VisitEngland Awards for Excellence: the judging process
Photo by: VisitBritain/Michael Cummins
VisitEngland Awards for Excellence: the judging process
Winners of core categories at local awards officially aligned with the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence are automatically put forward to the national competition. The national shortlist is then evaluated by the national judging panels, made up of experts in the tourism industry.
How your entry will be judged
No matter where you are based in the country, your local and national application will be judged against nationally-set standards, with the same scoring criteria and judging guidance for all core categories.
For the local awards, your application will be scored and ranked against other applicants in your category to determine a shortlist. All applicants will receive feedback on how to improve their application, even if they are not shortlisted.
Further rounds of judging, including site visits with further feedback, also form part of the decision process at local competition level. The overall winners of local core categories are then put forward for national judging. For local competitions covering larger areas, additional winners may also be eligible to progress.
National judging panels
VisitEngland appoints industry experts across several judging panels to determine the Gold, Silver and Bronze national winners for each category.
The national judging panelists are selected each year and usually include journalists/ media experts, senior trade/ industry body representatives, sponsors, specialist consultants, VisitEngland Advisory Board Members and VisitEngland/VisitBritain Directors/ subject experts.
If you are interested in being considered as a national judge, please contact the Awards Team before the end of October. The panel meetings are usually held in March. Please note that panel members are subject to change prior to panel meetings.
The following experts were on the national judging panels for the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2024/25.
Sophie Braybrooke, Chief Executive, Stay in a Pub
Simon Mahon, Chief Operations Officer, Watergate Bay Hotel
Lyndsey Turner-Swift, Deputy Director, VisitEngland
David Weston, Chairman, Bed and Breakfast Association
Laura Carter, Customer Segment Director, Ecclesiastical Insurance UK
Sophie Braybrooke, Chief Executive, Stay in a Pub
Simon Mahon, Chief Operations Officer, Watergate Bay Hotel
Lyndsey Turner-Swift, Deputy Director, VisitEngland
David Weston, Chairman, Bed and Breakfast Association
Laura Carter, Customer Segment Director, Ecclesiastical Insurance UK
Sophie Braybrooke, Chief Executive, Stay in a Pub
Simon Mahon, Chief Operations Officer, Watergate Bay Hotel
Lyndsey Turner-Swift, Deputy Director, VisitEngland
David Weston, Chairman, Bed and Breakfast Association
Laura Carter, Customer Segment Director, Ecclesiastical Insurance UK
Jane Anderson, Travel Editor, Prima Magazine
Alistair Handyside, Executive Chair Professional Association of Self-Caterers UK Ltd (PASC UK Ltd)
Liz Herridge, Transformation Director, VisitBritain
Allan Lambert, Advisory Board Member, VisitEngland
Simon McGrath, Director of Communications and Stakeholder Engagement, National Caravan Council (NCC)
Sadie Rowell, Head of Sales, VisitEngland Assessment Services
Oliver McRae, Property Onboarding Manager, Sykes Holiday Cottages
Jane Anderson, Travel Editor, Prima Magazine
Alistair Handyside, Executive Chair Professional Association of Self-Caterers UK Ltd (PASC UK Ltd)
Liz Herridge, Transformation Director, VisitBritain
Allan Lambert, Advisory Board Member, VisitEngland
Simon McGrath, Director of Communications and Stakeholder Engagement, National Caravan Council (NCC)
Sadie Rowell, Head of Sales, VisitEngland Assessment Services
Oliver McRae, Property Onboarding Manager, Sykes Holiday Cottages
Jane Anderson, Travel Editor, Prima Magazine
Alistair Handyside, Executive Chair Professional Association of Self-Caterers UK Ltd (PASC UK Ltd)
