Celebrate good times, Come on

Life is too short not to celebrate nice moments

Validation, recognition, celebration of achievements: sometimes we all need a bit of a pat on the back to make us feel our hard work was worth it.

That’s why BMJ launched the BMJ Industry Awards, in what seems like the distant past of 2018. To recognise and celebrate the very best of the very best industry to be in.

The eagle-eyed among you will have spotted that we have extended the deadline for entries until May 15^th. That’s because someone – ok, ‘fess-up time, me – forgot about the proximity of the Easter Bank Holiday weekend, and the two May Bank Holidays. I have no idea why I thought we needed to close entries so early, but I’m assured that I was quite adamant in the meeting. Mea culpa.

You now have two weeks to get on over to the BMJ Industry Awards website, https://www.bmjindustryawards.co.uk/enter/ choose your category/categories, fill out your details or the details of the people and businesses you are nominating, press submit and sit back and wait for the voting to open. The only real effort is to upload some details or photography for those categories where it’s a bit more relevant – the landscaping display, bathroom showroom, people categories, for example.

This is the only industry awards programme that is voted for by the people who really understand what good looks like, the customers, the colleagues, the suppliers who work in it day-in, day-out. We have a secure online voting portal, and some kind of security algorithm that ensures all is above board and there’s no cheating. It works out if your Mum is voting for you 86 times, and it balances things out so that the biggest companies don’t just get all the votes.  I don’t know how it works it out as I zoned out at the explanation – but it does.

The gala lunch when we will reveal the ultimate winners is on Thursday September 28^th, and we are heading back to the art-deco splendour of the Connaught Rooms in Covent Garden. Once again, the lovely Patrick Kielty is our host. Fingers crossed he actually gets to do his comedy turn this time, and that we don’t have any national emergencies, strikes or major funerals to get in the way.

There are some amazing merchants and suppliers out there, there are some incredible bathroom showrooms, landscaping displays – I know, I’ve seen them – and some extraordinarily talented individuals. They all deserve to be recognised and celebrated. So get over to the website and enter, then book your tickets and tables and get ready to raise a glass to this awesome industry on September 28^th. It’s the day after my birthday so I intend to raise several glasses.

See you there.

By the way, I know this is a departure from the usual ranty post. Rest assured, I have much to get cross about and normal service will be resumed next week.