ANALYSIS Eventia UK Awards puts on the glitz

If one business stood out at this year’s Eventia UK Awards, held last week at The Troxy in East London, it was Smyle, which walked away with the best of the best Platinum Award along with a host of others.

The event celebrates excellence in the UK events industry, and forms part of a double act with the association’s International Awards, which will take place early in the New Year. The décor was designed sumptuously in the style of a 1920/30s Oscars ceremony, totally in sync with the lovingly restored Art Deco interior of The Troxy, the first cinema in the UK to show the original King Kong movie.

Gold service
Smyle’s domination of the evening started with Gold for Best Hospitality Event or Package for the Official Players Marquee for Guards Polo Club, continued with Supplier of the Year: Technical Gold and then Best Production Agency, culminating in the prestigious Platinum Award

“This has been a full-on year for Smyle with incredible hard work from all our team,” said Smyle events director Rick Stainton. “It’s great for them to be recognised by the events industry. In setting excellence as our standard approach across multiple event design, production and film services, we look forward to building on this year’s success and providing more of the same to our corporate, charity, private and public sector clients into 2009 – we are totally buzzing!”

A rundown
Other key Gold Awards included Best Product Launch for Lunch Communications’ work with retailer Uniglo, Public Event of the Year for Jack Morton Worldwide’s Vauxhall Corsa promotion Corsa presents Bandstand, Best Conference for DRP Group’s Sainsbury’s Managers Conferences, Best Event Celebrating Corporate Social Responsibility for Excel London and the UK Organising Committee’s production of this year’s European Meetings and Events Conference for Meetings Professionals International, and Event Team of the Year for Corporate Innovations. (See below for a full list of winners.)

Commenting on his team’s accomplishment, Corporate Innovations managing director David Watt said: “We are all thrilled that we have won this particular accolade at the most important and prestigious awards evening in our industry. To come out on top when there were eight other companies nominated, as well as two silver and two bronze prizes awarded, illustrates how much progress we are continuing to make as a business – and a team.

“I have always believed that we have one of the strongest teams in our business, but for that to be publicly recognised and celebrated like this is a sizeable pat on the back for everyone that works at Corporate Innovations.”

This year's Special Achievement Award went to Paul Grecian, director of Gallowglass. Grecian has played a key role in building Gallowglass into a world class events support agency, investing heavily in developing stringent health and safety practices which have benefited the entire industry.

What a performance
The production of this year’s Eventia UK Awards was certainly Oscar standard, with a big helping of glitz and glamour, which was given a boost by the association’s executive director Izania Downie’s stunning red basque-style outfit with black fur stole.

The event was lit up by wonderful table decorations resembling the tail feathers of a tiller girl, while food and service were excellent – for details of the sponsors who played a key role in the production visit www.eventia.org.uk and click on Eventia UK Awards.

Compare Stephen K Amos was the icing on the cake, giving the night a contemporary feel with his cutting-edge observations and relaxed awards presenting.

“I think this is certainly one of our best productions,” said Downie, “and it’s good to drag the industry out of its comfort zone in the West End. Highlighting the excellence in the events industry is more important than ever in the current economic climate.”

Look out for our video review of the Eventia UK Awards, coming soon…


EVENTIA UK AWARDS 2008

Platinum Award
Smyle

Outstanding Achievement
Paul Grecian, Gallowglass

Best Product Launch
Lunch Communications for UNIGLO

Best celebratory event
Opus – Christening Celebration of the MSC Poesia MSC

Public Event of the Year
Jack Morton Worldwide – Corsa presents Bandstand steered by Sunday Best for Vauxhall

Best conference
DRP Group – Sainsbury's Managers Conference

Best new event
Out There Events – The Northwest Football Awards 2007

Best hospitality event or package
Smyle – Official Players Marquee for Guards Polo Club

Best incentive/motivation event
THA Group – TNT Rocks for TNT Express

Best Promotional Campaign
Adfield Harvey – MACH 2008 for The Manufacturing Technologies Association

Most creative use of a small budget
Cornwall Enterprise – Cornwall Business Awards 2008

Best event celebrating corporate social responsibility
Excel London and the UK Organising Committee – European Meetings and Events Conference

Most effective delivery of return on investment
Event Marketing Solutions – RM Roadshow “ICT Just got personal” for RM

Best event venue (under 500)
Delfina – The Conservatory at Chelsea

Best event venue (more than 500)
Excel London

Supplier of the year: creative
Full Circle

Supplier of the year: technical
Smyle

Supplier of the year: logistics
Gallowglass

Catering firm of the year
Zafferano

Team building firm of the year
Maximillion Events

Production agency of the year
Smyle

Event team of the year
Corporate Innovations