Corporate Events come in many guises from VIP dinners and product launches; brand activations & company off-sites to family fun-days and Symposia & Summits. If your event was ambitions in scope and delivered on its objectives then this is the category for you.
Agency & Corporate Events
Experiential Agency of the Year
This award is given to the agency that has delivered authentic, wow-factor event experiences on a single event or series of events.
Best Event Agency (over 40 employees)
Apple Print (AP&C)
2023 marked a period of explosive growth and unexpected success. Our portfolio doubled to 165 events, including a six-country European roadshow. By September, our team grew again and welcomed seven new corporate clients into our fold—a testament to our expanding reputation and capabilities.
Our crowning achievement was the OTZL series, culminating in a flagship event at London’s historic One Marylebone. This roadshow spanned six cities—Düsseldorf, Paris, Milan, Madrid, Stockholm, and Amsterdam—before its grand finale welcomed 300 people through the doors in November.
At AP&C, our differentiation lies in our holistic approach. Our involvement spans the entire event lifecycle—from concept and design to execution and follow-up. This integrated model allows us to craft bespoke experiences that resonate with attendees and deliver measurable results for our clients.
Our journey from a supplementary service to a leading events division exemplifies AP&C’s adaptability, creativity, and commitment to excellence. As we continue to innovate and grow, our focus remains on delivering exceptional experiences that connect, engage, and inspire. This award would not just honor our past achievements but fuel our passion for redefining the future of event management.
Bray Leino Events
2023 was a bumper year for Bray Leino Events. Our average client tenure hit 13 years, and we added some amazing new ones to the roster, including Goldman Sachs, Worldpay, and BNP Paribas. We delivered more than 200 events, across 18 countries, and engaged close to 300,000 delegates. And we did our bit for our chosen charity, Help Bristol’s Homeless, by doing what we do best, events.
CTL Communications
CTL is a global full-service event, creative and communication agency working across the healthcare, pharmaceutical and consumer goods industries. With teams in the UK, US, Australia, Spain, Portugal and South Africa, we deliver award-winning live, digital and hybrid events for our clients helping them to connect with their audiences across the globe.
From conception to execution, we tell memorable stories through our event management and production, with an award-winning portfolio that includes conferences, launch activations, experiential, galas and award ceremonies, booth design, team building events and much more.
Prioritising innovation and ideation, we utilise the size and diversity of our team to maintain a constant stream of fresh ideas. Additionally, the close relationship between our events team, communications team and our 50-strong in-house studio mean we routinely deliver in-person, digital and hybrid events that push creative and technical boundaries. Blending strategic messaging with creative know-how, we empower participants to digest content and inspire them to immerse themselves into the event universes we create. All dedicated to keeping our agency at the forefront of event management, both now and in the future.
DRPG
For over four decades, DRPG has been a pioneering force in the events industry, backed by a 370-member team, including 250 event professionals. Our unique full-service in-house approach has fuelled award-winning events and experiences, offering end-to-end solutions for B2B and B2C audiences.
In 2023 alone, our commitment to creativity and operational excellence resulted in delivering 750 projects, and we were recognised with 48 prestigious awards, including Agency of the Year and Digital Event Agency, DRPG’s innovation and precision stand as industry benchmarks.
Our transformative policies extend beyond business, with a focus on sustainability and social responsibility. Initiatives like our BOSS sustainability app, aligning with UN Sustainable Goals, exemplify our dedication. DRPG holds the Queen’s Award for Sustainable Development, B Corp status, and IIP Platinum status, showcasing our commitment to environmental standards.
Our team’s dedication, passion, and expertise are a testament to DRPG’s core ethos—making anything possible.
emc3
We (emc3) are a global events agency that delivers exceptional experiences to make every moment count at our clients’ events. Our mission is “to produce game-changing experiences powered by strategy, content and creativity, underpinned by our commitment to a sustainable future for events” through the power of strategic experience design.
Our team is made up of a collective of highly-skilled producers, storytellers, marketers, designers and strategists that are dedicated to crafting game-changing experiences that push the boundaries of what’s possible, creating meaningful and impactful moments that leave a lasting impression on all those who attend.
We believe in developing our team and valuing diversity, inclusivity, and equal opportunities for all. With company culture at the centre of everything we do, our leadership team is committed to maintaining a healthy work environment that fosters creativity and innovation.
