How to Leverage Your HNA Awards Submission (Even If You Don’t Win)
You don’t have to take home to top honors to get major value from submitting to the 2025 HNA Awards.
Year after year, we hear from first-time entrants who say they waited to submit because they didn’t think they had a shot. But once they entered, they realized they had gained so much more than the potential for an award.
They had their best project materials gathered in one place. They gained clarity on how to tell the story behind the build. And they had powerful content they could repurpose for marketing, sales, and team recognition.
Whether you’re submitting for the first time or the fifth, here’s how to turn your entry into something much bigger than an award application:
1. Build Your Portfolio
Your HNA Awards submission is a carefully curated showcase of your work. You’ve gathered high-quality images, written out the project story, and captured what made it special. Why not use that same content for:
· A new case study on your website
· A feature in your next client proposal
· An updated portfolio or pitch deck
You already did the hard work. Now it’s time to let that story sell for you.
2. Fuel Your Social Media Strategy
Posting a project you submitted to the HNA Awards is a great way to show followers, clients, and potential hires what you’re capable of.
Try these content ideas:
· Project spotlight: Share a before-and-after carousel post
· Behind-the-scenes: Give a peek into the challenges and craftsmanship that made it special
· Team shoutout: Celebrate your crew and their work
· Client testimonial: Use the testimonial you used in your submission to show your impact
· “Why we submitted”: Talk about what made this project submission-worthy
Feel free to tag the Concrete Masonry & Hardscapes Association (CMHA) or Hardscape North America to show your project off to our network of hardscape pros!
3. Improve Your Messaging
Writing a compelling description for your entry forces you to zoom out and think about your project strategically: What were the client’s goals? What problems did we solve? What made this build different?
That kind of reflection helps you talk about your work with more clarity and confidence in sales conversations. You’ll be more prepared to answer, “Why should we go with you?”—because you’ve already written it out.
4. Recognize and Motivate Your Team
Submitting to the HNA Awards sends a clear message: What we build matters. Even if you don’t win, your team deserves major recognition for getting a project across the finish line and into the national spotlight:
· Host a team lunch or small celebration
· Share behind-the-scenes stories on social media or in internal communications and give credit where it’s due
Recognition builds morale and morale builds momentum.
5. Use It to Recruit and Retain Talent
In a competitive labor market, showing that your company invests in quality, innovation, and industry recognition can be a major differentiator.
· Include HNA nomination news in your job listings or recruitment materials
· Talk about it in interviews to give candidates a sense of your culture and values
· Show new hires that excellence is part of your DNA
It sends a clear message: you take pride in what you build and who builds it with you.
6. Gain Valuable Feedback and Start Planning for Next Year
A strong submission—even if it didn’t win—lays the groundwork for future entries. Review judges’ feedback if available, evaluate how your project stacked up, and keep an eye out for standout jobs that could be next year’s winner.
Many companies build on past submissions to return stronger the next year—and walk away with the trophy.
Every time you enter the HNA Awards, you’re investing in your business. You’re building your brand. You’re improving how you present your work. You’re connecting to a national network of professionals who are raising the bar in hardscaping.
Remember that the recognition, visibility, and value of your work doesn't start—or stop—with an HNA Award.
It starts with the pride you take in your craft. And that’s always worth sharing!