Dental Industry Awards - DEADLINE EXTENSION: WEDNESDAY 25 SEPTEMBER

Website of the Year

Is your website particularly effective, attractive or easy to navigate? Explain how your website excels as your shop window in a virtual world.

• Describe the objectives behind the website
• Detail any special attributes the website has
• Include screenshots and images of your website.

Excellent use of Social Media

Social media is a powerful sales platform. How does your company utilise the various social media channels to fulfil your objectives?

• How many followers do you have?
• Have you grown your following this year?
• Are you proud of a recent campaign you launched?
• What is your approach to content?
• Is there one social media channel that you are really strong in or are you multi-platform focused?

New Product or Service Launch of the Year

This award is for the introduction of an innovative product, service, or high-tech development to the dental market over the course of the last 12 months. Winners will be able to show how they successfully launched the product into the market, focusing on:

• The details of the product or service and how it is unique or particularly innovative
  uniqueness
• Why did you launch it – what need does this meet?
• The objectives and strategy underpinning the launch
• The marketing plan delivered to support the launch (and its effectiveness)
• What is the USP of the product?
• Provide any data or testimonials that support your entry
•  Highlight any specific reaction
  from customers
• Demonstrate commercial success if possible.

This category is open for any product or service available in the UK dental market, formally launched on or after 1 January 2023.

App of the Year

Apps are increasingly popular. How has your app been received? The winning entry will demonstrate a user-friendly app that looks good and gets a positive response.

• Describe the strategy behind the app
• How many downloads do you have?
• Show the results and examples of app performance.

Excellent use of PR

PR gets people talking, drives new business leads and echoes your brand values. The judges will be looking for evidence of:

• The strategy and objectives of your PR
• How you targeted your audience and the strategy behind this
• Show how you measure the success of your PR. Was it well picked up by the media?
• The implementation and creativity of your PR
• Evidence of coverage you received in media.

Dental Brand of the Year

This award is to highlight the power of intangible business assets – brand value, image and reputation. How have you effectively communicated your company or products’ values and personality to establish a successful brand image? What exemplifies your brand? How do you communicate this with your marketing?

• Describe your brand values or brand personality
• Explain your strategy in promoting the brand
• Describe how you measure the success of your brand
• Explain how you target your audience
• What are the key ingredients that have contributed to your success?

Dental Industry Event of the Year

This award reflects the success of a digital event, webinar, conference, congress, seminar or exhibition, in terms of its overall performance and enjoyment level.

• Describe your event
• Show how you promoted your event to your target audience
• Describe the feedback received from delegates at the event
• Describe the feedback received from sponsors and exhibitors of your event.

Short-Term Postgraduate Course of the Year

This award is for the organiser of a short course, lasting anything from one day to 30 days spread throughout the year.

• Describe your course and illustrate the outcomes and gains of attending
• Give a brief history of the course and the thought behind it; how long has your course been running?
• The winner should demonstrate the success of the course
• Provide the following evidence where possible:
  • Advertising and marketing materials
  • Feedback/testimonials received from delegates.

Sustainable Business Award

To enter this category, detail your commitment to operating a sustainable business, and how you’ve taken active steps to examine your environmental footprint. You must describe the actions taken, provide evidence of your commitments and demonstrate the measurable impact they have had. Include the following in your submission:
• Why is being a sustainable business important to you? Why are you committed to this?
• What are your specific sustainability goals? How have you made progress against them

• How do your commitments filter into aspects such as procurement, waste management, decision making and communications?
• How have you engaged with customers and staff over your sustainability commitments?
• Consider the following specific areas:

Reduction of single-use plastics and other materials
Reduction of carbon footprint and other emissions
Your approach to accountability, management and team empowerment over your sustainability practices
Reduction of the consumption of natural resources, power etc
Encouragement of biodiversity
Integration of sustainability into business infrastructure and premises

Marketing Campaign of the Year

This award will be presented to a company or product judged to have had a successful marketing campaign.

• Illustrate the marketing mix used in your campaign
• Describe the strategy and objectives of your campaign
• Show how you targeted your audience and the strategy behind this
• Include testimonials where possible.

Dental Industry Employee of the Year

Nominate a colleague or employee. Has one of your employees been remarkable in their professional career? Nominate them for an award and show them how much they mean to your team.

• Describe their contribution to your company
• Describe any particular scenarios they have excelled within
• Provide relevant testimonials from clients and staff members.

If you feel you have someone that fits the bill, please submit your entry by September 23. All we need is up to 250 words about the person nominated and any other supporting material you think relevant.