Sustainability and reducing the impact that events have on the environment is not only a passion but a priority for us, as we work collectively to build a better future for our planet, while educating and inspiring the wider community to do the same!
Opus Agency
Opus Agency partners with world-shaping brands to catalyze movements through shared experiences. Crafted through our end-to-end capabilities and propelled from the epicenter of events, content, and community, these experiences are renowned for accelerating momentum—and success—for everyone involved. Category creators and global brands, including Google, Microsoft, Salesforce, and many more, trust us to scale excellence across focused strategy, fearless creativity, emerging technology, and agile delivery. Altogether, from hubs throughout the United States, in the heart of London, and around the world, you’ll find our teams forming and fueling the future of brand movements.
Opus Agency is fueled and defined by curiosity, seeking to build a better world for our clients and our employees. Through our 300+ team members, we are building next-generation leaders and celebrating our emerging trailblazers. These are only some of the reasons that we have a near-perfect retention rate among key clients and why we experienced 155% YoY revenue growth in our EMEA market in 2023.
Wonderly
We are Wonderly, a progressive agency inspiring and engaging audiences through remarkable content, thriving live events and innovative tech solutions. We deliver services across all formats – with a large event division providing full and partial PCO services to organisations of all sizes, including a specialised large-scale event service for professional bodies and medical associations.
We currently deliver live events for the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) and Skoda. We have recently achieved the ISO 20121 accreditation for our sustainable event management processes. In the last nine months, we have brought all of Haymarket’s membership clients under the Wonderly umbrella, bringing together core skills, expertise and experience as an agile agency with scale.
Our ethos is to continually drive creativity and innovation to help our clients connect with their audiences effectively and authentically. This approach was encapsulated by our recent work with CIPD and RCGP, for whom we run their large-scale annual conferences and exhibitions. The 2023 events have exceeded expectations in every way – generating record revenues for the clients themselves, along with the highest attendance and positive attendee experience ever.
Best Event Agency (up to 40 employees)
Bearded Kitten
What has our 2023 looked like? It’s 37 employees (and an ongoing search for nine newbies), 100% of our accounts retained, 11 new client wins, a grand opening of Bearded Kitten Studios (our white-label production company) in our 16,000 sq-foot fabrication facility AND launching Bearded Kitten Europe with our first ever office in Lisbon. Boom.
New business wins have seen us expand in key areas including Entertainment, Conference & Expos and Gaming with clients including Disney, Warner Brothers, Pokémon, LEGO & Mailchimp Intuit – not to mention large, organic growth within existing clients including Unilever & Google Deepmind. We moved into our fourth consecutive year with Pernod Ricard on retainer – and we’ve officially been going steady with Google Deepmind for SIX YEARS!
We’re female first, run monthly Team Together Thursdays, have asked all employees to make a BK Pledge to improve the company, actively hire from within our local Tower Hamlets community for entry-level roles, use 0.01% of every project budget to make us more sustainable… the list goes on, and we don’t have the word count.
BeSure Events
BeSure Events stands out as a beacon of innovation and excellence in the event management industry. Born amidst the challenges of Covid-19, we’ve risen to the occasion with unparalleled determination and creativity. Since our inception in August 2020, we’ve been on an upward trajectory, driven by our founders’ collective experience of over three decades in creating magical moments.
What sets us apart is our commitment to understanding and exceeding our clients’ expectations. With a diverse portfolio encompassing conferences, corporate events, incentive programs, awards dinners, and more, we offer tailored solutions that leave a lasting impact. Our collaborative approach ensures that each event is meticulously planned and executed, reflecting our clients’ unique vision and objectives.
At BeSure Events, we go above and beyond to nurture long-term partnerships with our clients. From initial consultation to post-event evaluation, we prioritise open communication, personalized service, and attention to detail.
Our proven track record spans successful events worldwide, from international conferences in Athens to high-end incentive trips in Abu Dhabi and exclusive London summer parties. Yet, what truly sets us apart is our passion for the “BeSure fairy dust” – those intricate details that make each event unforgettable.
Corporate Events
CE isn’t just your average event agency. With over 28 years of experience, we’ve become masters at delivering extraordinary events for some of the UK’s biggest brands. Our secret sauce? It’s our incredible team – talented, passionate individuals who stop at nothing to exceed our clients’ expectations. With a culture that’s second to none, reflected in our sky-high staff engagement and almost non-existent turnover, we’re in a league of our own! Plus, we’ve forged long-lasting partnerships with many of our clients, diving deep into their brands and objectives to create unforgettable experiences. And let’s not forget our commitment to sustainability – we’ve slashed our emissions by a whopping 69% since 2019! We’re not just another agency – we’re a one-of-a-kind crew, and our awesome team sets us apart from the rest.
