Lucy Veal talks to Matt Everatt about this year’s award opportunities for the laboratory community, including why it’s important to get involved and enter.
Why is entering industry awards so important?
Perfect timing! Last night our youngest son came home from his performing arts studio with a shiny, gold trophy. Wow! It was totally unexpected.
He proudly came running into the house saying he had won ‘best performer’. I asked him about receiving his award and how it made him feel.
Jude is only nine years old and is beautifully honest with his thoughts. He told me: ‘I was very proud. It made me feel like I was so lucky that all my friends and teachers think I was good enough to win the award. I feel so happy and it has made me want to try my very hardest to get even better in my next show.’
This pretty much sums up my motivation and my reasoning for entering awards.
Back to our industry awards… Going through the process of entering the awards is quite cathartic. When you take the time to sit down and put pen to paper you begin to realise just how valuable your services are and exactly what you offer to your customers.
It is easy to be blinded by the day-to-day and forget just how incredibly unique and in-demand your skills are. It is kind of a ‘self-assessment’ process, it can be good to set new goals and identify areas of improvement.
In addition, you will learn from the work of other award applicants, gaining inspiration from them.
What can winning an award do for your laboratory/career?
Winning an award for your lab is such a great focus for PR and amazing for team morale. Sharing the win with your team creates a buzz and everyone in the team feels like they’ve played their part in the success. What fantastic confidence and motivation for everyone.
As a lab owner we let our customers know we are an ‘award winning lab’. It adds credibility and has a real positive effect in raising your profile, it can really help separate you from competitors in the dental laboratory market.
An added benefit to attending the awards, and one I feel is so important, is it’s a perfect networking opportunity! You will be rubbing shoulders with peers who are at the top of their game too.
If you enter the Dentistry Awards, you will also be surrounded by potential new customers, all of which will see your name on the big screen!
What would you say to someone who is reluctant to enter?
Being British, we are not great at blowing our own trumpets. I would urge everyone to dismiss any negative feelings you may have about this and tell the dental world about the wonderful skills and services you have and offer.
If you’re reading this, hopefully you’re either considering entering or maybe thinking of reasons not to enter. My advice is: just do it!
Whats the worst that could happen? You might not get shortlisted – nothing lost. There is also a good chance you will get shortlisted, and, who knows, you might just win!
Why are these categories important for the lab community?
The great news this year is that there are a few different options for labs and technicians to enter awards.
Firstly, the Clinical Dentistry Awards has a category open to laboratories who are involved in aesthetic dentistry. I would love to see entries from all labs on this, including clinical dental technicians.
Showcase some of the best work you’ve done and the results you’ve achieved. You will be surrounded by some of the leading names in dentistry. Go and show them what you and your lab are capable of achieving.
Secondly, we have the Dentistry Awards. This is the biggest awards event of the year, for me. I love this event. There are always hundreds of dental professionals in attendance and so many worthy winners on the night.
This year, there are two categories for dental technicians, clinical dental technicians and labs to enter: Best Dental Technician and Laboratory of the Year.
I am so pleased to see these categories included in this event. To be crowned Best Dental Technician or Laboratory of the Year in front of hundreds of delegates would be just incredible – the best way of raising the profile of Technicians.
How to enter
Clinical Dentistry Awards:
- Aesthetic Laboratory.
Deadline: Wednesday 19 July (extended). You must submit by this date for your entry to count.
Ceremony: Friday 29 September 2023 at Park Plaza Riverbank, London.
To enter, simply visit dentistry.co.uk/awards/clinical-dentistry-awards and click ‘Register Now’. After registering, you will receive an email confirming that you are able to submit your entry.
Submitting an entry is simple! All you need to do is click ‘Enter Now’ and complete the online form and upload your entry.
Need help putting together your entry? Check out this entry guide or contact [email protected].
Dentistry Awards
- Best Dental Technician
- Dental Laboratory of the year.
Deadline: Friday 15 September
Ceremony: Friday 17 November 2023 at The Athena, Leicester.
To enter, simply visit dentistry.co.uk/awards/the-dentistry-awards and click ‘Register Now’. After registering, you will receive an email confirming that you are able to submit your entry.
Submitting an entry is simple! All you need to do is click ‘Enter Now’ and complete the online form and upload your entry.
Need help putting together your entry? Check out this entry guide or contact [email protected].
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