2018

Enam Ali, Founder, British Curry Awards

How long have you been involved in Awards?
I started the British Curry Awards back in 2005 and I could never have imagined that they would become the force they are today and the Oscars of the curry industry.

What is it about Awards that give you the passion to do your job?
To reward the unsung heroes of the curry industry, to inspire the next generation to dedicate their careers to its continuation, changing the public perception towards the curry restaurants and by raising standards and boosting the profile of British Curry cuisine throughout the world.

What is your biggest strength when it comes to doing your job?
My experience in this industry gives me the confidence and to cope with the challenge of promoting and rewarding the industry to the highest level both national and international levels.

What is your biggest achievement?
The transformation of the whole curry industry; established British Curry as its own right cuisine and rewarding the industry’s stars in an Oscars style.

Sarah Austin, Awards Director, UBM

How long have you been involved in Awards?
I have been fortunate enough to work in the world of corporate awards for 9 years for UBM. My first experience was at the young age of 18 when I came to London for work experience on the National Business Awards – the show that I am now the Director.

What is it about Awards that give you the passion to do your job?
My passion is the experiential side of my role, nothing makes me happier than putting on a show and then seeing all the happy faces, standing ovations and VERY happy winners. When customers describe my shows as the best in the industry it makes it all worthwhile.

What is your biggest strength when it comes to doing your job?
My strengths lies in my people skills and transferring this to production I am a firm believer that if you are going to do something then do it properly I do not accept ‘sponsorshit’ and always put the customer at the heart of what I do – internal or external.

What is your biggest achievement?
The Building Awards 2016 was a huge show, opening with storm troopers followed by a hidden orchestra in the great room (beneath tables!) with a choir made up of 200 people. Some female comedy by Jo Caulfield and then awards given out by James Nesbitt AND we finished at 10.45.

Don Hales, Chairman, Awards International

How long have you been involved in Awards?
21 years. Launched first award – The National Sales Awards 1997, followed by The National Customer Service Awards. Since then I have launched 50 Awards in 8 countries. As Chairman of Awards International, I now preside over 12 Awards in UK, Netherlands & Dubai with three more in pipeline.

What is it about Awards that give you the passion to do your job?
The ability to allow extraordinary people, often doing everyday jobs in an outstanding manner, be recognised for their achievements and to feel like a MovieStar (often described to me by winners as a life-enhancing experience). Then to spread “best practice” and improve standards through publicity, conferences etc.

What is your biggest strength when it comes to doing your job?
Creativity, drive and enthusiasm. I have pulled many rabbits out of hats, with new ideas and, often low-budgets, turning failing programmes into success. I believe that I have inspired my teams to deliver exceptional standards and many members of the early teams are now in leading positions in Awards management.

What is your biggest achievement?
A lady introduced herself at the end of one of our great awards evenings. She ran an award for a very well established, old-fashioned, chartered professional body. Their awards attracted 150 and lost money. Taking them over, myself and one colleague, delivered 1200 delegates and profits, within 12 months.

Helen Horton, Director of Events, Haymarket Media Group

How long have you been involved in Awards?
I have been involved in the Awards sector of the Events industry for just over 20 years I joined Haymarket as an events manager and over the years have been very lucky to work on some very prestigious events primarily within the B2B market but also our consumer events.

What is it about Awards that give you the passion to do your job?
As my role has evolved so has my passion, from delivering great events to how we make them the best event for each of our markets, how our strategy, profits and vision allows us to be the best in our chosen markets and produce superb events with a great team.

What is your biggest strength when it comes to doing your job?
Understanding what my team are doing, the stresses that go with running a large Awards programme and still being close enough to our products to empathise, give advice when needed and being enthusiastic to push them to be better. Budgetary control and managing internal stakeholders are key to my role.

What is your biggest achievement?
Managing a great team who deliver superb events consistently in our chosen markets. Doing this for 20 years and still waking up in the morning and loving my job, making money and evolving our events! As a stand out event, Revolution Awards, 1500 people, Royal Albert Hall.