Neon Agency
We are one of the world’s leading independently owned Brand Experience Agencies. From our HQ in Dublin and creative space in London, we work with brands across the globe, delivering everything from 360 degree experiential brand campaigns, international conferences, employee events, sponsorship activations and much, much more.
With over 25 years of industry expertise, we have evolved into a full-service agency, strategically organised into Client Services, Creative Experience, Production & Operations, and Finance departments. Our growth from a team of six in 2020 to over 20 in 2023 reflects our commitment to excellence.
Our dedication to creative storytelling, human engagement, and innovative strategies has allowed us to thrive in both B2B and B2C events, garnering recognition and shortlisting in prestigious industry awards.
We have executed notable projects such as:
- EY Summer PartEY – June – July 2022
- Pinterest Knit Con – June 2022
- Sustainability Summit (SX21) – September 2021
- eBay Summer Fest- August 2022
- Magners Secret Cider Garden – June – September 2023 – August 2023
- Movember – October 2023
Looking ahead, Neon Agency’s focus remains on sustainable growth, talent acquisition, and delivering exceptional outcomes for our clients over the next 3-5 years.
Noble Events
Noble Events was founded in 2008 in the UK and opened in Dubai in 2015 in response to increasing client demand in the region. We specialise in media/product launches, conferences, incentive travel, high end customer events, global retailer training and employee engagement events across various sectors including automotive, luxury and financial services. We enjoy an incredibly high client retention rate and long-lasting client relationships with 100% of UK clients coming to us again and our work with some of the world’s leading brands has ensured that we have developed a particular strength in understanding and looking after Ultra High Net Worth Individuals (UHNWI), VIPs, royalty and heads of state.
Signature, award-winning events are made possible because of the incredibly dynamic, experienced and versatile team we have created and include;
- Bentley Motors ‘Extraordinary Journey’ – a once-in-a-lifetime road trip taking guests on a breathtakingly scenic route from the home of Bentley Motors (Crewe) to The Macallan Estate in Speyside, Scotland. Unforgettable experiences were guaranteed
- Bentley Mulliner – we looked after/supported Bentley Mulliner’s VIP group of international UHNWI customers on an exclusive Drivers Club road-trip which coincided with the Le Mans Classic
Pure Communications Group
Pure Communications Group is a deserving candidate for the 2024 C&E Best Agency Award because of its commitment to excellence in experience delivery, and its consistent outstanding performance across its diverse portfolio of events. The company’s exponential growth in the last year attests to its unique ability to understand clients’ long-term goals and translate them into bespoke event designs.
With over 60 years of collective industry expertise, Pure has witnessed remarkable growth, orchestrating 30+ events and engaging over 10,000 attendees across 10 global destinations since 2022. This expansion has propelled the company beyond logistics, evolving into an integrated experience agency that crafts strategic campaigns and dynamic production solutions.
Distinguished by its diverse talent pool and innovative approach, Pure has attracted clients from media, legal, financial, and automotive sectors. Its events, ranging from conferences to corporate festivals, showcase unparalleled creativity and flawless execution. Central to Pure’s success is its strategic methodology, encompassing thorough research, creative design, meticulous planning, seamless execution, and comprehensive post-event analysis. By aligning closely with clients’ objectives and audience needs, Pure achieves an impressive 90% client retention rate.
Redactive Events
Redactive Events Ltd (REL) is a stand-alone subsidiary of Redactive Media Group. As such our clients benefit from access to far broader resources, experience, and strategic input than the typical event management agency can offer.
Redactive’s work for 40+ membership clients and professional organisations spans content creation, magazine and journal publishing, design, marketing, commercial and digital development.
REL’s 12-strong team is also supported by Redactive’s 40+ advertising, sponsorship and exhibition sales people and two dedicated marketing events designers. We’ve got everything covered to deliver unforgettable experiences – face to face and in the virtual world – that generate significant return on investment too.
Right now, our overarching objective and commitment is to reach net zero. We collaborate with event:decision to assess the carbon footprint of all of our events, highlighting areas where we can reduce our carbon emissions for future years. REL then works with clients to offset the CO2E via a variety of local and globally accredited initiatives.