Liz Herridge, Transformation Director, VisitBritain
Allan Lambert, Advisory Board Member, VisitEngland
Simon McGrath, Director of Communications and Stakeholder Engagement, National Caravan Council (NCC)
Sadie Rowell, Head of Sales, VisitEngland Assessment Services
Oliver McRae, Property Onboarding Manager, Sykes Holiday Cottages
Kelly Ballard, Marketing Consultant, Visitor Elves
Paul Kelly, Chief Executive, British Association of Leisure Parks Piers and Attractions (BALPPA)
Gordon Morrison, Chief Executive,The Association for Cultural Enterprises
Nick De Mestre, Chief Financial Officer, RAW Charging Network Ltd
Fiona Pollard, Advisory Board Member, VisitEngland
Rachel Read, Co-Founder and Director, Blooloop
Janet Uttley, Head of Industry Development, VisitEngland
Kelly Ballard, Marketing Consultant, Visitor Elves
Paul Kelly, Chief Executive, British Association of Leisure Parks Piers and Attractions (BALPPA)
Gordon Morrison, Chief Executive,The Association for Cultural Enterprises
Nick De Mestre, Chief Financial Officer, RAW Charging Network Ltd
Fiona Pollard, Advisory Board Member, VisitEngland
Rachel Read, Co-Founder and Director, Blooloop
Janet Uttley, Head of Industry Development, VisitEngland
Kelly Ballard, Marketing Consultant, Visitor Elves
Paul Kelly, Chief Executive, British Association of Leisure Parks Piers and Attractions (BALPPA)
Gordon Morrison, Chief Executive,The Association for Cultural Enterprises
Nick De Mestre, Chief Financial Officer, RAW Charging Network Ltd
Fiona Pollard, Advisory Board Member, VisitEngland
Rachel Read, Co-Founder and Director, Blooloop
Janet Uttley, Head of Industry Development, VisitEngland
Robin Johnson, Global Marketing Director, VisitBritain
Mardi Roberts, Director of Communications, Ridgeview Wine Estate
Tortie Farrand, Partner Relations Director, Guild of Fine Food
Jenny O’Neill, Head of Awards & Events, Artichoke Media
Janet Uttley, Head of Industry Development, VisitEngland
Robin Johnson, Global Marketing Director, VisitBritain
Mardi Roberts, Director of Communications, Ridgeview Wine Estate
Tortie Farrand, Partner Relations Director, Guild of Fine Food
Jenny O’Neill, Head of Awards & Events, Artichoke Media
Janet Uttley, Head of Industry Development, VisitEngland
Robin Johnson, Global Marketing Director, VisitBritain
Mardi Roberts, Director of Communications, Ridgeview Wine Estate
Tortie Farrand, Partner Relations Director, Guild of Fine Food
Jenny O’Neill, Head of Awards & Events, Artichoke Media
Janet Uttley, Head of Industry Development, VisitEngland
Ross Calladine, Accessibility and Inclusion Lead, VisitEngland; Disability and Access Ambassador for Tourism, UK Government
Emily Yates, Head of Accessibility and Inclusive Design, Mima
Anna Nelson, Chief Executive, AccessAble
Sarah Duncan, Co-Founder and Director, Sleeping Lion
Kat Emmett, Head of Carbon Reduction, Zero Carbon Company
Sarah Fowler, Advisory Board Member, VisitEngland
Richard Hammond, Videographer & Publishing Director, Green Traveller Media
Claire Binns, Senior Impact Manager, Sykes Holidays Cottages
Martin Fullard, Director, Identity
Serena Jacobs, Director of Finance, VisitBritain
Jenny Jensen, Owner, Jenny Jensen Ltd
Holly Patrick, Social Editor & Senior Journalist at NorthStar Media
Molly Low, Business Events, VisitBritain
Osnat Borreda, Senior Training & Education Manager, VisitEngland
Joss Croft, Chief Executive, UKinbound
Gavin Landry, International Director, VisitBritain
Peter Muttitt, Managing Director, PM Consulting
Nadine Thomson, Advisory Board Member, VisitEngland
Kerry Parnell, Editor and journalist
Tourism Awards Steering Group
Robin Barker
South West Tourism Awards
Dominique Bray
Visit Worcestershire Tourism Awards
Maria Moriarty Eames
Lancashire Tourism Awards
Carolyn Knott
Liverpool City Region Tourism Awards
Lindsay Rae
Peak District, Derbyshire & Derby Tourism Awards
Sarah Davidson
North East England Tourism Awards
Janine Williams
Leicestershire Promotions Tourism and Hospitality Awards
Andrea Sammons
Enjoy Staffordshire Tourism and Good Food Awards
