Roll up for LOYA 2007
October 1st 2007

Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the 2007 Loo of the Year Awards is bigger than ever before. But there was a point when it might have been called off due to lack of commercial support. Brendan Coyne spoke with organiser Richard Chisnell

If there was a single element that would make Richard Chisnell's job easier it would be for major washroom companies to take a strategic, long-term view and commit to supporting the Loo of the Year Awards.An industry stalwart involved with the awards since the inaugural programme in 1987, Chisnell feels the problem is that too many companies are caught up in day to day 'fire fighting' to plan ahead.

"It shouldn't be as difficult as it is proving to attract the major players. Because you can recoup the kind of investment we seek with one contract.Marketing, while not yet a dirty word, isn't bottom line stuff.Much like training it's one of the first budgets to be cut," he says."But if people could recognise the opportunity the awards represent and share the vision, it really can pay dividends." While those with an eye on the bottom line may dismiss such rhetoric as idealism, Chisnell points to the first winner, the Hatton Court Hotel near Gloucester, by way of example."The owner, Andrew Moore, actually won it 10 years later for another hotel, St.

Michael's Manor, in St Albans.He reckoned his turnover almost doubled the following year as a result. He used the award to promote his business and saw an enormous increase in visitors from America and Japan." The problem, says Chisnell, is that the majority of hotels and restaurants are yet to recognise the pulling power of a decent toilet.

However, he says the good news is that many other establishments are beginning to share the vision, as evidenced by the growing number of entries.

"This year we've had just under 1,500 entries.Over recent years in particular it's grown because some of the corporate bodies are realising that an independent annual assessment of their loo facilities is a good thing." He says that some companies and also local councils, are entering toilets that they know to be dire "so that they can use a damning report as leverage for more budget".

Luckily, before the awards were cancelled,Dyson agreed to sponsor the 2007 event, recognising the opportunity to further the footprint of its airblade hand dryer. Chisnell hopes the partnership will continue beyond this year's awards, and believes, as the Olympics approach, that interest will surge as government seeks to address the current situation: that public facilities are generally poor.

From his work with the British Toilet Association (which is holding its annual conference at the National Motorcycle Museum on Thursday 8 November) Chisnell says the Communities and Local Government department's steering group is now considering the viability for a public toilet flag scheme – much like that used to grade the cleanliness of parks and beaches."The feeling is that, if the time comes for toilets to be assessed nationally, the Loo of the Year Awards have the credibility and the criteria to cover that."He says a senior civil servant will be at the BTA conference to outline government plans for toilet provision in the lead up to the 2012 Olympics.

While entry for this year's awards – to be held at the National Motorcycle Museum on 5 December – are now closed, Chisnell says nominations are already coming in for 2008, with the simple online nomination process (see www.loo.co.uk) encouraging more people to get involved.

Let's hope the industry can be as proactive.

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