Wonder
In 2023, Wonder embarked on a transformative journey, strategically investing in brand evolution and talent acquisition to reimagine the future of business experiences.
Our campaigns and experiences reflect the rapid evolution of how business is done, by truly understanding people, their behaviours and their relationship with work and each other.
The team experienced a significant 81.25% increase in headcount alongside a dynamic new brand and website. Our mission refresh helped propel the agency to secure major new business wins including Amazon, Asana, Stripe, and Vodafone.
Highlights from the last 12 months include delivering Google Cloud’s flagship EMEA conference, returning to the Renaissance Club for the second year of the Genesis Scottish Open, crafting Vodafone’s inaugural sponsorship of Glastonbury Festival and reimagining Canva’s approach to the education sector.
Our creative, people-powered, solution-focused mindset of positively challenging what’s possible has allowed us to disrupt and distinguish ourselves in a highly competitive space.
We wonder what’s possible.
Then we make it reality.
Best Corporate or Managed Event
Corporate Events – Heineken Customer Planning 2024
Corporate Events organised and produced a ground-breaking two-day event for HEINEKEN UK at The Celtic Manor Resort in September 2023, with 400 delegates each day. This marked the first time Heineken invited customers to their annual event, hosting internal teams on the first day and a mix of customers and staff on the second.
Collaborating closely with Heineken, Corporate Events achieved primary objectives including engaging content delivery, fostering togetherness, providing memorable experiences, and adhering to the budget.
Responsibilities included venue selection, creative concept development, content production, entertainment management, branding, and on-site management. The “TOGETHER WITH HEINEKEN” concept celebrated brand diversity helping to create shared experiences among teams and customers.
The event featured a unique main room setup with a central circular stage and large LED screen rig for dynamic content. Multiple screens immersed the audience in brand-specific environments, immersing delegates in the ‘world’ of each brand. The event was live-streamed to increase engagement, and the evening event showcased diverse and interactive entertainment ensuring a good time was had by all!
Delegate feedback was overwhelmingly positive, highlighting seamless organisation, engaging presentations, and exceptional support from the Corporate Events team.
Noble Events – Extraordinary Journey UK for Bentley Motors
Bentley Motors invited guests to join them on an Extraordinary Journey of discovery. This once-in-a-lifetime road trip takes guests (Ultra High Net Worth Individuals) on a breathtakingly scenic route from the home of Bentley Motors in Crewe to The Macallan Estate in Speyside, Scotland. Guests have the opportunity to drive different product models through stunning British landscapes including the Peak District, the Yorkshire Dales and the Cairngorms. Unforgettable experiences are guaranteed.
Via this event (which has since been rolled out as a global programme for different regions to run for themselves – USA, Scandinavia, New Zealand, China) Bentley Motors wanted to further;
- Create an opportunity to connect deeper with existing and potential customers.
- Develop relationships with both
- Encourage both to become further involved in the brand
Working together, we created an event brochure as well as marketing materials used on Bentley Motors website to promote Extraordinary Journey UK. Guests were offered a personalised experience from start to end with individual phone calls, personalised itineraries and a concierge service for added experiences pre and/or post their Extraordinary Journey.
“The actual programme itself was beyond expectations. Loved everything about it – a trip of a lifetime.”
Redactive – IWFM Impact Awards 2023
The Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management (IWFM)’s Impact Awards shine a light on the fantastic work carried out by the workplace and facilities management industry, most of which takes place behind the scenes.
The event brings together some of the best minds in the industry. Inspiring and celebrating the ways in which organisations are raising the bar for the future workplace – with the importance of running sustainable operations reflected in categories that specifically recognise positive climate action and net zero gains.
With this remit, it is vital for the IWFM to lead by example and ensure the event is as environmentally friendly as possible.
And so last year, the Institute decided it would itself raise the bar even higher and fully embrace the challenge. Committing early on in the planning stage to report its carbon footprint and deliver a fully carbon-neutral event for the Impact Awards 2023.
simplybetter – Yorkshire Building Society’s 2023 Strategy Launch Event
The 2023 Strategy Launch Event was a pivotal moment for Yorkshire Building Society. Coming off the back of global financial challenges and a dip in internal engagement scores, this was their chance to introduce the new CEO to senior leaders and rally them around a bold strategic ambition, with an emphasis on clarity, connection, and ownership. With just seven weeks to take the event from concept to delivery, and a fundamental need for responsible, justifiable spending, it was an exciting challenge for simplybetter.
