RESTAURANT MARKETER & INNOVATOR AWARDS

This award will go to the eating or drinking out brand/outlet that is able to demonstrate the most effective delivery of a new product to the market place, this can be in venue, for delivery or at home products.

Judges are looking for entrants to (in no more than 4 A4 pages);
•    An overview of the initiative
•    The intended audience
•    Insight and research undertaken
•    How you ensured it delivered for the target market 
•    The development process
•    Go to market and launch plans
•    Share results of the launch, with clear metrics (where possible)
•    Include artwork/screenshots/imagery/coverage/video links associated with the campaign or initiative

An entry can be entered by an operator or agency. Where an agency has been used, this should be referenced, where multiple agencies have been used, please name each and highlight the lead agency. All will be recognised as part of the awards.

This award will go to the eating or drinking out brand/outlet that is able to demonstrate the best new website launched after October 2025.

Judges are looking for entrants to (in no more than 4 A4 pages);
•    Highlight the aims and objectives of the web development project
•    Explain the research you undertook to develop the strategy and creative concept behind the new site
•    Overview the design and key functionality, sharing your thinking
•    Share results of the new website development, ideally from before the launch and from the past month. Key metrics can be highlighted include traffic, bounce rate, conversions, interactions per visit and enhanced search traffic.
•    Provide a weblink to the site

A website can be entered by an operator or agency. Where an agency has been used, this should be referenced, where multiple agencies have been used, please name each and highlight the lead agency. All will be recognised as part of the awards.

The website must have been launched in 2025/2026.

This award will go to the eating or drinking out brand/outlet that is able to demonstrate the most effective brand or re-brand after October 2025.

Judges are looking for entrants to (in under 4 pages);
•    Highlight the aims and objectives for developing a new visual identity
•    Explain the research you undertook to develop the strategy and creative concept behind the new visual identity
•    Overview the design and strategy, linking this back to the research and your objectives
•    Share the business impact and any results
•    Provide relevant imagery to support your entry

An entry can be entered by an operator or agency. Where an agency has been used, this should be referenced, where multiple agencies have been used, please name each and highlight the lead agency. All will be recognised as part of the awards.

This award will go to the eating or drinking out brand/outlet that is able to demonstrate the most effective use of digital channels to engage an internal or external audience since October 2025.

Judges are looking for entrants to (in no more than 4 A4 pages);
•    An overview of the initiative
•    The intended audience
•    The strategy
•    Tactics and mediums utilised and why
•    Share results of the activity, with clear metrics (where possible)
•    Include artwork/screenshots/imagery/coverage/video links associated with the campaign or initiative

An entry can be entered by an operator or agency. Where an agency has been used, this should be referenced, where multiple agencies have been used, please name each and highlight the lead agency. All will be recognised as part of the awards.

This award will go to the eating or drinking out brand that is able to demonstrate the best use of technology in enhancing the guest journey or better promoting a brand/venue.

Judges are looking for entrants to (in no more than 4 A4 pages);
•    Highlight the initial need/problem the technology solves
•    Briefly overview the selection or development process
•    Explain the implementation of the technology
•    Share the benefits of the technology and results of the campaign, with clear metrics
•    Provide supporting evidence
•    An entry should be relating to a specific case study with an outlet or brand and can be made by an operator or technology provider. 

Where a third party technology provider has been used, this should be referenced, where multiple providers have been used, please name each and highlight the lead agency. All will be recognised as part of the awards.

The technology must have been implemented after October 2025.

This award will go to the eating or drinking out brand/outlet that is able to demonstrate the most effective use of research/insight/data to develop a new proposition, improve promotion or enhance customer journey, or drive loyalty.

Judges are looking for entrants to (in no more than 4 A4 pages);
•    Highlight the aims and objectives of the project
•    Explain the research methodologies used
•    Share how you utilised the research to create usable insight and embedded within a strategy
•    Share the business impact and any results
•    Provide relevant support materials

An entry can be entered by an operator or agency. Where an agency has been used, this should be referenced, where multiple agencies have been used, please name each and highlight the lead agency. All will be recognised as part of the awards.

This award will go to the eating or drinking out brand/outlet that is able to demonstrate the most effective and innovative use of AI to solve a business challenge, improve performance, enhance the customer journey or create new opportunities.

