- Winning venues will be showcased across Time Out’s digital, social and print channels
- Huge publicity resulted in higher footfall and sales for previous years’ winners
- Promotional material available for businesses to increase visibility and drive votes
A big celebration of small, independent businesses is coming to London as Time Out, the global brand that inspires people to make the most of the city, opens voting for its Love London Awards 2018.
From 6 March until 10 April 2018, local businesses in London are encouraged to claim their Time Out listing as part of the awards and get their customers behind them. Voted for entirely by locals, the awards celebrate and champion the city’s most loved independents across categories including: the most loved local restaurant, brunch spot, coffee place, late night spot, place to drink in the sun, bar or pub, music venue, park, club, LGBTQ hangout, culture spot, landmark and shop.
Winners will be revealed on 2 May and will benefit from huge publicity as they will be showcased across Time Out channels including timeout.com/london, social media and in Time Out London magazine to an audience of millions.
Local businesses are encouraged to download print, online and social media promotional assets that are available here, to inspire their customers to vote and maximise their opportunity to get the recognition they deserve.
Launching in 15 cities simultaneously this year, the Awards are part of Time Out’s commitment to help people discover the best of the city and support independents, while also offering local businesses a platform to gain recognition and reaching a huge, experience-hungry audience. Over 500,000 votes for small, independent venues have been generated as part of the global Time Out Love City Awards across many cities worldwide since 2014 – proof of the power of local.
Nick Buckland, Executive Chef & Owner, Yard Sale Pizza, the most loved restaurant in London in the Time Out Love London Awards 2016 commented on the great benefits that have come with winning the award: “The Time Out Love London Awards opened us up to a wider audience than our loyal locals, and also raised our profile within the industry. Our top tip to build an independent local business is to treat your staff and customers as part of the family. It’s important that all of your staff enjoy working for your company and that is reflected in your customer interactions. It’s also important to never compromise on quality even when growing, we are continuously looking to improve in everything we do.”
Caroline McGinn, Global Editor in Chief at Time Out, commented: “Local knowledge is what Time Out is all about, but our editors can’t be everywhere at once. People who live in a city love and know their neighbourhood, and want to tell Time Out about it. Their recommendations help us capture great new and existing venues – usually cool indie spots – all over the city, and show them some love.
“Local businesses are the beating heart of a city’s neighbourhoods and these Awards are a fantastic way to show your love for all those hidden gems – we want to champion these independents and their entrepreneurial spirit and give them the spotlight they deserve.”
The last Time Out Love London Awards highlighted some unique small businesses that locals couldn’t live without: Yard Sale Pizza in Hackney bagged the top restaurant spot, The Alma in Islington was London’s best boozer, The ArtHouse Crouch End made it three wins in a row as the number one cultural hub, Cheeses of Muswell Hill was named best shop and Highness Café and Tea Room in Highbury topped the café rankings.
Londoners can vote between 6 March until 10 April 2018 at timeout.com/lovelondon