The Judging Process

• Awards will be presented in 25 categories across 8 geographical regions of England.
• After entries close on October 16th and voting closed on October 23rd, regional finalists for each category are drawn up using average voter scores AND a limited number of judging panel ‘wild cards’. Every entrant who receives votes will be examined by the judging panel during the competition.
• The regional finalists for each category will be announced on this web site at the end of October.
• The regional award winners in each category will be announced and presented at a series of regional events during November 2017.
• Each regional winner will automatically go through to the national final.
• The national winners will be announced and presented live on stage at the national awards event on Wednesday 17th January 2018.
• It is not simply about the total number of votes received (just because one wedding supplier does more weddings than another doesn't necessarily mean that they are 'better'). So, each entrant’s average voter score will be calculated and used throughout. The proportion of each entrant’s eligible voters who vote will be also be taken into account by the panel where necessary and applicable. Use of each entrant's average voter score enables suppliers of all sizes to compete on a level playing field. This is a vital aspect of these Awards.

For more details please click on the options below.

• Awards will be presented in 25 categories in 8 geographical regions of England.
• Entries, nominations and voting for TWIA 2018 open on August 1st 2017.
• Entries and nominations close on October 16th 2017.
• Voting closes at 5pm on 23rd October 2017
• After voting closed, all entrants with no votes will be automatically removed from the competition and their listings will be removed from the awards web site in line with the terms and conditions.
• All eligible votes from the remaining entrants are then collated and the resultant data is processed. We have controls in place to ensure that entrants do not automatically progress if they only receive one vote or a very low number of votes relative to the number of eligible voters specified.
• TWIA is not simply about the total number of votes received by each entrant. Just because one wedding supplier does more weddings than another doesn't necessarily mean that they are 'better' or 'worse'. Each entrant’s average voter score will be calculated and used throughout (see below). Use of each entrant's average voter score enables suppliers of all sizes to compete on a level playing field. This is a vital aspect of the awards.
• The average voter score out of 70 for each entrant and the average voter score out of 70 for each category are then calculated.
• Entrant average voter score out of 70.
  In the voting process, each voter gives a score between 1 and 10 in each of 7 category-specific criteria. This will give each entrant a total score out of 70 for each vote received. The total number of 'points' given by all voters is then calculated and then divided by the total number of voters to give the average voter score out of 70 for each entrant.
• Category average voter score out of 70.
  For each category, all the average voter scores out of 70 are added up and divided by the total number of entrants. This gives the average voter score out of 70 for each category.
• This method enables wedding suppliers of all shapes and sizes to enter the awards on a level playing field. TWIA is not simply about the total number of votes received by each entrant.
  
  EXAMPLE
  
  Each venue asks their clients to vote for them. Voters give marks out of 10 in 7 criteria giving a max score of 70 for each voter. We then work out the average score out of 70 for each venue. This is done by dividing the total score received by the number of votes as follows (assuming that all eligible voters do actually vote). In the following example, Supplier A has 10 eligible clients, all of whom vote. Supplier B has 20 eligible clients, all of whom vote.
  
  

  Voter	Supplier A voter scores out of 70	Supplier B voter scores out of 70
  1	68	67
  2	67	67
  3	67	69
  4	69	68
  5	67	68
  6	68	67
  7	68	69
  8	69	67
  9	67	67
  10	67	68
  11		68
  12		67
  13		67
  14		69
  15		67
  16		68
  17		68
  18		69
  19		67
  20		67
  Total Score	677	1354
  Av. Score / 70	67.70	67.70

  
  
  As you can see, in this example, the average score out of 70 is the same for each of these wedding suppliers. Using average scores in this way means it's not jst about how many votes an entrant gets. It is, however, important to remember that the proportion of your eligible voters who actually vote will be taken into consideration.
  