Working collaboratively with the client, we designed and delivered an immersive strategy day at the FirstDirect Arena in Leeds. A focus on inclusivity and accessibility allowed us to create an impactful, engaging plenary as well as exploratory learning sessions that encouraged YBS leaders to engage with and digest the content in their own way. Our commitment to sustainability saw us utilising reusable items and recyclable materials & reducing waste.
Glowing feedback from those in attendance, both on the day and through post-event internal surveys; an overwhelmingly successful cascade process; and an increase in engagement scores, proved the event was a resounding success with a clear impact on all 3500 YBS colleagues and their members.
UKSV – Boehringer Ingelheim VTI Day 2023
Given the challenge of re-imagining an already successful annual Value Through Innovation Day event, the UKSV team, in conjunction with our client, took the bold step of transforming the event into an immersive radio show experience that would engage all staff across the UK, regardless of location, rather than just those in the head office. With the aim of fostering deeper audience engagement and leaving a lasting impression, we collaborated with our client’s communications team to create a diverse line-up of speakers and performers, each selected for their ability to captivate and inspire. Inspired by the timeless charm and intimacy of radio storytelling, we envisioned an event where attendees would become active participants in a live broadcast, complete with homegrown DJs and radio hosts, live interviews, music dedications, and staff shout-outs.
University of East London – Royal Docks Innovation and Enterprise 125th Anniversary Summer Festival
The University of East London (UEL) is a careers-first university which prepares its students for the jobs of the future. Sustainability, sport, health tech and equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of everything UEL does. Furthermore, UEL is a socially inclusive university with almost half of its students being mature learners and 75% of UK students come from the most deprived 40% of English households. Our pioneering and forward-thinking vision is making a positive and significant impact to the communities we serve, inspiring both our staff and students to reach their full potential.
Last May saw UEL hosting its annual Royal Docks Innovation and Enterprise Summer Festival, an occasion which celebrated the University’s 125th anniversary. It’s being submitted for the Best Corporate or Managed Event category because the event was a creative risk and left an impact on the community through the water show and high level of engagement through registration numbers and community involvement as evidenced in this submission.
The event was carefully designed to appeal to new and existing stakeholders with engagement plans drawn up for key groups: students, staff, alumni, business partners and members of the local community.
Verve The Live Agency – 2BGB Conference
The second edition of Diageo 2BGB returned in 2023, bringing together 450 delegates once again, with the goal to elevate it to new heights and surpass the success of the previous year.
Thanks to a collaborative partnership between Diageo and Verve, we embarked on an unforgettable two day journey in the heart of Edinburgh. With an agenda that accommodated plenary sessions while also facilitating exploration of Edinburgh’s Scotch industry. Attendees were offered ample opportunities for guests to interact and engage with one another.
Unique experiences were curated solely for the 2BGB Conference with the two day event concluding with a Gala dinner in the spectacular National Museum of Scotland.
Throughout the planning period, the team demonstrated innovative thinking, unwavering resilience and outstanding execution.
Best Corporate or Agency Event
Brandfuel, Android Avenue
The fact that Android Avenue attracted 51% of all visitors to MWC 2022 – the biggest exhibition of mobile technology in the world – is testament to the power of its narrative.
Brandfuel’s challenge was to show visitors that no matter how much money you have, whatever your age or ability, your life is enhanced by Android – and that, put simply, everything works better together. Our aim was not only to make the technical accessible, but to make it aspirational and enriching.
Visitors could get hands-on with Android’s latest creative and playful products. Brand ambassadors helped attendees, whether they were setting up a Chromebook with a phone or using a watch to lock devices.
Our structures replicated real-world environments – the park, an exhibition, café, garden, home, driveway, plaza, metro and restaurant. By placing the latest innovations of Android and its partners in familiar settings, Brandfuel showed that no matter which device you use, Android’s products are entirely integrated.
With 85% of visitors saying that “Android powers effortless multi-device experiences for users that work better together”, Android Avenue fulfilled its brief. The message was clear – no matter where you are, Android’s latest products are empowering, personal and safe.