Ian McGarrigle, Chairman, World Retail Awards

How long have you been involved in Awards?
It is 26 years since I launched my first awards – the Retail Week Awards. Since then I added further awards to the Retail Week brand and then with the launch of the World Retail Congress in 2007, the World Retail Awards.

What is it about Awards that give you the passion to do your job?
My background is as a retail journalist and Editor and I believe strongly that Awards help promote excellence across retailing and also help strengthen the links between your magazine or conference and the industry. There is no better buzz than seeing great businesses gaining industry-wide recognition.

What is your biggest strength when it comes to doing your job?
A passion for the retail industry but hopefully also a deep knowledge and insight combined with high-level contacts that allows me to build the right mix of relevant categories, the panels of influential judges and the relationships with retailers to encourage entries. And a desire to keep innovating.

What is your biggest achievement?
Probably the Retail Week Awards because they became the most important brand extension for the magazine and across Ascential. But for personal satisfaction, our award for retail students at the World Retail Congress tops it all. To be told that it has helped so many careers is a fantastic feeling.

Emma Turner, Head of Events, Dennis Publishing

How long have you been involved in Awards?
Since 2007, so nearly 11 years now. I’ve run some really niche awards shows from those about cloud security for the technology industry, to the extremely glamorous PPA Awards – the Oscars of the magazine industry attended by 1000+ of the most influential people in media.

What is it about Awards that give you the passion to do your job?
Running awards shows allows you to be part of rewarding some of the most hardworking, and often unsung heroes, in their industries. Seeing people smiling, having fun and celebrating and being recognised for their success makes all the stress and long hours worth every second. It’s a fantastic job!

What is your biggest strength when it comes to doing your job?
Being swan like – seeming to be unflappable and completely serene on the surface, but with those legs going crazy under the water! So being able to stay calm no matter what is thrown at me on the day, and being able to solve whatever situation arises.

What is your biggest achievement?
The Octane Awards – achieving a +4000% increase. It was a huge success, the guests were happy, the sponsors loved it and we even had the singer Example turn up as a guest.

Athena

The classic art deco architecture combined with an extensive modern AV package, purpose-built stage and in-house catering offers clients a complete turn key package. Offering our clients exclusive venue hire allows greater flexibility and privacy, plus alleviating the time constraints for client setup and de rig times.

We are proud to be an independent venue, this allows us to cater to clients individual needs and for our team to make on the spot decisions for efficiency. Managed by a small professional operations team, this allows consistency throughout the planning and delivery of events.

We host numerous award ceremonies year on year, including the National Fitness Awards (900 guests), National Dentistry awards (550 guests), England Hockey (350 guests), British Gymnastics (400 guests) & NHBC (550 guests) We are proud to have a massive 95% customer retention rate for our award ceremony clients.

De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms

The glorious decor of the Grand Hall will make any awards ceremony a glamorous affair. The versatile space for up to 540 diners complements our incredibly talented event managers who assist their clients achieve a memorable experience when they have a desire to celebrate success.

The large uninterrupted event space will support the most creative event managers achieve a fantastic awards event. We promise to never limit creativity and promise to work closely with any creative team who work towards achieving the best event ever.

From the 1st menu tasting prior to committing to our venue. Followed by the journey of capturing all important details through the planning stages of the successful event and to the moment the last guest left the event we promised to have an expert by the side of our client.

HAC

THE HAC boasts a dedicated entrance to the awards space, level access loading for production companies on a privately owned estate with ample space for vehicle deliveries. A dedicated event manager is allocated to each event encouraging a key stakeholder attitude and personal commitment to encourage and support clients.

THE HAC recognises that marketing is an essential part of event delivery and offers a complimentary tailored marketing service to each and every client, including website news articles and social media coverage. Assisting to reach a wider audience, raise the profile of the event and add value to the contract.

Working with clients to deliver value for money within their budget, with medium and longer term plans allowing the ability for events to grow within THE HAC space. THE HAC offers full exclusivity on site cementing the secure nature of its location. Flexibility to deliver bespoke menus for events.

