news

Eventia celebrates excellence – The Eventia Awards 2011

Over 700 top events industry professionals celebrated a spectacular night of awards at the Hilton Park Lane on Friday 18th November.

The Eventia Awards honour outstanding business-to-business and business-to-consumer events including corporate events, product launches, company exhibitions, presentations, hospitality, celebratory events, meetings and conferences of all sizes and formats both overseas and in the UK.   

The Awards were hosted by impressionist and comedian Alistair McGowan, and the show was opened by Johnny Robinson from the X Factor who really got the evening off to a fantastic start. 

Nominated by Eventia members and voted for by the Board, this year’s Outstanding Achievement Awards was given to Brian Kirsch.

Brian Kirsch is the Managing Director of Event Assured, which is the recognised insurance specialist for conferences, incentive travel and live events.  He is also the Chairman of Eventia’s Regulation Committee and has been a member of the Eventia (formerly ITMA) board since 2000, making him Eventia’s longest serving director.  He has consistently ensured Eventia has helped to develop standards that have become benchmarks for good practice within the industry.  So it was with great pleasure that the 2011 Eventia Outstanding Achievement Award should go to a man who has shown consistency and great constancy and made the Regulation Committee a vibrant working party within the organisation. 

This year saw a new award being presented, Rising Star of the Year.  This award seeks to acknowledge and encourage young new talent in the events industry and was awarded to Becca Whythe of TRO.  

The prestigious Platinum Award was won by George P Johnson who also won Gold for Best Conference. 

Eventia Chairman, Rob Allen, commented: 'Wow!  A record number of entries; over 700 guests buzzing on the night; outstanding food, drink and entertainment; and an awards presentation to knock your socks off!    This was the first time we have produced our own awards and it proved to be everything we had hoped for … and more.  X-Factor’s Johnny Robinson mobbed on stage; Simon Hughes trading as an auctioneer; £10,000 raised for Teenage Cancer Trust; the Smyle team partying as the ‘Agency of the Year’ should; and much, much more.

So, what’s the recipe for such a splendid occasion?  Take great planning, add some fantastic production and ensure meticulous attention to detail throughout.  Then add the most important ingredient – a huge number of passionate events professionals who appreciate the work which has gone into every single submission entered into the Eventia Awards and who really know how to celebrate those which emerge as the pick of the crop. 

Thanks to everyone who made last Friday a very special night for Eventia and for our industry!' 

The charity prize draw raised a huge £10,000 which will be donated to the Teenage Cancer Trust via the industry’s charitable trust, Meetings Industry Meeting Needs (MIMN).

Prizes included: 
- a 5 night trip for two to India courtesy of Oberoi Hotels & Resorts, Incent India and Jet Airways;
- a 4 night stay at One&Only Le Saint Geran in Mauritius courtesy of Kerzner International and Air Mauritius;
- a midweek or weekend break at Center Parcs.

Plus an amazing surprise donation on the night of first class BA flights to any destination in North America from P&MM together with five night’s accommodation from Fairmont/Raffles/Swissotel raised an outstanding £4K towards the unprecedented total raised! 

The following Gold Awards were given:

Agency of the year:   Smyle
Best event in a public space:   Natural History Museum 
Best celebratory event:  K-Events
Best hospitality event:   Slice
Best team-building event:   The Circle Agency
Best product launch (UK/International):  Jack Morton Worldwide 
Best conference (UK/International):   George P. Johnson 
Best incentive/motivation (UK):   River Marketing  
Best incentive/motivation (International):   River Marketing
Best experiential event (as part of an experiential campaign):   RPM
Event hotel of the year (250-750 capacity):   Center Parcs, Longleat Forest  
Event hotel or venue of the year (over 750 capacity):   Sheffield City Hall
Technical supplier of the year:   XL Events
Creative use of technology:   TRO
Creative service supplier of the year:   Lumacoustics
Planning and logistics supplier:   Gallowglass
Best integrated event communication campaign:   Ignite
Most effective ROI:   MEMS International 
Best corporate responsibility initiative of the year:   Grass Roots
Venue event team of the year:  The Brewery
In house event team of the year:   Prudential
Platinum Winner:   George P. Johnson

For a complete list of all Awards winners, including Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Finalists click here. 

After the formalities, champagne and cocktails flowed in the Ballroom with dancing to Soul Symphony (provided by Young Guns) and Disco until the wee small hours! 

Eventia would like to thank all entrants, sponsors and supporters of the Eventia Awards this year – it has been a great experience and we couldn’t have done it without them!

Special gratitude goes to headline sponsors the Canadian Tourism Commission, all the ‘back room boys’ who have advised, nurtured and produced an excellent show or supplied technology or equipment to ‘make it happen’ – they know who they are!

And of course Team Eventia – which this year included colleagues at FAB! and the excellent Awards committee. 

To sponsor next year or for any information at all please call us on 01212121400 or email [email protected]