• The proportion of each entrant’s eligible voters who vote will be also be taken into account where necessary and applicable; the higher the proportion the better. For instance if an entrant has 20 couples who are eligible to vote and 15 actually vote this is deemed as better than another entrant with 50 clients of whom 15 vote as it is the same number of votes but a lower proportion. Entrants should get as high a proportion of their eligible voters to vote as possible.
• All those entrants whose average voter score out of 70 is above the category average voter score out of 70 become regional finalists.
• All those entrants whose average voter score out of 70 is below the category average voter score out of 70 are then examined by the judging panel.
• The judging panel may give a limited number of 'wild cards' to entrants who are not automatically finalists. All entrants given a wild card will be added to the regional finalists for their category. (See ‘Regional Finalist Selection Process In Detail’ below).
• The regional finalists are then published on this web site at the end of October. All suppliers not finalisted are eliminated from the competition.
• Each entrant is required to confirm the number of weddings they have supplied between 24.10.16 and 23.10.17. This is used to calculate the proportion of voters that actually vote. This figure must be accurate and finalised before voting closed at 5pm on October 23rd.
• We have controls in place to ensure that entrants do not automatically progress if they only receive one vote or a very low number of votes relative to the number of eligible voters they specify.
• The average voter score for each entrant and for each category (used in the creation of the regional finalists) will be calculated.
• Our process ensures that each entrant will be examined by the judging panel and that a level playing field is created for all entrants. Using the average voter score for each entrant ensures that the judging process is not based solely on the total number of votes received.

For more details on each part of the judging process please click on the options below.

1. Once voting has closed, the average voter score out of 70 is calculated for each entrant.
2. The average voter score out of 70 for each regional category is also calculated and used as a benchmark throughout the regional finalist selection process.
3. All entrants in a regional category whose average voter score out of 70 is above the regional category average is automatically a finalist in their regional category.
4. All entrants whose average voter score out of 70 is below the regional category average are not automatically a finalist and are shown to the judging panel in the online judging area.
5. The judging panel then examines all entrants not automatically finalists and is able to award a limited number of ‘wild cards’ if they wish.
6. The number of wild cards allowed in each regional category is determined by the total number of entrants not automatically made finalists in that regional category as follows.

7. All those above average and automatically made finalists PLUS all those given wild cards are then the finalists in their regional category and shown on the web site accordingly.
8. All those not automatically made finalists and not given a wild card are not finalists and are no longer in the competition.
9. We have controls in place to ensure that entrants do not automatically progress if they only receive one vote or a very low number of votes relative to the number of eligible voters specified.
10. Regional finalists will be announced on the awards web site in the first couple of days of November.
11. Regional awards event tickets will then go on sale.

• Once the regional finalists have been announced, the judging panel will then decide on the regional winner in each category. The judges' decisions will be based on an analysis of the voter scores, comments, each entrant’s answers to their profile questions, web site, product samples etc where applicable and necessary and any other information at the judges' disposal.
• All regional judging is done remotely, independently and confidentially.
• Each of the judging panel has equal weight in the judging process. No single judge has the final say over who wins a regional or national award.
• Each judge decides upon a GOLD, SILVER and BRONZE for each category in each region where applicable. Each gold awarded = 8 points. Each silver awarded = 4 points. Each bronze awarded = 2 points.
• The finalisted supplier with the highest total number of points from all category judges is the regional winner. If two or more finalisted suppliers have the same score then the one with the most 'golds' awarded will be the winner. If they have the same number of golds awarded then the one with the most 'silvers' will be the winner and so on.
• The regional winner in each category will be announced and presented at a series of regional events in November.
• Each regional winner will automatically become a national finalist.

• Once all the regional winners have been announced at the regional events during November, the national judging begins.
• The panel re-examine the regional winners and repeat the scoring process used in the regional winner judging (see above).
• There will also be a National Judging Sample Day for certain categories on 6th December (Florist, Stationery, Cake and Accessory). Regional winners in these categories will be asked to submit samples of their work for the relevant judges to examine. This will help the judges make their decisions.
• The national award winners will be announced and presented live on stage at the national awards event in London in January 2017.

Best Newcomer award

• This is for any entrant whose business was established or started supplying weddings after 24.10.15.
• This category cannot be entered on its own/separately. All eligible entrants will be automatically entered into this category free of charge in addition to their main category.
• This category will not be separately or specifically voted for but will be judged by a specific panel on both a regional and national basis using the same method for the main categories.

Best Wedding Industry Web Site award

• ALL entrants are eligible to enter this category free of charge in addition to their main category.
• To enter this category entrants must ‘opt-in’ via their TWIA admin area.
• This category cannot be entered on its own/separately.
• This category will not be separately or specifically voted for.
• There will be single national finalist and one national winner.