CTL Communications, An Iconic Launch
We were invited to deliver a launch event for the first treatment for an ultra-rare disease. Our mission was to deliver a 2-day live event to both in-person and virtual attendees, creating a truly memorable experience.
An iconic location goes hand-in-hand with an iconic event. Iceland, a country renowned for tectonic plates, energy and beauty, was selected as the host country. It served as the perfect representation of the brand – a force of nature providing hope for patients with a power beyond anything they had ever imagined.
But from cancelled site visit flights due to a sudden snowstorm, an earthquake forcing the team to halt the rigging of AV equipment within a lava tunnel, GPS magnetic fields wreaking havoc with kit, power surges shutting down multiple media servers, flooding and multiple electric shocks for the crew, there were numerous challenges to event delivery.
Trailblazers served as the creative thread, bringing to life this ground-breaking product as a celebration of new hope, and a unique tie-in for the brand teams leading the way to forging a flare-free future for patients. Emotive sessions, an immersive patient experience, a drone show and more, delivered an impactful launch event.
Eventify, Be School
The event is a 7 day firmwide training programme for new joiners within our client’s business. It is an event that has the utmost importance as it is their chance to showcase the brand to new employees with a seamless event, whilst instilling the brand’s core values. The main objectives of the event are to showcase the brand and to encourage delegates to make new connections and leave the event feeling valued, inspired, and motivated! The event took place 11th – 18th November with 200 delegates, 20 trainers, and 8 speakers arriving from across Europe.
Client feedback confirms the event aims were succeeded. A videographer captures highlights of the week from registration through to the final party and edits a final video featuring all delegates names as the ‘cast’, which is played in the closing session. The video truly shows the friendships that are made during that week, starting with nervous delegates not knowing each other and culminating in them all dancing to the MC, DJ and Saxophonist at the party. All delegates gave a standing ovation, showing how engaged and motivated they were even after 5 long days of training and networking, and a 2am party finish!
First Event UK, Cardano Summit 2022
First Event was tasked with delivering a three-day hybrid event in four months, combining a live event with community events and watch parties on six continents. The Cardano Foundation’s first-ever event needed to create connection and collaboration opportunities for its community of blockchain enthusiasts.
The summit beat every target to become their largest-ever in-person event, with 51 community-led watch parties (20% above target) and a virtual world where in-person and online attendees could interact. 1700 attended in person in Lausanne, 6,275 attended community events, and 44,103 visits to the virtual event (31,700 unique). People in 78 countries watched the live stream.
Engagement was built in from the start, with the Cardano community nominating speakers and content topics. The bespoke virtual world was a model of the real one, delivering a seamless hybrid experience. In-person networking opportunities were created by the opening night, awards ceremony, an after-party, and online adaptable virtual avatars were able to start video chats and conversations with others.
A treasure hunt for NFT’ss (highly-prized in this tech-savvy community) in person and online cemented the interactivity. And with content available on-demand to cater for time zones and subtitled in three different languages, everyone was included.
Identity, New Years Eve 2022
In 2022, Identity was awarded the four-year framework contract to deliver London’s prestigious NYE celebrations. On NYE 2022, working collaboratively in a complex, multi-agency, multiple-stakeholder environment, Identity successfully delivered the South Bank spectacle to a live audience of over 100,000. The event was broadcasted to tens of millions of people, worldwide.
The London NYE show attracts significant, global, public, and media attention. It is an integral part of the city’s cultural landscape and event calendar. Identity understood that it was crucial the celebrations reflected the best of London. We created a diverse show centred around the London Eye. We wanted to inspire an atmosphere of joy and nostalgia through reflecting on some of the key events of 2022, as well as celebrating new beginnings. Identity worked in close collaboration with GLA to develop the “with love from London” theme, sending a powerful message of love and unity to the world.
Identity’s remit included full infrastructure delivery, ticketing, security, health & safety, crowd management, digital, signage and wayfinding, soundtrack, pyrotechnics, lighting, programming, 400 drones and 12,000 fireworks, and this was all achieved with just 4.5 months of planning.