Team of the Year

More than than 25 employees
Fewer than 25 employees

It’s an enviable bond that makes working together enjoyable and naturally optimises success. This category could be for a whole company or a specific team within a larger set-up.

• Discuss what makes your team special
• Describe your team ethos
• What do you have that makes things work so well?

Customer Service Provider of the Year

More than than 25 employees
Fewer than 25 employees

A successful company puts the customer at the heart of everything it does. From the first point of contact to after-sales support, how do you monitor and fulfil customer needs and wants? This award will recognise businesses going above and beyond to deliver superior service.

• Discuss your approach to customer service
• How is quality customer service integrated into your business? How do you get team buy-in?
• How do you set goals in customer service? How does this impact customer retention?
• How do your customers respond to your superior customer service? Supply relevant testimonials where possible.

Advertisement of the Year

This award will be presented to the print advertisement judged to have the strongest impact, commercially and visually.

• Describe the objectives of your campaign/advert
• Include a copy of the advertisement.

Servicing and Repair Company

Companies give their customers excellent service and repair standards.

• Describe the service level you offer
• Is this part of your business growing well? Can you share percentage year-on-year growth?
• Who is responsible for monitoring and managing service and repair?
• Show testimonial evidence where possible.

UK Exporter of the Year

This category will recognise success, market knowledge and effective sales
penetration to an overseas market. The exporter of the year should:

• Demonstrate their approach and commitment to the export market
• Show significant success in exporting. How are figures growing year-on-year?
• Show how an overseas market was approached
• Explain how they encourage overseas businesses to buy into British manufacturing.

Corporate Social Responsibility

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a business’s approach to ‘doing the right thing’ in the community.

• What does your organisation do in terms of CSR?
• What is your specific CSR approach? How has the community benefitted?
• How are employees involved in your CSR ethos? What have you actually done?
• Show examples and testimonials wherever possible.

Dental Practice Corporate Group

10 or more practices
9 practices or fewer

In this category we are looking for an outstanding dental practice corporate. This category is split into two categories so we can recognise greatness in a smaller group as well as a more-resourced group.

• Describe your group ethos
• What training do you have for your dental teams and associates?
• What do you do socially as a group
• Show where you have gone the extra mile for patients
• Supporting evidence and pictures welcome.

Product/Service of the Year

With this award, judges are looking for a product or service that has had a great year in terms of sales or general uptake. The judges are looking for a product or service that has been on the dental market for over 12 months. Winners will be able to show how well things have gone in the last 12- 18 months that have propelled the product/service to great success. Consider…

• A significant level of sales/sales increase
• All-round strong product performance
• Significant marketing campaigns or successes
• Any specific reaction or testimonials from customers
• Any other information which highlights a great year
• This category may be split into larger and smaller companies.

New Product/Service of the Year

This award is for the introduction of an innovative product, service, or high-tech development to the dental market over the course of the last 12 months. Winners will be able to show how they successfully launched into the market, focusing on:

• The details of the product or service and how it is unique or particularly innovative
• Why did you launch it – what need does it meet?
• The objectives and strategy underpinning the launch
• What is the USP of the product?
• The marketing plan delivered to support the launch (and its effectiveness)
• Highlight any specific reaction from customers
• Provide any data or testimonials that support your entry.
• Demonstrate commercial success if possible. This category is open for any product or service available in the UK dental market, formally launched on or after 1 January 2023.

Funder of the Year

This category is open to any finance company, bank or lending institution which assists dental professionals with funding.

The judges are looking for:

• A good understanding of the financial requirements of dental professionals
• The range of ‘products’ on offer
• Any other elements which would assist dentists in investing and developing their practice.

Business Leader of the Year  

This award is for a senior leader who has nurtured a team or company that is performing beyond the sum of the parts. It could either be for sustained excellent performance of an organisation or for a successful turnaround or just an extraordinary year’s work. This business leader will stand as the clear driver behind a super team effort.

• Describe what initiatives have been implemented through the year
• Highlight any team focused projects or challenges you have set/hosted
• Is there any data (financial or otherwise) or testimonials to support the entry?

Outstanding Business of the Year

More than 25 employees
Fewer than 25 employees

This award recognises success in developing and sustaining an all-round excellent business. Entrants should exemplify how ongoing growth, progression and results can be achieved in the UK dental sector, thereby providing an example that consistent success in UK dentistry is eminently possible.

• Illustrate how your company has progressed over the last 12 months
• Describe how the business has developed and evolved through the year
• Show how you measured, maintained and improved the success of your business throughout the year
• Show how you train your team and any other initiatives to help develop a strong employee culture
• Provide any data or testimonials to support your entry.