London Hilton on Park Lane

An icon of British hospitality, the five-star London Hilton on Park Lane exudes a sense of occasion; the hotel’s customers expect the best and the staff makes sure they’re not disappointed The service is impeccable, the decoration stunning and the commitment to the finer details, always a priority.

The desirable location in the heart of Mayfair plays a huge part, as does the impressive views spanning across Hyde Park and beyond The London Hilton on Park Lane has it all; from lavishly appointed event suites to a choice of elegant restaurants and bars including a Michelin starred restaurant.

Through excellent personalised execution of events and top quality customer service, London Hilton on Park Lane has built strong relationships with clients and continues to grow in their approach to build pioneering opportunities.

QEII Centre

QEII has several large, flexible event spaces offering a variety of options for awards ceremonies Features of the rooms include panoramic views of the London city skyline and glittering star cloth backdrops, with exceptional in-house catering, full service AV and theming, and expert staff to make every event a success.

QEII has an unrivalled central London location with sweeping views of the city and offers exceptional customer service.

On 8 September 2017 QEII hosted the Inspiration Awards for Women, hosted by Stacey Soloman and with guest of honour Dr Jane Goodall. QEII successfully welcomed hundreds of guests including many celebrities for the gala dinner and after party, and was praised by organisers for running a flawless event.

Tobacco Dock

Tobacco Dock has a wealth of versatile spaces with a strong tech infrastructure and incredible connectivity capabilities, ideal for live streaming. We have on-site AV and Data Communication teams as well as an award-winning catering team. Our spaces are characterful yet pared back to allow creative, branded production.

Our Grade 1 listed building adds a depth of character while providing state-of-the-art facilities. We’re extremely experienced in delivering this sort of event, having hosted 15 ceremonies over the last year alone. Our flexible layout allows for a variety of packages and different areas for various moments in the event

BASE awards – 4 years running. 1000 guests. Live streaming. Full connectivity. Drinks reception and three course dinner. Fully branded taxi rank to ferry guests to the “after-after party”. BASE love the location, the flexibility Tobacco Dock offers and the ease of creating new stage sets in the spaces.

Aesthetics Media – Aesthetics Awards

The Aesthetics Awards bring together the very best in medical aesthetics and leaders in the profession to celebrate the achievements of the past year in this fast growing industry. Awards are presented to those who have worked hard to represent the highest standards in clinical excellence, product innovation and practice achievement and have truly excelled in the field of aesthetic medicine, from clinics and individual practitioners to manufacturers and suppliers.

Attracting more than 800 guests, the Aesthetics Awards 2017 were held in London at the stunning Park Plaza Westminster Bridge Hotel. Winners were recognised in 26 categories and over 176 entrants were successful in reaching the final stages.

The Awards are seen as the ‘must attend’ awards event in the industry. We receive excellent feedback each year and are extremely proud to be the providers of what is by far the premier awards event in the specialism.

“The Aesthetics Awards is the only awards ceremony that we regularly enter because, to us, it means so much more than any other award body in Britain. It’s a peer reviewed process and it means so much that our peers are recognising us”. (2017 Winner)

Inside Housing/Ocean Media Group – Housing Heroes Awards

The Housing Heroes Awards give you the chance to recognise the hard work of housing professionals. Many of the awards celebrate the ‘unsung heroes’ of the housing world with categories for everything from frontline teams to campaigning tenants.

Attracting more than 750 of the sectors key leaders, the opening dinner and award for Housing serves to highlight the individuals and teams that are leading the way in housing. The awards are jointly organised by Inside Housing and the Chartered Institute of Housing

Macmillan Cancer Support – Macmillan Professionals Conference and Excellence Awards

The Macmillan Professionals Conference and Excellence Awards brings together Macmillan health and social care professionals who support people living with cancer. Professionals are the face of Macmillan and help us be there for people in their greatest time of need.

In 2017, 350 delegates and award guests came together to share and celebrate success. The conference programme included workshops, inspirational keynote speakers, and tailored networking opportunities. The awards ceremony was hosted by Kyran Bracken MBE, where 13 awards were presented. This followed a rigorous judging process in which nominees presented their entries in person.

