If Eventia’s first awards ceremony since the merger of the CEA and ITMA is anything to go by, then the events industry association is certainly setting the standard for others to follow. Held at the stunning Hurlingham Club in Putney, London, the atmosphere at the Eventia Corporate Event Awards brimmed with anticipation and joviality right from the start, helped by an excellent choice of pre awards ceremony entertainment. Although the food was a little disappointing – fois gras not the most politically correct of choices – the service was excellent, while TV presenter Kate Humble made an astute and engaging compere.

Conceived to honour creativity, logistical excellence and best practice within the industry that produces events for business, the Awards brought together a host of venues, caterers, production companies and event management agencies, to spotlight those organisations that had produced the most outstanding events and service in the UK during the last year.  

The ultimate accolade – the Gold Award – was presented to Knebworth House, a venue where some of the UK’s biggest festivals are held. In July 2006, Knebworth hosted Hedgestock, a three-day conference and networking event for the hedge-fund community, which attracted 5,000 attendees. The venue also won the Best Use of a Venue’s Facilities category.

In addition to the Gold, there were 17 awards categories, including Conference or Expo, Product Launch, Awards Ceremony, Public Event, New Event, Party, Incentive or Motivational Event and Sporting Hospitality Offer – and you will find a comprehensive rundown of all the winners following this report. Key event elements were also singled out for awards, such as Best Promotional Campaign, Use of a Venue’s Facilities, Venue and Use of a Small Budget.

Among the stars of the night were agency Sprout, which scooped Product Launch of the Year for its work on the Land Rover Freelander Global Press Launch, as well as Party of the Year for Wonderland – a unique summer event for a leading management consultancy client. Sprout was also named Production Agency of the Year.

Crewing company Gallowglass was voted Supplier of the Year for the second year – having collected the trophy at the 2005 CEA Awards – the Eventia CE Awards former incarnation. Similarly, agency MMM’s Jaguar events team returned for a second year to collect the Event Team of the Year prize. But the crowning triumph went to agency Bluehat for spectacularly winning Team Building Firm of the Year for the third year in succession.

“The quality of the work that was submitted to this year’s Awards has been excellent and is proof positive that the UK events industry is truly hitting its stride,” said Eventia executive director Izania Downie. “Live events are finally receiving their fair share of marketing spend – and even overtaking the more traditional forms of marketing.”

The night was indeed a great success, but EVENTS:review would like to see a little more focus on what the winners achieved for their clients next year, pushing the role of live marketing and events as a key part of the marketing mix.

Here’s a summary of all the winners:

EVENTIA CE AWARDS
The Hurlingham Club, 30 November 2006

GOLD AWARD
sponsored by Eventia and Event

Winner
Knebworth House


BEST PROMOTIONAL CAMPAIGN
Sponsored by Event Assured

Winner
Journey to Germany
Zinc Management for Accident Exchange

Highly Commended
The Customer Experience Cruise
CragRats

Finalist
World Cup 2006
Central Telecom


BEST USE OF A VENUE'S FACILITIES
Sponsored by H2 Business Communication

Winner
Knebworth House

Highly Commended
Building Champions
Zinc Management for Accident Exchange

Finalist
BMW Dealer Principal Conference
BI

Finalist
Unilever Three Day conference 13-18 May
Alton Towers

Finalist
World Event Management


BEST EVENT VENUE
Sponsored by Square Meal

Winner
Fortesqueue's 'The Room by the River’

Finalist
Blenheim Palace

Finalist
ExCel London

Finalist
Earls Court


BEST HOSPITALITY OFFER – SPORT
Sponsored by Searcy's

Winner
Volvo Ocean Race Experience

Highly Commended
Royal Ascot

Finalist
MICE Sportcel Launch at Twickenham


PRODUCTION AGENCY OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Gallowglass

Winner
Sprout

Highly Commended
DNA Productions

Finalist
drp group

Finalist
Jack Morton Worldwide


CATERING FIRM OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Confex Group

Winner
Global Infusion Group

Finalist
Dish

Finalist
Sodexho Prestige


TEAM BUILDING FIRM OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by First Image

Winner
Bluehat UK

Finalist
Catalyst

Finalist
Crescendo Event Communication for Carphone Warehouse

Finalist
drp group


EVENT TEAM OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Blitz

Winner
MMM for Jaguar Cars

Highly Commended
TRO

Finalist
Eventa Management


BEST CONFERENCE
Sponsored by JLA

Winner
Punch Taverns – Magical Mystery Tour
Rodber Thorneycroft

Highly Commended
Deloitte TI – TV
Sprout

Finalist
Wealth & International Banking Share Fair 2006
Conference Connections for LloydsTSB

Finalist
Luminar Leisure Managers Conference
drp group

Finalist
Reckitt Benckiser Sales and Marketing Conference
drp group


PRODUCT LAUNCH OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Stage Electrics

Winner
Land Rover Freelander Global Press Launch
Sprout

Finalist
Jaguar XK Launch
Mansfields

AWARDS CEREMONY OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Hurlingham Club

Winner
Sainsbury's Retail Awards
drp group

Highly Commended
The 35th Annual NatWest PCA Awards
Professional Cricketers' Association

Finalist
HSBC.....It's Time for Transformation
HSBC Bank International


PARTY OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Sternberg Clarke

Winner
Wonderland
Sprout

Highly Commended
H2O: The British Red Cross London Ball 2005
DNA Productions

Finalist
BDO Stoy Hayward 'Summer Circus'
Fortesqueue's

Finalist
Chinawhite At The Cartier Internatinal Polo
Hype


BEST INCENTIVE/MOTIVATIONAL EVENT
Sponsored by Young Guns

Winner
Stars in Our Eyes
Conference Connections for Lloyds TSB

Finalist
O2 Celebrate the Experience
Archer Young for O2 UK

Finalist
Hells Bells
Bluehat UK for Financial Institution

Finalist
The Big Weekend
The MotivAction Group for Qinetiq


BEST USE OF SMALL BUDGET

Winner
World Event Management

Highly Commended
Nurturing Your Strengths
HSBC Bank International

Finalist
Talk Talk – School Sports Day
Crescendo Event Communication


PUBLIC EVENT OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by The Amazing Tent Company

Winner
Activ8
Big Cat Group for Greater London Authority

Highly Commended
Players’ Marquee at Cartier International Polo
Smyle

Finalist
Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting XXIX 2006 (Edinburgh)
Speakeasy Productions for Foreign and Commonwealth Office


BEST NEW EVENT
Sponsored by Kew Workshop

Winner
Street Safe Live
Twist and Shout for Transport for London

Finalist
Puppet Productions
Bluehat UK for Impact Plus

Finalist
Stars in Our Eyes
Conference Connections for Lloyds TSB

SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by EFX

Winner
Gallowglass

Highly Commended
GL event Owen Brown

Finalist
Saville Audio Visual

Finalist
De Boer Structures