Birmingham New Street Station.

The event will feature the UnAwards ceremony, the screening of one very cool industry-related film, a tasty sit down meal and the chance to meet folks and friends both new and old.

There are still tickets available - at the moment - but please be aware they are strictly on a first come, first served basis. Tickets are just £20 – we know, that is ridiculously cheap.

So if you want to guarantee your place on a very comfy sofa on the day grab your tickets whilst you still can.

DON’T FORGET TO VOTE

In keeping with our UnAwards ethos, three of our category winners are selected by you. So please cast your vote in the following categories:

-          Lifetime Achievement

-          Best Guest Post 2015

-          Best Comms / Digital Team

You have until 17 November to vote for your favourites.

Good luck wishes go out to all of our entrants and nominees.

AND FINALLY

Huge thanks to official partners Musterpoint, and official sponsors GovDelivery and Alive with Ideas for your kind support and enabling us to host such a brilliant event with those cheap as chips ticket prices.

THE REAL REASON WHY YOU SHOULD ENTER THE UNAWARDS

There are several reasons for us running the UnAwards 15. Celebrating the work and efforts of colleagues across comms, PR, marketing and digital is right up there amongst them, of course.

But for me it runs a little deeper than that.

By Darren Caveney

We run the UnAwards to support and – in our own way - fly a flag for folks across the UK and beyond who are working in difficult circumstances and still delivering day after day. To sing for the unsung, to recognise the unrecognised.

I hear – and I hear it way too often, I’m afraid – of some less than great behaviours by some organisations and the way they are treating staff. To a degree this is to be expected with the enormous and ongoing cuts to the public sector – with 350k people leaving local government alone in the past five years there is unprecedented change taking place.

But this doesn’t excuse shoddy behaviour.

Lack of recognition has been a theme in much of the staff survey feedback I have seen over the years too. Sometimes your achievements will be appreciated by others, sometimes they’ll not be. That’s a fact of comms life, as it is in life.

And for me, part of the UnAwards is flying back into face of this and celebrating what you do and do well. We’ve been at, and are, at your coalface so we know.

So the real reason why you should enter the UnAwards is to celebrate you.

The UnAwards are about sticking your hands up in the air, proudly, and saying “you know what – I did some bloody good things this year. And I damn well should celebrate them.”

If you’re feeling a bit unloved, the community will show you some love. We all need some, right?

And whether you are ultimately shortlisted or not in the UnAwards s not necessarily the most important thing either - taking some time out to reflect back on all you have done this year is. This can only be a good thing for you personally, for your teams, and for your organisations.

Of course, if you have done something amazing you should absolutely crow about it, get it on your LinkedIn profile and write a post about it on comms2point0.co.uk. You never know, it may just get you spotted and open a door somewhere for you.

Convinced?

Then get cracking. You have until the end of Wednesday 28 October to enter.

Grab an hour with a cup of coffee, sit somewhere quiet and do yourself proud.

You’ll be glad you did.

p.s. Don’t forget to nominate someone brilliant in our two public categories: Lifetime achievement and best comms/digital team.

Darren Caveney is co-creator of comms2point0 and the UnAwards

image credit

A COOL INFOGRAPHIC - A GUIDE TO THE UNAWARDS

Here's the lowdown on everything you need to know about the UnAwards15, courtesy of this fab infographic by our sponsors, Alive with Ideas. Thanks, folks.

[if you like the look of what Alive with Ideas create give them a shout]