A key goal is to raise the standard of cancer care, and by integrating the Conference and Awards we share best practice, inspiring professionals to continuously improve their vital services. Exhibition posters and dedicated sessions were delivered by finalists and past award winners at the Conference, and heartfelt ‘thank you’ videos of all finalists were featured at the Awards ceremony.

We are proud of the outstanding feedback we received, with a 97% positive response from delegates. As one noted:

“By attending the Conference, I again feel inspired and empowered, I recognise my importance and worth which in turn will only benefit the people I support.”

Procurement Leaders – World Procurement Awards

Developed from a small-scale ceremony, built onto the end of our London Forum due to a clear demand in the market (procurement teams were just seen as cost saving departments, and needed to prove the wider impact they were having on the business), the Procurement Leaders Awards (as they were previously known) attracted 50-100 people, rewarding procurement teams for delivering excellence within the function across just a few select categories.

Now, in its 12th year, and having undergone a powerful re-brand to align with the evolved Forum, now World Procurement Congress (WPC), the World Procurement Awards (WPA) attracts around 900-1000 people and is the most sought after and recognised accolade in procurement. The awards represent the most pioneering and innovative teams, individuals and companies across the world and are a vindication of the hard work, innovation and dedication of those at the forefront of this dynamic global profession.

The Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals – The Annual Excellence Awards

The CIPPs Annual Excellence Awards 2017 exceeded targets set, engaged with new nominees and attendees and was an upbeat, positive end to a two day conference.

For 2017 the event was targeted with:

– £28,000 profit. It achieved £60,000 profit, exceeding target by £32,000
– 10% increase in paying attendees. It achieved a 32% increase in paying attendees with 470 attendees in total
– Increasing number of nominations received compared with 2016. Achieved a 19% increase in nominations received
The Annual Excellence Awards were a success due to the best practice adopted in developing and outlining categories and criteria for the awards, the judging process and the marketing for the event. Not to mention, the fantastic event team who ensured that everything ran smoothly on the evening, contributing to 98% of attendees rating the event as excellent or good.

UKHospitality – Operations Managers Awards

The UKHospitality Operations Managers Awards recognise and reward the very best Operations Managers in the hospitality sector. They are so often the unsung heroes, with the company and the brand taking the plaudits, yet for the UKHospitality the role of Operations Managers is the vital link between the brand owner or franchise / lease company and successful Operations Managers are simply the difference between success and failure for some businesses. They drive unit managers and business owners forward through encouragement, passion and knowledge. All of those who work in this rewarding and challenging environment deserve the recognition these Awards bring to this role and to the sector as a whole.

CIM Travel Group – The Travel Marketing Awards

The Travel Marketing Awards in 2017 had the aim of recognising and acknowledging the force that successful marketing has become to enhance business performance and drive growth in the travel industry.

The sell-out Awards Ceremony provided a unique, contemporary event experience that marked the fruition of a nine year journey that has seen constant, positive progression.

We are proud that such a niche event was able to take place at such a prestigious setting as The Grosvenor House on London’s Park Lane, and of the notable improvements in travel marketing excellence that the Awards has recognised since its inception in 2009.

The 2017 Awards was widely regarded as being the best to-date – with excellent feedback from attendees and sponsors – while delivering exceptional YoY improvements across the board, including:

– 62% more entries
– 20% more attendees*
– 25% increase in sponsorship revenue
– 27% increase in revenue
– 108% increase in event profit
*The sell-out event proved so successful that we were unable to honour the wishes of all those who hoped to attend – meaning we have had no choice but to move to a larger venue for the 2018 event

Fork Lift Truck Association – Annual Awards for Excellence

The Fork Lift Truck Association Annual Awards for Excellence is Europe’s longest-standing event of its kind.

A firm fixture on the materials handling calendar, this black-tie Oscars-style event is attended by 400+ of the industry’s leading figures from around the globe.

The Awards is now in its 24th year and, while it continues to grow, it remains true to its initial aim: to recognise and reward excellence – raising standards within the fork lift truck industry – as a means of inspiring others to do the same.

