UK: Winning an Oscar nomination is the apex of an actor's career. The same is true when your business is nominated or wins an industry award.

Every company that produces positive results should enter awards and win a prestigious title. It is a powerful way to market your business.

Benefits of winning

Winning – or even being nominated for an award – can propel your business forward in amazing ways.

Standing out from the crowd sends a positive message to your existing customers and attracts new business.

Winning a Builders' Merchant Award for Excellence is an accolade in itself. It is an independent endorsement of the achievements of your company.

As well as the brand exposure it will bring you, being a winner provides a vital third-party endorsement that can attract employees.

An award can also open doors to new avenues to customers, suppliers and even investors.

BUDAPEST: The International Specialist Fasteners Exhibition, will be held in the Hungarian capital for the second time on 6 and 7 September 2010.

WARWICKSHIRE: 'Filling the Potholes on the Road to Recovery' is the theme of this year's Builders' Merchants Federation's Members' Day 2010. Held at the Forest of Arden Hotel...

IRELAND: The 2010 FEST Congress in Dublin on 23-26 September will address "the real issues facing our industry today", said president Sue Knight. "It will also equip us with real tools and insight that we can use to develop our business tomorrow."

BERKSHIRE: The 2010 Windsor Half Marathon will be take place on Sunday 26 September. This construction industry event will once again be set in the surroundings of Windsor Great Park.

BIRMINGHAM: Interbuild Onsite at the NEC on 17-20 October will feature six new zones dedicated to product and business areas for the construction industry.

WEST MIDLANDS: An exhibition for heating installers will take place on 28-29 October at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry. The Oil and Renewable Heating Show 2010 has been launched in partnership with OFTEC, and will bring together the latest technologies in oil and renewable heating for the first time under one roof.

COVENTRY: There is still eight months to go and the organisers of this year’s National Painting and Decorating Show have announced that 80% of the stand space has already been sold.

LONDON: TV presenter, writer and director Nick Knowles is the host of the 2010 Builders’ Merchants Awards for Excellence.

UK: At PHEX this year merchants can meet the top domestic plumbing and heating manufacturers and allied service providers face-to-face and all under one roof.

LONDON: The Natural Stone Show, a showcase event for the UK construction industry, returns to London's premier exhibition venue ExCeL from 15-17 March 2011.

COVENTRY: The British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI) has joined forces with professional event organisers Brintex, to launch a major landscaping event for architects and designers, contractors, specifiers and procurement professionals.

LONDON: TRADA Technology’s Timber Expo, the new exhibition for innovation in timber, will take place at Coventry’s Ricoh stadium on 27 and 28 September 2011.

DAVENTRY: NMBS members and suppliers teed off in style at the annual golf day on 29 July at the Marriott Forest of Arden. Over 60 players turned up for the challenge.

UK: Following the success of the recent trade morning in Leeds, Dunlop Adhesives is spreading its reach with the announcement of new trade mornings.

UK: Find out how to catch the judges' eyes and make a winning nomination for this year's Builders' Merchants Awards for Excellence.

On the Awards website you will find a 'Writing an Entry' button. Click on this to view some of the shortlisted nominations from past year's Awards.

The best way is to keep it simple. The judges should be able to see that you meet the judging criteria. Ideally, they should not have to work through a large amount of supporting documentation to find it.

There are some rules to remember when entering your company for a business award: