FE First Awards 2027

Celebrating the Success of Marketing in Further Education

The FE First Awards celebrates the achievements of marketing teams and individuals in colleges and sixth forms from across the country. The prestigious event, highly regarded in the sector, is the only awards to solely celebrate marketing in the further education arena.

When? Monday 1 February 2026, 6.45 – 11pm
Where? Eastside Rooms, Birmingham City Centre

Take a look at the 2026 Awards evening…

Check out all the photos from the FE First Awards 2026

FE First Awards 2027 categories:

Project/Campaign Awards:
- B2B Marketing Award
- Best Use of AI in Marketing Award
- Brand & Creative Excellence Award
- Collaborative Impact Award
- Communications Campaign Award
- Digital Marketing Award
- Events Management (Student Recruitment) Award
- Events Management Award
- Excellence in Student Admissions Award
- High Impact Low Budget Award
- Innovation & Creativity Award
- Internal Impact Award
- Prospectus Award
- School Engagement Award
- Sustainability Impact Green Marketing Award
- Targeted Recruitment Campaign Award
- Website Development Award _{^{(sponsored by Concept4)}}
Individual Awards:
- Marketing Apprentice Star Award*
- Marketing Rising Star Award*
- Marketing Superstar Award* _{^{(sponsored by LDA)}}
Team Awards:
- Marketing Team of the Year (Large Team – 8+ FTE)* _{^{(sponsored by LDA)}}
- Marketing Team of the Year (Small Team – 1-7 FTE)*
Best of the Best** _{^{(sponsored by Prospectus+)}}

_{* These categories are only open to colleges in current membership of the CMN at the time of the awards.
** Judged from the winners in each category.}

How to Enter

Entry will open in June 2027.

FE First Awards Gala Dinner

The gala dinner is a formal event, starting with a drinks reception, followed by a three course meal, and then the awards presentation. Dress code is formal, black tie optional but encouraged.

Tickets

CMN members – £100 pp
Non-CMN Members – £165 pp

_{Prices are +VAT. Payment can be by PO or online.}

BOOKING WILL OPEN IN JUNE 2026

Travel & Parking

Travelling by train: Birmingham New Street Grand Central Station is only 0.9 miles from the venue. Check it out on Google Maps

Travelling by car: Millennium Car Park is the nearest car park – Howe Street, B4 7AP.
Open every day, 6am to midnight. (Car park is locked at midnight but vehicles may be left overnight – charges still apply. Total cost will be calculated at time of exit). Pay on exit – cash, debit or credit card.
Up to 12 hrs – £8. Up to 24 hrs – £11.50.

Please be aware of Birmingham’s clean air zone.

Accommodation

The Aloft Hotel is joined to the Eastside Rooms. We have secured special rates for the event:

Single Occupancy – £121 per person per night, B&B (+VAT)
Double Occupancy (twin room) – £135 for two people per night, B&B (+VAT)

These rates are only available through the CMN. Please select the option when booking your event ticket(s).

Alternatively, there are other hotels nearby, which you can book direct:
Clayton Hotel – 0.5 miles from Eastside Rooms
Premier Inn Birmingham City Centre Exchange Square – 0.5 miles from Eastside Rooms

THANK YOU TO OUR AWARD SPONSORS

Bluestorm are a full-service marketing agency, specialising in supporting colleges across the UK in every facet of their marketing. From expertly web development that engages and informs prospective students to dynamic student recruitment strategies, targeted keep-warm initiatives, eye-catching prospectus designs, and beyond, we’re dedicated to enhancing your institution’s presence.

Concept4 – a well-known name in college marketing, and we’re not scared to shout about it! Why? Because we design and build first-class college websites and apps.
Our team of seasoned account directors, designers and highly skilled web developers consistently go over and above what’s expected in the further education sector, delivering websites that push boundaries and achieve goals. We’ve built large scale powerful college websites with seamless integrations to MIS systems.

LDA is an award-winning creative agency specialising in strategy, research, content, creative, digital and technology. With over 25 years’ experience, they work with education providers and public sector organisations to better understand their audiences and deliver insight-led campaigns, brand development and digital experiences.
From audience research and positioning through to website design and development, LDA helps colleges create meaningful connections with prospective students and stakeholders, supporting recruitment, engagement and long-term brand growth.

Pathways is a suite of career tools that help students see the link between your courses and careers. It brings high quality careers information into your website and shows prospective students and their parents possible career options after studying on your courses.
Pathways is an affordable solution, set up is easy, it requires no extra work from your IT team and helps fulfil Gatsby Benchmarks and Ofsted’s careers criteria.

Prospectus Plus is a digital tool that provides a sustainable and personalised solution for creating prospectuses. We prioritise sustainability by offering an eco-friendly alternative to paper prospectuses.
Users can create a personalised copy of your prospectus, showing the most relevant content to their needs and interests all in one place. And in turn, creating a higher conversion rate.
Our built-in analytics enables you to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of your prospectus. This helps you to optimise their prospectus design and content to improve overall performance. Prospectus Plus is revolutionising the way educational institutions approach prospectus creation, offering a comprehensive solution that delivers measurable results.

Header Image: Showcase Your Business. Support Marketing Excellence in Further Education

Award Sponsorship

The FE First Awards celebrates the very best of marketing in the further education sector. Sponsoring an award provides your business the opportunity to be seen by, and engage with, marketing professionals from colleges and sixth forms from across the UK.

The FE First Awards is held on the same day as our conference where there is also opportunity to network with delegates by exhibiting and/or hosting a workshop.

If you’re interested in finding out more, please email: emma@m-network.org

Award Judging

All of the award entries are judged by a panel of professionals who specialise in the further education sector and the College Marketing Network oversees the entire awards process with the highest standards of care and confidentiality.

All entries are reviewed and pre-scored by the panel of judges. Judges then review and discuss the top-scoring entries in detail, agreeing on the winners for each category. Each award category will be judged by two panel members, and all judges must declare any potential conflicts of interest before the judging process begins.