From spreadsheets to spotlight.
▶ Watch · Spark Awards 2023
In short —
The Spark Awards exist to celebrate the most creative minds in live experiences. To live up to that promise, the team needed a platform that felt as polished as the work it honours. Here's how Evessio helped them deliver it.
An awards programme with a mission
Now in their third year under the Spark Awards branding, the programme builds on more than two decades of recognising excellence in the events industry. The awards celebrate outstanding achievements across all aspects of event planning, production, and experience design — from large-scale in-person productions to the cutting-edge hybrid and digital formats redefining the sector.
But the Spark Awards are about more than recognition. In an industry as fast-paced and competitive as events, acknowledgement from peers and leaders is invaluable. The awards uplift individual and organisational profiles, open doors to new opportunities, and challenge the entire industry to keep raising the bar.
Industry alignment
Evessio understands awards lifecycles in events & creative industries.
Intuitive UX
For entrants, judges, and admins — three very different audiences.
Customer service
Onboarding tailored to a volunteer-led organisation.
Scalability
A platform that grows as the programme expands.
Operations that didn't match the mission
In the early years, the team relied on a heavily manual process — physical entries, spreadsheet-based judging, and the kind of administrative load that scales badly. A previous transition to event software had been a step forward, but the limitations of that system soon became clear: it was inflexible, labour-intensive, and not user-friendly for entrants or judges.
For an awards programme dedicated to celebrating innovation and creative excellence, an awkward, clunky entry experience wasn't just an operational problem. It was a credibility problem.
The platform itself became the proof point.
When you honour excellence in events, the experience your entrants and judges have with your software is part of how your awards are perceived. Evessio delivered the same standard of polish that both audiences had come to expect.
What changed
In the most recent awards cycle, the Spark Awards team used Evessio to manage the entire lifecycle of the programme — from online submissions and payments through to remote judging and final results. The differences were felt immediately by every audience involved.
Entrants praised the clarity of the submission portal. Judges scored entries seamlessly from anywhere. Administrators saw a significant reduction in manual tasks. Communications and overall programme presentation became more polished and professional.
"The system did everything we needed, and the support has been first-class."
The Spark Awards teamStraight from the room
Voices from the programme and its judges.
Entry processing time was significantly reduced.
Manual administrative workload was cut dramatically.
Structured, transparent, auditable scoring — minimal manual intervention.
The platform elevated the perception of the awards among industry stakeholders.
Looking forward
From functionality and ease of use to onboarding and support, Evessio consistently exceeded expectations. The Spark Awards team especially valued the responsiveness of the Evessio team, who took the time to understand their unique needs and deliver a tailored experience.
The partnership has allowed the team to focus more on strategic priorities, like growing the awards and enhancing their impact across the industry, rather than being held back by inefficient systems.
Run awards that deserve better tools?
See what Evessio can do for your event operations and your reputation.