IFS, IFS Unleashed 2022
Unleashed is the IFS flagship event aimed at customers and select prospects. Following a company rebrand in 2021, we also re-branded the event from IFS World Conference to IFS Unleashed. Taking place in Miami in October 2022 this event took a unique approach… we broke away from the usual conference objectives of updating our customers, prospects and partners on the latest company/product updates and instead focused on demonstrating how the right technology and success plans can dramatically liberate and accelerate business outcomes.
simplybetter, Victory Village
The Victory Village was the first event of its kind in the industry, and was born out of a desire to bring Victory’s customers together post-pandemic to say thankyou for their support. Simplybetter and Victory Leisure Homes joined forces to create an experience for their customers unlike anything they had seen before…
Victory’s desire to innovate resonated with our ‘think differently’ mantra and we co-created a daytime event that immersed guests in Victory’s brand, showcased new products and innovations and fostered a sense of community as well as an evening experience that was all about reconnecting and having some fun together.
The village itself was created by building a number of canvas tepee structures, each housing a different part of the event. From ‘Knowledge Nooks’ where guests could explore Victory’s product innovations through the d, to a main tepee which housed the evening celebrations – featuring live band quiz and karaoke – every step of the delegate journey was considered.
The event was a resounding success. As our key contact and event stakeholder, Shirin Kemp, commented – “The event has sent shockwaves around our business, our customers and the wider industry. The comments and thankyous just keep rolling in.”
Wonder, Google Marketing Live
In the event of your submission being shortlisted we will publish a 200 word summary of your submission on our website and a photo of the event.
Google Marketing Live EMEA was the chance for Google to rethink and reframe hybrid events, encompassing a people-first philosophy – to engage, inform and entertain in a way that met and exceeded its audiences’ evolved expectations.
Wonder applied its philosophy of ‘whole-self design’, creating product experiences that encouraged exploration, networking moments that fostered togetherness and stimulating conversation that delivered longtail value.
A return to live through a refreshed outlook that helped build relationships, product understanding and future pipeline – all whilst hitting Google sustainability goals – GML EMEA 2022 represented the new benchmark for people-first business experiences.
Best Event Agency
Audience
We are Audience. The designers of award-winning, record-breaking and human-centred brand event experiences. This year, we’ve seen incredible growth and affirmed ourselves in the ranking for the Top 50 UK Agencies (CI&T). We put our money where our mouth was and championed what we believe matters most – our people. By doing so, we’ve secured a 99.6% retention rate and headcount increase of 33% this year.
With a happy workforce, we’ve seen incredible adoption of our bespoke innovation model (designed in 2022), our new processes, applications and software that gave us space to scratch our creative itch. Our standout projects include showcasing Virgin Media (VM) as the industry leaders in broadband speed services by breaking a world-record, delivering a world-first OOH 4D billboard experience to launch Stream with VM and ensuring Deloitte are recognised as industry leaders for our fourth year running the SSC.
This has all contributed to a powerful focus on our people, on human-centred event design and our creative ability to keep human connection at the centre of every event.
Brands at Work
Hello, we’re Brands at Work. We’re one of the world’s leading creative communications agencies, made up of 40 full time creative challengers.
For 13 years, we’ve worked with global brands to turn their brilliant business ideas into bold and memorable content experiences. Experiences that shape beliefs, inspire action, build communities, and transform performance.
We’re the agency with the reputation for always challenging the status quo. It’s reflected in our agency ‘Herd’: big thinkers, detail tinkerers. Creativity at the heart of every thought and action. And all blessed with that ambitious question that rears its head at every idea: ‘does this shift the needle?’
2022 was a year of great success and significant evolution. We saw incredible performance, strategic investment, and the continuing realisation of our ambition to be the best place, to do the best work, with the best people.
Bray Leino Events
Bray Leino Events turns 50 in 2023, and the last year has been the busiest in our history. We travelled the world with public and private sector clients.
Events we delivered generated billions for the UK economy, creating tens of thousands of jobs. We’ve unpicked impossible logistical challenges and brought brands to life for new audiences.
We’ve doubled in size since pre-pandemic, and we’ve done it by focusing on what we can do as a force for good, in our industry, for our clients, and most importantly, for our people.
We protect their wellbeing, train them to do the same, and promote an inclusive culture where friendship and support is central. People stay at Bray Leino Events for longer and take half as many sick days as the industry average.
Sustainability took centre stage in 2022. We put ourselves on course to deliver massive carbon reductions in our business operations and implemented new measurement tools to target efforts in reducing our environmental impact across our entire event portfolio.
