People dive into awards thinking the main investment is writing the entry or paying the entry fee. But there are hidden costs of awards many don’t factor in. If you plan on attending the gala event, then you have to consider the ecosystem of awards: the night out, travel, outfits, and trophy arrangements (if they don’t provide the trophy as part of the entry fee or you have to get it posted. Like all good award evenings, considering the whole production that sits around the submission is important as you map out your award strategy for the year. None of these extra costs are unreasonable but you may not realise what else you have to fork out until you’re in the thick of it.

First, there’s the entry fees. Not all awards are free to enter. Before you start calling a scam, think about what goes into running an award’s program – website, marketing, trophies, event planning, securing judges, and entry platform. None of this is free to deliver. Most awards are not backed by big budgets except for the bigger ones that have corporate sponsors who subsidise the process. It’s not unreasonable to expect to pay an entry fee. It’s the price of admission to have your business judged. Think of the entry fee as a marketing expense instead of a burden. If you can’t afford the entry fee, is your business ready for judging because financial growth is an important element of business success.

Then once the finalists are announced, you’ll want to attend the presentation evening. Another cost. There is a growing trend with many industry awards that they won’t give you the finalist badge unless you commit to attending (something else to determine before entering – check your calendar to see if you can attend). Event tickets are priced exactly as you’d expect for a major industry showcase, but if they’re not in your budget, they feel like they appeared out of thin air. Same with accommodation. Same with flights. Same with the ‘I thought I already had something to wear an emergency wardrobe’ dash. This all needs to be factored into your event budget.

If you don’t attend the event to receive your trophy, you may be up for postage and/or to buy the trophy – that can set you back hundreds of dollars if your trophy is coming from the US. Some programs hand them over like a gift. Others send you an invoice for victory. There’s another line item in your budget.

This a reality check to avoid that shock-horror moment that hits when the invoice arrives. Awards work. They build credibility, open doors, strengthen your market position and give you assets no marketing campaign can match. But they’re not just an entry fee. A typical campaign; one program, a couple of categories, a night out eating overcooked chicken, travel, outfits, and the inevitable little extras like hair, makeup and buying photos can land near the $10k mark. Not because anyone’s gouging you, but because awards are full experiences, not single transactions.

If you plan for the full experience, awards are a powerful marketing investment. If you only budget for the entry fee and someone to help you, it can feel like an ambush on your bank balance.

This is why you need to be strategic about the awards you enter and how many you enter. Of course there are heaps of cheap or free awards but they can turn into the most expensive ones because they’re not reputable or credible. The well-chosen, well-executed campaigns are the ones that earn their keep.

Here is an overview of some of the costs that go along with entering awards that you want to factor in.  These are broad figures, so it pays to do your research before pressing submit. These estimates are in Aussie dollars. If you are entering international awards, you have to factor in Euro or US dollars; that can double or triple the price.

1. Entry fees

Per category, per award program:

• Small/local awards: $150–$350 AUD
• State / national programs: $350–$800 AUD 
• Big national / global awards: $800–$1,500+ AUD 

If you enter:

• 3 categories in one program at mid-range: say $500 x 3 = $1,500
• Across 3–4 programs per year, you’re easily at $4,000–$8,000+ in entry fees.

2. Event tickets

Per person:

• Single seat at a half-decent business awards night: $250–$450 AUD 
• Premium events / capital city / big ballroom nights: $450–$700 AUD+ 

3. Travel

This swings a lot based on location, but for Australian business owners:

• Same city:
  • Ubers / parking / incidentals: $50–$150
• Interstate (economy, booked sensibly):
  • Return flights: $250–$600 per person
  • Transfers and taxis: $80–$200
• International (flying to a global final):
  • Flights: $1,200–$3,000+ per person, easily.

If two founders fly interstate for one awards night:

• Flights: say $400 x 2 = $800
• Transfers: $150
• Meals / extras: $150–$250

Ballpark: $1,100–$1,300 on top of tickets and hotel.

4. Hotels

Typical per night, per room:

• Mid-range city hotel: $220–$350 
• Nice CBD / event hotel / special night away level: $350–$650+ 

5. Clothes & grooming

This is where nobody wants to admit the real number.

Per person, per event:

• New dress / suit: $200–$800+ depending on taste and where they shop
• Shoes / accessories / bag / jewellery top-ups: $100–$400
• Hair / makeup / grooming / nails / barber, etc.: $80–$300

Conservative all-in estimate per person:

• Low end: $250–$400
• Realistic for many: $400–$900. That’s before they decide they need a new outfit.

6. Trophies & replicas

The sneaky one.

• Trophy included in win: $0 (you’ve already paid for it through everything above)
• Programs that charge for trophies / replicas:
  • Main trophy: $250–$600
  • Extra copies for partners / offices / franchisees: $200–$500 each