Just 11 Awards are given each year. These celebrate outstanding products, services, teams and individuals. Winners are presented with an Archie statuette, which is modelled on Archimedes, the father of engineering.

The Fork Lift Truck Association (FLTA) is Europe’s largest representative body for dealers, suppliers and manufacturers of lift trucks and associated equipment. Since 1972, the FLTA has been improving standards and safety in the materials handling industry, with initiatives including National Fork Lift Safety Week, the FLTA Awards for Excellence, and a national apprenticeship. A Safe User Group also encourages safety among Members’ customers.

Recruitment & Employment Confederation – IRP Awards

Created in 2009, the IRP Awards are the only industry awards recognised by the REC. They were designed to form part of the membership offering to celebrate the excellent work in our £35.1 billion industry. Since then the event has grown exponentially – originally we had 150 guests attending the event, and for the past three years we have had more than 500, and have sold out 2015, 2016 and 2017. 2017 was our biggest year yet and a huge success for the organisation. In addition, the 2017 IRP Awards were the last with current chief executive Kevin Green at the helm, so we wanted it to be a memorable event for him.

The Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals – The Annual Excellence Awards

The CIPPs Annual Excellence Awards 2017 exceeded targets set, engaged with new nominees and attendees and was an upbeat, positive end to a two day conference.
For 2017 the event was targeted with:
– £28,000 profit. It achieved £60,000 profit, exceeding target by £32,000
– 10% increase in paying attendees. It achieved a 32% increase in paying attendees with 470 attendees in total
– Increasing number of nominations received compared with 2016. Achieved a 19% increase in nominations received
– The Annual Excellence Awards were a success due to the best practice adopted in developing and outlining categories and criteria for the awards, the judging process and the marketing for the event. Not to mention, the fantastic event team who ensured that everything ran smoothly on the evening, contributing to 98% of attendees rating the event as excellent or good.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents – RoSPA Health and Safety Awards

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) is a charity that has been at the heart of accident prevention for more than 100 years and is privileged to have the Patronage of Her Majesty The Queen. Our mission is to facilitate the exchange of life-enhancing skills and knowledge to reduce serious accidental injuries.

Having evolved since its origin in 1956, the RoSPA Health and Safety Awards are widely regarded as the leading means of celebrating and recognising excellence in health and safety management.

With almost 2,000 entries across 25 countries, RoSPA Health and Safety Award entrants protect circa 4.2 million employees across all industry sectors. Combined, the four annual ceremonies host more than 2,500 guests at the evening gala dinners and almost 4,000 at the daytime ceremonies.

Data from the entries feeds into RoSPA occupational health and safety policy work and a community of RoSPA Award winners has been established to share best practice.

Constantly battling against the “elf and safety” culture, RoSPA Awards are seen as the “ones to win”, adding fun and glamour to the industry.

Aesthetics Media – Aesthetics Awards

The Aesthetics Awards bring together the very best in medical aesthetics and leaders in the profession to celebrate the achievements of the past year in this fast growing industry. Awards are presented to those who have worked hard to represent the highest standards in clinical excellence, product innovation and practice achievement and have truly excelled in the field of aesthetic medicine, from clinics and individual practitioners to manufacturers and suppliers.

Attracting more than 800 guests, the Aesthetics Awards 2017 were held in London at the stunning Park Plaza Westminster Bridge Hotel. Winners were recognised in 26 categories and over 176 entrants were successful in reaching the final stages.

The Awards are seen as the ‘must attend’ awards event in the industry. We receive excellent feedback each year and are extremely proud to be the providers of what is by far the premier awards event in the specialism.

“The Aesthetics Awards is the only awards ceremony that we regularly enter because, to us, it means so much more than any other award body in Britain. It’s a peer reviewed process and it means so much that our peers are recognising us”. (2017 Winner)

Banking Technology – Banking Technology Awards

Now in their 18th year, Banking Technology Awards recognise excellence and innovation in the use of IT in financial services worldwide, and the people who make it happen.

A long-standing event, it needed a refresh. This year, we have completely revamped and re-launched the Awards, including the awards categories, logo/branding, website, venue, social media and marketing materials.

