BCIA President's Blog: Awards - The incredible power of recognition and acknowledgement
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Stacey Lucas, President of the Building Controls Industry Association
Earlier this month, we celebrated the best the building controls sector had to offer at the BCIA Awards 2025 ceremony. As usual, it was a tremendous evening but it also got me thinking about the importance of acknowledging innovation and dedication and how award nominations and success can inspire not only the winners but anyone in the industry.
Every single award category was hotly contested and, as the President of the BCIA, I had the very privileged but unenviable task of sitting on the judging panel. It was incredibly tough to choose between the multitude of deserving nominees but it showed me first-hand the huge depth and quality of our inspiring and important industry.
However, even those that didn’t win should take great pride in their efforts and understand that even being nominated and shortlisted is an immense honour. Indeed, even simply being put up for an award can be incredibly transformative. Plus, in a world where competition can be fierce and visibility is critical, awards are more than just shiny trophies – they can be powerful tools for motivation, long-term growth, and credibility.
The importance of validation
Whether winning an award or simply nominated, those participating can often take a significant confidence boost from just being involved. For individuals, this can typically serve as external validation for their hard work, expertise, and impact on the industry – be it their significant involvement in a project or their determination to enhance their development and ensure a brighter future for the built environment.
It's also important to note that receiving acknowledgement of their hard work and dedication can often reassure individuals that they are on the right path in their career – making a huge difference in competitive industries such as ours where self-doubt can be fairly common.
Increased motivation
Recipients or those nominated for awards often find themselves uncovering depths of motivation and drive they never knew they had, too. In fact, simply being nominated and appreciated for their efforts can instil a sense of responsibility to uphold the standard that led to the recognition. As a result, this can often inspire further personal or professional development – leading to a more promising future for the industry in which they work.
Enhanced visibility and credibility
For organisations and businesses, awards can significantly enhance credibility and reputation in the eyes of clients, investors, and others across the industry. The exposure from being named in publications and marketing material promoting the awards and the ceremony can shine a positive spotlight on the organisations participating, even if they don’t win.
No matter if the awards are for innovation, sustainability, customer service, or a particular product, nominations and award wins can often act as third-party endorsements that help businesses attract new clients and build trust.
A competitive advantage
In busy industries such as ours, standing out is absolutely critical. There’s no better way of doing that than by being nominated for, or even winning an award. By serving as a sign of real quality and reliability – key factors in purchasing decisions for money-conscious consumers – awards can help to influence customer choice.
In fact, awards can truly set businesses, organisations, and brands apart from their competition in a highly crowded marketplace.
Employee morale and retention
It’s also worth noting the impact that award success, or even just the honour of being nominated, can have on the business’ employees. Indeed, celebrating the collective success can often see a significant boost to employee morale and productivity.
Furthermore, team members will feel recognised and valued, not only potentially reducing burnout but fostering a positive work culture and improving employee retention rates.
In addition to likely prompting those already in the company to stay, award nominations and success will also have a huge impact on incomings. Those outside the company will be keen to work for an organisation that is having a positive impact on the industry and the environment as a whole.
So, whether winning an award, being shortlisted, or being nominated, this can often be a catalyst for pride, growth, and future success.
Lastly, I’d just like to say a huge thank you to everyone who attended the ceremony and contributed to what was an amazing evening. No matter if you were a winner or a finalist, you represented the building controls sector superbly and showed just how innovative and inspiring this industry can be. I’m already looking forward to next year’s event and I hope to see all of you there.
