Suffolk & Norfolk Tourism Awards 2026 – Judging Process
Now that applications have closed, our judging process is underway. Every category goes through a structured process to ensure fairness, consistency, and transparency.
1. Round One – Application Review
All submitted applications, for the core awards programme, are reviewed individually using a scoring matrix produced by VisitEngland’s national criteria. Each entry is assessed on its own merit against the category-specific questions, with a focus on quality, innovation, accessibility, sustainability, and overall visitor experience.
This stage takes place across July and August 2025.
2. Round Two – Mystery Visits
All shortlisted businesses are visited anonymously by a judge. These site visits are conducted anonymously and focus on evaluating the business outlined in the application.
All feedback is confidential, and scores are moderated before finalists are confirmed.
3. Finalists Announcement
Finalists will be announced in early October 2025. All applicants will be contacted by email at that time, regardless of outcome.
Category-Specific Judging Variations
Some categories have bespoke judging processes tailored to the nature of the award.
Event/Festival of the Year
This category follows a public vote model, once industry judging is complete. The process is as follows:
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Applications are assessed in Round One as usual by our judges.
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A shortlist of finalists is announced in late July 2025.
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A public vote will run from Monday 22nd September at 9am and run until Sunday 5th October at midnight, allowing the wider community to have a say.
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Final results will be determined through a combination of public vote and judge scoring.
This hybrid approach recognises both the professional merit and community impact of events and festivals across the region.
Unsung Hero Award
This award is judged solely on the submitted application. There is no site visit or interview for this category. Judges assess all responses in full detail against the scoring criteria and supporting information provided. Due to the personal and individual nature of these entries, the judging process remains entirely online.
Awards Ceremony
Winners will be announced at the Suffolk & Norfolk Tourism Awards night, taking place at the Corn Hall in Diss on Thursday 12 March 2026.