Sustainability will be the defining issue for our industry in the coming years, which is why we’re calling for less competition, greater collaboration on how we can all be better.
emc3
Life post-covid was a challenge for many in the events industry, and macroeconomic certainty didn’t alleviate those stressors. But two things have stood out as a result, that makes it easier: collaboration and the power of listening. Our mission at emc3 is “to produce game-changing experiences powered by strategy, content and creativity, underpinned by our commitment to a sustainable future for events”, and our submission talks about using that to implement sustainable growth—where it isn’t about a race to the top, but creating meaningful and impactful moments, with our clients and team, to achieve personal and professional growth.
EventsPlanIt
Events Plan It is a specialised partner in the area of events in the Algarve (Portugal), from theme parties, company parties, social events, product launches, collections, fashion shows, beach parties, New Years Eve, birthdays, shooting for companies, weddings…
Having been organising events in the Algarve for the past six years, we have an extensive knowledge of the region’s offer and partners and together we can make any occasion unique!
Given any challenge, we make it happen! We take care of all the details. For us the right event has to be creative and imaginative! Sophisticated, but relaxed! Different, unique, authentic!
First Event
Now 21 years old, First Event, based in Yorkshire, is taking the industry by storm. In 2021 we became employee-owned, meaning every employee is also a shareholder. Our whole 68-strong team has a stake in providing clients with the very best experiences.
In the last year, we have grown our turnover by 175%, from £8 million in 2021 to £22 million in 2022. We’ve grown our workforce by 50%, from 46 in 2021 to 68 in 2022. And we’ve grown our customer base from 42 active clients at the end of 2019 to 117 active clients at the end of 2022.
But it’s not just about the numbers. We’re investing in innovation, creating dedicated web, app and client services teams to provide a more complete service. We’ve invested in an in-house production studio, facilitating high-quality virtual and hybrid events. And we’ve put sustainability at the heart of all we do, with dedicated sustainability experts on every project team from day on and reporting the carbon footprint of every event we create.
We ’ve also developed an in-house training platform, to ensure that every area of our agency is growing and progressing to ensure that First Event is always future-ready.
Identity
For the second year running, Identity, the human experience events agency, is named as one of Europe’s fast-growing companies. Identity ranked 56th in the 2023 edition of the FT 1000 Europe’s Fastest Growing Companies – a climb of 253 places since last year and the only human experience events agency on the list in consecutive years. It also ranked No2 in the UK’s Top 100 Event Agency league table.
This success comes from having a dedicated team; winning great clients; delivering on sustainability; and never losing sight of its social value policy.
Identity sustains its exponential growth with investment and opening of new offices in London and Abu Dhabi, as well as ongoing senior hires, and further additions to the board of directors. The agency now has 200+ employees across its offices.
The agency continues to attract and retain leading industry talent through its holistic approach to work/life balance, continuous learning and development, and offering vast career progression opportunities.
Winning a range of enviable new clients, and delivering high-profile, creative and complex events, while achieving ISO sustainability accreditations for its events and it’s clients has ensured Identity’s successful trajectory.
Outsourced Events
Founded in 2001, Outsourced Events’ (OE) wide-ranging experience, creativity, agility, relationships and commercial prowess supports clients to host engaging, unforgettable, sustainable and cost-effective global events, reaching tens of thousands of delegates.
Providing comprehensive end-to-end event, tradeshow, inventory management and marketing services, London-based OE has a team of 39 who delivered some 300 in-person, hybrid and virtual events in 22 countries and 51 cities during 2022.
Committed to progressing the next generation of event professionals, the leadership team mentors staff including two “year-in-industry” students, supports team members in achieving professional qualifications, creates content and contributes to numerous articles to share learning and best practice.
Forging several 20-year-plus global brand corporate technology and association relationships, OE has built a trusted reputation, becoming ‘part of the team’ and developing unparalleled knowledge of industries and target audiences.
Dedicated to delivering informative events and at the forefront of event management innovation, OE engages clients, delegates, speakers, exhibitors, and sponsors to understand and meet their objectives, driving content, format and pre and post-event marketing.
Commercially astute, OE supports clients to develop objectives and KPIs and explore creative ideas and content to attract new delegates and sponsors, encourage repeat attendance and create new revenue streams.
Best Event by an Agency
Open to all events – virtual, hybrid, in-person – the judges will be looking for events that deliver on their financial goals but also on attendee engagement; effectiveness of marketing; innovation, ingenuity and stakeholder satisfaction.
Best Event Agency
Awarded to agencies that deliver above and beyond and exceed your clients’ expectations.
