Call the team at Don’t Panic, and we are proud to say you won’t get a ticket number, a queue, or a bot asking you to press 1 for entries. What you will get is a real person on the other end of the phone, one who actually knows the awards you’re entering, the categories that fit your work, and what a judge is looking for when they read your submission.

We’ve always been personal, but we’ve recently moved to a more one-to-one way of working with our entrants and partners, one built around building a relationship that helps you navigate our awards year and offers advice and guidance in the wider awards space. In practice, that means you now have a named Awards Consultant in your corner: someone who gets to know your business, remembers what you entered last year, can suggest programmes and categories for the coming season, and is on hand to offer advice before final deadline day panic sets in.

Who are these amazing people? We are delighted to introduce you to our team and your consultants and they will tell you who they are in their own words.

Amy Salvaggio – Awards Consultant

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-salvaggio-50058983/

Email: [email protected]

I’ve been a part of the Don’t Panic team for almost a year, although it feels like much longer (in a good way!). Before this, my background was sales and event management for hotels & venues, working on anything from intimate private dinners to large conferences. 

I love building relationships with our entrants and being their go-to for any questions or advice needed, supporting them through their exciting awards journey! 

My best piece of advice to entrants is: clearly outline the objectives that were set for your work, and when presenting your results, always link back to those original goals. Judges love to see impressive achievements, but what really stands out is a clear story of how you accomplished what you set out to achieve. Demonstrating how you overcame challenges along the way also makes for a much stronger entry.

Evenings and weekends revolve around my beloved baby (dog) Hallé, and I’m a big football fan. I won’t mention teams here, but needless to say, if you want to talk offside rule and VAR, I’m here for it. I also love cooking; it’s my true therapy is feeding my loved ones.

Lucie Wright – Award Consultant

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lucie-wright-2828762a8

Email: [email protected]

I joined Don’t Panic in 2024 after coming from a mix of retail and social media. Awards weren’t the original plan, but I wanted to explore customer service in a B2B environment, and it turns out the awards environment is perfect for me.  

My favourite bit of the job is getting to know an entrant, whether that’s on a call, over email, or on a video chat, and understanding their business well enough to help them find the right award programme and the right categories for what they do. From there, it’s all about being in their corner: keeping them on track for deadlines, finding ways to save them money where I can, and making sure everything’s sorted so they actually get to enjoy the event itself. There’s nothing better than seeing that pay off on the shortlist (or, even better, the winners’ list).

If I’m giving one piece of advice, it’s this: back yourself. Judges can spot conviction in an entry a mile off, so don’t be shy about it. But confidence needs proof, so bring the evidence. Data, results, testimonials, the lot. Show, don’t just tell.

Outside of work, I have a confession: I do not watch new TV shows. Ever. I’m a repeat offender. The Office (US) has had at least 20 rewatches, Friends is comfortably past 30, and I’ve watched Chornobyl six times, which even I’ll admit is a slightly odd one to have on repeat. One day I’d love to visit the site in person.

Mia Norman

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mia-norman-7a3a5317a/

Email: [email protected]

I’ve been working at Don’t Panic for almost two years. Before that, I worked agency-side at a digital marketing agency, where I gained experience across a range of client work.

What I love, when I first work with a potential entrant, is learning about the incredible campaigns they have been working on and the creative thinking and work that goes into them. Often, the public doesn’t see the behind-the-scenes work, so it’s really interesting to learn more, especially when people are clearly passionate about what they’ve created.

The piece of advice I always share is: remember that judges are reading multiple entries, so creativity and how you’ve overcome challenges are what help you stand out. It’s also important to highlight the impact, whether that’s on a wider audience or your client, not just what you did.

Something that might surprise you is that even though Don’t Panic is based in Greater Manchester, I live in the New Forest. Flexible working means I get to be closer to family and live in what I think is the most gorgeous location. I spend most of my weekends outdoors, cycling through nature and spotting the wild ponies with my family.

Need Help with Your Award Entries

If you have questions about our awards portfolio, email our team at [email protected] or call us on +44 1706 828855