Judges are looking for entrants to (in no more than 4 A4 pages):
•    Highlight the aims and objectives of the project and the challenge or opportunity being addressed
•    Explain how AI was used and why it was the right approach
•    Demonstrate how AI was integrated into the wider business, marketing or customer strategy
•    Share the business impact and measurable results
•    Highlight any learnings, innovation or potential for future application
•    Provide relevant supporting materials

Entries should demonstrate purposeful use of AI rather than AI adoption for its own sake, with judges particularly interested in how the technology has delivered tangible value for the business and/or its customers.

An entry can be entered by an operator or agency. Where an agency or technology partner has been used, this should be referenced. Where multiple partners have been used, please name each and highlight the lead agency/partner. All will be recognised as part of the awards.

This award will go to the eating or drinking out brand/outlet that is able to demonstrate the most effective community or charitable initiative since October 2025.

Judges are looking for entrants to (in no more than 4 A4 pages);
•    An overview of the initiative
•    The intended audience and why they were selected
•    How you involved your team
•    The impact
•    Include artwork/screenshots/imagery/coverage/video links associated with the campaign or initiative

An entry can be entered by an operator or agency. Where an agency has been used, this should be referenced, where multiple agencies have been used, please name each and highlight the lead agency. All will be recognised as part of the awards.

This award will go to the best restaurant launch campaign for an eating or drinking out outlet.

Judges are looking for entrants to (in no more than 4 A4 pages);
•    Highlight the campaign concept and process of defining this creative
•    Explain the campaign elements
•    Share the results of the campaign, with clear metrics
•    Include artwork/screenshots/imagery/coverage/video links associated with the campaign

A campaign can be entered by an operator or agency. Where an agency has been used, this should be referenced, where multiple agencies have been used, please name each and highlight the lead agency. All will be recognised as part of the awards.

The campaign must have been running within 2025 and/or 2026.

This award will go to the best campaign for an eating or drinking out brand, using both digital and traditional marketing tactics.

Judges are looking for entrants to (in no more than 4 A4 pages);
•    Highlight the campaign concept and process in defining the creative
•    Explain the campaign mechanics
•    Share the results of the campaign, with clear marketing and commercial metrics (where possible)
•    Include artwork/screenshots/imagery/coverage/video links associated with the campaign
•    A campaign can be entered by an operator or agency. Where an agency has been used, this should be referenced, where multiple agencies have been used, please name each and highlight the lead agency. All will be recognised as part of the awards.

The campaign must have run after October 2025.

This award will recognise the agency that has demonstrated outstanding creativity, effectiveness and impact within the eating and drinking out sector over the past year.

Judges are looking for entrants to (in no more than 4 A4 pages):
•    Provide an overview of the agency, its positioning and approach to working with clients in the sector
•    Highlight key client work and campaigns delivered during the qualifying period, demonstrating creativity, innovation and strategic thinking
•    Share evidence of results and impact, including clear marketing and commercial metrics where possible
•    Demonstrate how the agency has added value beyond the brief and contributed to clients' success
•    Highlight agency achievements during the year, including new business wins, client retention, team development, growth or other significant milestones
•    Include relevant supporting materials such as artwork, screenshots, imagery, testimonials and video links

Entries should demonstrate a consistently high standard of work across the year, rather than focusing on one individual campaign.

The entry should relate primarily to work undertaken for eating and drinking out brands during the qualifying period.

This award will go to an innovative leader (of an eating or drinking out brand or agency) who demonstrates decisive and successful thought-based leadership, having been in a senior position for more than five years. The award is purposefully broad, allowing for a range of potential nominations, aimed to recognise someone that has innovated through entrepreneurship or by driving innovation and improvement in a corporate environment.

This is a nomination-based category, no entries required.

This award will go to a marketer (of an eating or drinking out brand or agency) who has demonstrated decisive and successful brand and marketing leadership, having been in a senior marketing position for more than five years.

This is a nomination-based category, no entries required.

This award will go to a senior technology leader (of an eating or drinking out brand) who has demonstrated decisive and successful technology and digital leadership, having been in a senior technology position for more than five years.

The award will recognise an individual who has used technology to drive meaningful business transformation, innovation and improvement, whether through enhancing the customer experience, improving operational performance, enabling growth, strengthening data and digital capabilities, or successfully introducing new and emerging technologies.

This is a nomination-based category, no entries required.