The winners were as follows:
- Best Event by an Association Events Team: RenewableUK
- Best Event by an Agency PCO: TFI Lodestar
- Best Event by an In-House PCO: RenewableUK
- Best EDI at a Conference: Commended – Salvesen Mindroom and EICC
- Industry Supplier of the Year: Whitespace XPO
- Legacy and Impact: Visit Belfast
- The Partnership Award: BritSpine Back Health Day by Mosaic Events, UK Spine Societies Board, Versus Arthritis, and Glasgow Convention Bureau.
- The Rising Star Award: Malwina Soltys, Alzheimer’s Research
- The Guiding Star Award: Elaine Miller, EICC
- The Sustainability Award: British Society for Rheumatology
- Barbara Calderwood, MCI Group, was recognized for her Outstanding Contribution to the Industry.
Emma Duffy, ABPCO co-chair, commented on the event, saying, “As the year comes to a close, it was incredible to see so much talent and creativity gathered together in one place to celebrate a fantastic 2023 for the association event industry. Each year these awards grow, not just in size but also quality of entries. 2023 was no exception, creating a real challenge for the judges, who saw a wide variety of solutions that demonstrated not just excellence but innovation, professional delivery, and collaborative working.”
During the event, attendees enjoyed a city tour, venue tour, networking opportunities showcasing the flavors of Aberdeen, and an educational session exploring the integration of AI into future event organizing. A special guest, Felipe Meneguzzi, Professor and Chair of Computing Science at the University of Aberdeen, and Executive Councillor at the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI), joined the panel discussion, which also featured Samantha Shamkh from ExCeL London, Adam Parry from Event Tech Live, and Adam Baggs from Soaring Worldwide. Welcome drinks were also organized for first-time attendees.
Furthermore, the event raised £1,140 on behalf of the industry charity, Meeting Needs.
The 2023 ABPCO Excellence Awards were hosted by P&J Live in collaboration with Visit Aberdeenshire to showcase the venue and the destination. Other partners included ACC Liverpool, Abstract Events, Cvent, ExCeL London, Full Circle Events and Exhibitions Ltd, Harrogate Convention Centre, ICC Birmingham, James Hallam, Lime Venue Portfolio, Manchester Central, Memcom, Northstar Meetings Group, Nottingham Venues, Sage ICC, Soaring Worldwide, Telford International Centre, Visit Belfast, and Whitespace XPO.
Sarah Byrne, ABPCO co-chair, concluded by saying, “This event could not have succeeded without the support of our sponsors and partners, in particular P&J Live, who welcomed us to their incredible venue and city. Well done to the winners and thank you to all those who put themselves forward. Being judged by your peers is no easy thing, but it is a testament to the ABPCO community that so many are willing to share their successes, best practices, and knowledge, allowing the industry to learn and grow together.”
Looking ahead, the 2024 ABPCO Excellence Awards will take place on December 13th in Blackpool, and on April 29th and 30th, 2024, ABPCO will host its annual Festival of Learning at SEC Glasgow.
Tags: Emma Duffy, ABPCO, Sarah Byrne, ABPCO Excellence Awards, Association
