Quickstart, your first event in 15 minutes

This is the fastest way to get a working event on Accolade. If you've signed up, you can do this now.

1. Create your event (1 min)

Go to Dashboard → Create Event. Give it a name, a ceremony date, and a venue. You can change anything later.

2. Run the AI Setup Wizard (3 min)

If you're on Pro or higher, click AI Wizard on the dashboard. Tell it what kind of awards you run (e.g. "regional restaurant awards, 12 categories, 200 guests") and it pre-populates categories, a judging workflow, and a draft schedule. Edit anything that doesn't fit.

3. Add your categories (3 min)

Open Categories. Add or edit each award category. Each one needs a name and a short description. You can attach judging criteria and sponsors later.

4. Open nominations (2 min)

Go to Nominations. Click Open Submissions. Accolade gives you a public submission link you can share. Nominators don't need an account.

5. Add judges (3 min)

Judging → Add Judge. Enter name and email. Judges get a magic link, no password. Assign each judge to the categories they should score.

6. You're live (3 min to test)

Submit a test nomination using your own public link. Log in as a test judge. Score one entry. You've now seen the full loop.

What to do next

• Add your guest list and tables
• Set up sponsors
• If you're on Enterprise, set up your custom subdomain