Our efforts and the outcome have been welcomed by the global fintech community and actually have surpassed our expectations: the entries to take part in our awards more than doubled compared to 2016 and the number of guests attending the ceremony also doubled. We even have a waiting list of people wishing to attend!

Although Banking Technology Awards have been around since the late 1990s, we are by no means a dinosaur. We keep up with the times and reinvent ourselves – and always on the lookout for new and exciting opportunities!

Emap – The Ground Engineering Awards

The 2017 GE Awards, in its ninth year, wanted to take the next step in its development to go from an important date in the diary, to an essential to attend event. The key aspect identified, which was restricting this potential step change, was the fact the event was still a lunchtime event. So after close industry engagement, we launched as evening event and through new categories, targeted marketing and a focus on key industry companies, we delivered exceptional growth YOY and helped established ourselves as an unmissable date in the diary.

Haymarket Media Group – C&IT Awards 2017

The C&IT Awards celebrate the B2B events industry. Running an industry event for professional event planners is no mean feat.

The 2017 Awards were the sixth year for this annual event. The Awards have gone from strength to strength and last year’s event set new standards in more ways than one. A bolstered creative marketing strategy, a new in-house telemarketing team, the first ever headline sponsor, over 20 commercial sponsors, three venue partners and record breaking attendee levels all helped deliver an amazing Awards programme and a hugely impressive increase in y-o-y contribution.

The success of the 2017 event was the result of a truly collaborative approach from all teams involved; a competitive and ambitious commercial team delivered a record breaking contribution, the new telemarketing helped increase table sales to a new level, a talented editorial team supported the event every step of the way and the events team built key relationships with various venues and executed a logistically difficult project to perfection.

As a result of everyone’s hard work the team saw a whopping 98% increase from 2016, which is testament to all involved.

Inside Housing/Ocean Media Group – UK Housing Awards

The UK Housing Awards is one of the biggest and prestigious awards in the housing sector giving housing associations and local authorities a chance to showcase the outstanding work they are doing in the past year. The annual award run by the leading housing magazine Inside Housing and partnered with Chartered Institute of Housing highlights each year the excellence that organisations are delivering to their customers and communities. In the 23 years that the awards have run, we have showcased thousands of projects and initiatives on everything from tackling homelessness to regenerating communities.

IR Magazine – IR Magazine Awards – Europe 2017

IR Magazine is the leading publication in the investor relations community, and our awards have been the definitive hallmark of IR excellence and best practice for over 20 years. The IR Magazine Awards – Europe recognise and celebrate the success of those individuals and companies within the IR community that are leading the way across the region. Our awards have traditionally differentiated from others, in that the winners are identified by in-depth research and any publicly traded company is eligible to be considered. For the first time in 2017, we introduced self-nomination categories which proved to be highly successful, resulting in increased attendee numbers and increased event profits.

Whitmar Publications – The 2017 FlexoTech International Print & Innovations Awards

• The FlexoTech International Print & Innovations Awards were established in 1999 to celebrate the high quality of printing that was being achieved by flexographic printers. The awards were created as an extension of FlexoTech magazine, which was founded in 1994, and is dedicated to the flexographic printing sector, educating and informing its readers about advancements in the printing process.
• For 19 years, the awards have celebrated the achievements of flexographic printers from across the world, as well as industry suppliers, who are awarded for inventions that have enhanced the flexographic printing process.
• The FlexoTech Awards 2017, hosted by ex-footballer John Barnes MBE, was a record year with 470 attendees and 24 sponsors, split between Bronze, Silver and Gold. The event recognised achievements in the industry, provided excellent networking opportunities and great exposure for sponsors, nominees and winners.
• Additional features of the FlexoTech Awards 2017 were the champagne drinks reception on arrival and the sports bar, which provided entertainment after the ceremony. There were traditional features such as saying Grace, having a loyal toast and a toastmaster. FlexoTech and sponsor, Hamillroad Software, also organised a charity raffle for the event and raised £1,357 plus gift aid for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices.