Did you know that the L&CPU runs four major competitions each year? These competitions are a vital part of celebrating and showcasing the talent within our member clubs. Each event has its unique format, purpose and timeline, requiring meticulous planning and coordination.
The Competitions
| March | May | November | |
| Annual Club Competition | Annual Individual Competition | Bob Robinson Trophy | Annual Club Knockout |
| Print and PDI | Print and PDI | PDI | |
| Member clubs are invited to showcase their members’ images in two sections | Club members are invited to choose and enter their own images. | This event is designed to promote printing your images and is open to all L&CPU club members who do not currently hold any photographic qualifications or accreditations | This Competition is designed to bring L&CPU Federated clubs together for a fun evening |
Behind the Scenes: How L&CPU Competitions come to life
Running a successful Competition is no small feat! Each event requires meticulous planning and coordination to ensure everything runs smoothly – and even then the gremlins can make an appearance.
Here is a glimpse into what goes on behind the scenes:
The Plan
With a minimum lead in time of 4 months, each Competition starts with a detailed plan outlining the essential tasks:
- Logistics: confirming the venue, confirming judges, organising their accommodation, organising the hardware and software, planning refreshments for the day
- Communications: ensuring clear, timely updates are sent to everyone involved, including venue contacts, judges, clubs, the executive team, website and Focal Points, send out Competition Rules to relevant groups & individuals
- Awards: preparing and engraving trophies and medals
- Technical set-up: setting up the Competition on the Portal, checking all the hardware is in working order and that someone has responsibility to bring said hardware to the venue – laptop, projector, screen, barcode scanner, print easel, extension leads ………….. and so much more
The Portal
All L&CPU Competitions are managed online, through an integrated platform we call the Portal.
To access the Portal, you will need an account.
There are two ways a Portal account can be set up – a member of your club executive/council would need to set up an account if they are entering images into a Competition on your behalf, or you can set up an account.
If you are a club member and want to create your own login, you can do so via https://lcpu-portal.org/portal/.
All activity on the portal related to a member is linked to your email address and then to your club – when you upload your images to the Competition the images are linked to your account
If your club has already set up an account for you, you need to know which email address they have used – otherwise, you may well be setting up multiple accounts and this could mean your images will not be linked to one account.
Through the Portal, members can not only participate in Competitions but also browse and view past Competition images from past L&CPU Competitions – a fantastic resource for inspiration and learning
Looking forward to 2025
The last couple of years have seen us change the format for The Bob Robinson Trophy, entries were declining and we had to decide whether we were receiving sufficient entries and continue running the Competition.
A few conversations later the L&CPU executive decided to run The Annual Club Knockout and The Bob Robinson Trophy on the same day – in November. This would allow clubs, especially clubs who did not meet during Summer, time to put together their entry for The Bob Robinson Trophy. Further information regarding timings will be published as soon as possible.
Dates for your Diary 2025
| Saturday 1 March Sunday 2 March | Saturday 10 May Sunday 11 May | Friday 15 November | |
| Annual Club Competition | Annual Individual Competition | Bob Robinson Trophy Afternoon event | Annual Club Knockout Evening event |
| Elm Bank Conference Centre Eccles | In Camera | St Mary’s Parish Centre Devonshire Road Chorley PR7 2BY |
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| Print and PDI | Print and PDI | PDI | |
Each competition is governed by its own set of Rules and Guidelines, ensuring clarity and fairness for all participants. These rules are shared with the Club Competition Secretary and Club Secretary well in advance of the competition opening for entries.
Competition Rules
Each competition is governed by its own set of Rules and Guidelines, ensuring clarity and fairness for all participants. These rules are shared with the Club Competition Secretary and Club Secretary well in advance of the competition opening for entries.
Submission Process
- For all competitions except The Annual Individuals Competition, submissions must be made by the Club Competition Secretary on behalf of their club.
- This ensures consistency and compliance with the rules, making the process smoother for everyone involved.
We’re Here to Help!
We hope this insight into competition management has been helpful and provided a better understanding of what goes on behind the scenes.
If you have any questions or need further clarification, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Wendy, Keith, or any member of the L&CPU Executive Team.
We’re always here to support our clubs and members!