Hire Space celebrated its third annual awards on the 17th October, where 15 winners celebrated in the splendour of the National Gallery alongside 270 fellow industry professionals.
Hosted this year by comedian Robin Morgan, whose credits include BBC Radio 4's The News Quiz and BBC 2’s the Mash Report, the Hire Space Awards celebrate the very best venues and event professionals from across the events industry.
The evening started in the venue’s National Dining Rooms, where guests enjoyed cocktails and bubbly as they were serenaded by The Wandering Faces, courtesy of Nathan Hassall Music.
Excitement in the room was palpable, with venues including BMA House and House of St Barnabas hoping to become the first venues to retain a Hire Space award. The queues lined up outside Say Fromage’s photobooth.
Refreshed, guests then moved into the stunning Wohl Room, the gallery’s largest events space, containing Venetian Old Master paintings from Veronese to Titian.
In the background Mandy Meadows, also represented by Nathan Hassall Music, sang songs from her acclaimed cabaret celebrating the life and times of Edith Piaf. A wonderful opening to proceedings, with production including set, staging, audio, projection and lighting provided by Delta Live.
And a word, at this stage, for the stylish furniture on display from Yahire.
Peyton Events then wowed guests with a memorable 3-course dinner, serving a Puglian Burrata, roasted squash and black olive crumb for starter and slow cooked beef, whipped potato, smoked lardons and baby onions for the main. For the vegetarians, salt baked celeriac with poached duck egg, roasted shallot and Hen of the Woods. And for dessert - Peyton and Byrne treacle tart and Cornish clotted cream, with Mozzo coffee and tea to follow.
It was a sumptuous feast, and a fitting pre-curser to the main event. The awards kicked off after teas and coffees, and judges including Virginia Figuero, Events Lead at Bupa and Lauren Wakefield, Head of Events at PA Consulting Group, were delighted to have determined the following winners.
FORWARD THINKING VENUES
🎺 Best All-Round Use of Technology - Cineworld at the O2
🎺 Best Newcomer - Events @ No. 6
🎺 Greenest Venue - BMA House
🎺 Venue In The Community - The House of St Barnabas
🎺 Best Unique Venue - Cutty Sark
🎺 Venue Team Of The Year - Carousel
🎺 Unsung Hero 2019 - Camilla Criswell, Wedding and Events Sales Executive, Dartmouth House
MODERN VENUE MARKETING
🎺 Best Online Marketing - One Park Crescent
🎺 Best Venue Portfolio Marketing - The Office Group
MOST POPULAR
🎺 Best Experiential Venue - Swingers - The Crazy Golf Club
🎺 Best Wedding Venue - RSA House
🎺 Best Private Dining Venue - The National Gallery
🎺 Best Conference Venue - BMA House
SUPERSTAR EVENT ORGANISERS
🎺 Events Team Of The Year - London Business Forum
🎺 Outstanding Event Contribution - Sian Breimann - Event Team Manager, Newable
A big thank you too to registration provider Eventsforce and events sponsor the EMA. And also to filming and photography partner London Filmed, who provided all of the images used in this write-up.
A final thank you goes to LIBRARY for hosting us whilst we danced the night away at the after party.
Read more about the Hire Space Awards at EventLAB.Online. And see you next year.
