2024 Perth Airport WA Tourism Award Submission Top Tips

Tip number 1: Read the rules and regulations before entering

The very first thing you need to do before nominating your business to the Perth Airport WA Tourism Awards is to read its rules and regulations on Tourism Council WA’s website, which will help you determine if you are eligible to enter. Most notably, award entrants must:

• pay an entry fee per category they choose to enter;
• hold Quality Tourism accreditation, meet accommodation standards (if entering an accommodation category);
• and have been operational during the qualifying period.

Tip number 2: Pick the right category for your business

The Perth Airport WA Tourism Awards comprises 27 categories, covering everything from tourist attractions and festivals, to 5-star accommodation and adventure tourism. The TCWA’s Business Categories webpage provides detailed descriptions for each category, as well as corresponding questions. The descriptions are the best indicators of what category will best suit you. You can also consider:

• how you would respond to the category questions;
• who your competitors might be;
• and how you’d like to be recognised within the state and nationally (e.g. as an adventure tourism specialist, or as a tour operator).

Tip number 3: Utilise TCWA’s free award submission resources

TCWA provide a number of free resources to assist entrants with their submissions, including award submission webinars, regular email updates and comprehensive category toolkits:

• The award submission webinars are great to get an in-depth overview of the application process, and include information on how to plan your submission, an explanation of, and suggestions on answering, each of the category questions, common mistakes and what the judges are looking for in a submission.
• The category toolkit, which will get sent to you after you have applied, is your award submission bible. It will guide you through each question and suggest layouts and tables for you to use – essentially providing you with a very useful submission blueprint. Read it, print it, use it as a checklist and consistently refer back to it throughout the award-writing process.

Tip number 4: Dedicate plenty of time and resources to producing your submission

If you haven’t already noticed, the award submission process isn’t something you can achieve overnight. In fact, it generally takes a few months – some would argue the entire time nominations are open – to produce. As such, ensure you dedicate enough time and resources to completing it. On average, expect to spend between 50-100 hours per entry, depending on how much information you already have collated. If you’re looking to outsource your submission, factor in plenty of time to meet with your writer, source relevant information required, and review the submission/s pre- and post-draft submission review.

Tip number 5: Nail your brand story

In Tourism Award Land, first impressions always count! That’s why it’s important that, from the get-go, you present your business in its best possible light. That means having a strong brand story that engages, captivates and inspires readers (the judges). Remember: the judges may have never heard of your business, have been to the state, or know much about where you are located. Now, we’re not all wordsmiths, but try your best to paint a vivid picture of who you are, what you do and why you do it. Of course, if you need a little help, it doesn’t hurt to reach out to someone like South West Marketing Mentor to help craft a professional, award-winning story.

Tip number 6: Use statistics and case studies

Having a memorable, standout brand story is all well and good, but if you can’t substantiate it, did it even happen? To support your story, and the success of your submission, make sure you include statistics and case studies in your response to each of the category questions. Your category toolkit will have some examples of how this might look, and don’t be afraid to copy them or emulate the format/s suggested.  The team at MRBTA are happy to assist with data and statistics where possible to support your application so get in touch if there is some particular information you are looking for.

Tip number 7: Carefully consider words, images and mark allocation 

Award submissions are limited to 10,000 words in total, including any words within tables and any image captions that exceed six words. You’ve got exactly 10,000 words to tell your story, use them wisely. How?

• Dot points, tables and graphs are your friends.
• Headings to break up big chunks of text are helpful.
• Writing more words for questions with higher marks is highly recommended. Wasting words on lower marked questions is not.
• Do pick images, graphs and graphics that best showcase your brand, what you do and your location (a map can be handy here).
• Don’t forget: a picture is worth a thousand words.

Tip number 8: Prepare your submission in Word

Did you know that submissions are viewed by the judges through the Quality Tourism Portal? This means that you are required to enter your submission into the portal’s platform. The easiest way to do this is by having your entire submission ready in Word (or a similar word processor). Then, all you need to do is copy and paste it into the corresponding sections provided in the platform. Having your master copy in Word also prevents any possibility of accidentally losing any of the hard work you’ve done and avoids any version duplication. Once you’ve submitted your final entry within the portal, you can download a copy to keep as a reference.

Tip number 9: Do take part in the Draft Submission Review

One of the most beneficial things that TCWA offer is the opportunity to have your draft entry reviewed by a former judge. The judge will provide you with valuable feedback that you can then factor into your final submission. It is recommended that you have as much of your submission completed before passing it on to a judge for review.

Tip number 10: Don’t submit last minute

If history (and high school) has taught us anything, it’s to not submit an assignment at the last minute. Giving yourself at least a week extra than you think you need to submit your award submission will prepare you if you run into any problems – think anything from tech issues and computer malfunctions, to winter lurgies and unexpected illness.