There are numerous benefits by participation in the LivCom Awards including:

• During the Finals you will be able to observe Presentations that contain examples of International Best Practices applied to challenges similar to those facing your City.

• You will be able to showcase your City’s Best Practices on an International stage and influence and inspire other Best Practices.

• Civic pride will be enhanced by being with “the leading communities in the world”.

• Innovation is encouraged and learnt.

• Meeting with delegates from communities from other countries and cultures that are facing similar challenges to those faced by your community leads to the partnerships to exchange information and experiences.

• These partnerships can extend to subjects beyond Environmental Issues.

• The exchange of information and experiences can produce accelerated technical benefits and financial savings year on year. The investment in time and finance needed to participate in the Awards is not costy and can be exceeded by many times by ongoing benefits.

• Success in the Awards may be used to promote tourism and Inward Capital Investment.

• National and international publicity and visibility are enhanced.

• Joining of an international network of communities from over 70 countries with similar environmentally based objectives.

• Described by many participants as “the most rewarding professional experience of their career”.

It is for sure that participation in the Awards is professionally rewarding and will potentially bring long-lasting benefits to your City.

Following each LivCom Finals judges and delegates contact LivCom to leave their comments that:

• The International Awards for Liveable Communities was launched in 1997 and is now firmly established as the World’s premier event concentrating on a major issue of our time – the local environment. The LivCom Awards is, however, far more than an Awards Programme; it is also a unique learning experience.

•The LivCom Awards is attracting an ever increasing number of communities from an increasing number of countries in many different cultures. Communities from over 70 countries have participated in the Awards, with multiple new countries being represented each year. Starting from the year of 2009, approx. 300-500 delegates attended the Awards Ceremony on the last evening of the Finals.

•The LivCom Awards is unique in that it brings together representatives of many communities, rather than arranging for Judges to travel from country to country. This coming together enables representatives of a community to attend the Best Practice presentations of other communities, both large and small, and from different cultures. Delegates learn that many communities face similar challenges to those faced by their own community, which vary in local priority on account of culture or political philosophy. LivCom is totally non-political.

•This experience often leads to discussions between delegates, culminating in agreements to work together in addressing mutual challenges through the sharing of technical knowledge and experience and practical exchange visits. These arrangements, together with the understanding acquired through attending Presentations, lead to new ideas being introduced in communities, which leads to an improvement in the local quality of life and greater value for money expended.

•The first stage of the LivCom experience is the submission of a Report, structured in line with the LivCom Judging Criteria, following which, many communities have advised that the experience can be likened to a free self-audit, at the end of which communities become more aware of the areas in which they are performing well and those where they are not. Communities have also advised that the initial LivCom Report has formed an excellent basis for the Community’s wider Strategic Plan.

•Many parts of the world are experiencing difficult financial times especially during the Pandemic and fresh ideas and policies are needed to meet rising expectations regarding quality of life issues and improve cost effective spending. It is no longer acceptable to be aware of Best Practice in a community’s Region, country or even global region, as there is an expectation that anyone responsible for local environmental issues be informed about current global Best Practices. Participation in the LivCom Awards is the only global event where a community has the opportunity to learn of global Best Practice in addressing challenges that their own community is facing.

•The LivCom Awards is truly unique and participation in the Awards is an investment in the community that can produce returns year after year, far in excess of the cost or time invested in participation in the Awards.

•LivCom has been the highlight event of my professional career.

•We came home with so many ideas that will save our community money and improve the quality of life.

•We found that we had the same challenges as other communities and have teamed up to exchange technical information.

•We were expecting a Competition and the opportunity to learn and we were not disappointed.

•LivCom is a fantastic, unique, steep learning curve.