Editor’s Leader: 25 years of the AV Awards

It was also gratifying to see everyone popping over for a chat. This is what I like about the AV industry – a great bunch of people who compete with each other, yet get along so well.

It was interesting to see that we first presented awards in 10 categories – five ‘company categories’ and five ‘excellence in the use of’ categories – and two Grand Prix, one for the User of the Year and one for the AV Company of the Year.

This shows how the industry has grown, especially over the last ‘few’ years.
Some areas came and went. Others demanded inclusion. But the balance of industry and user categories remained the same.

The key throughout was to maintain the integrity of the event, producing the best possible advertisement for the AV sector and its customers – the recognition of achievement that the AV Awards continues to deliver all these years later.

The awards will, I believe, be just as important in future.

As the industry matures and changes, as new technologies are deployed, and as new users come on board, we’ll still need to explain new developments, and give credit to important projects.

So the AV Awards will need to change – and develop. We will also continue to enjoy celebrating the achievements of a business that’s much larger, and very different, to the one which got together at London’s Cafe Royal, all those years ago.

But, of course, none of us would be anywhere without you entering in the first place. And for taking the time, and making the investment in entering. These awards also wouldn’t have the value and the cachet that they do – without the contribution of our independent panel of judges who bring their real-world experience to bear in comparing the value of the submissions.

Awards night was our way of thanking everyone, and for drawing people’s attention to the best of AV, including our 34 sponsors and headline sponsor, Vestel.

Very briefly before dinner, I had the very great pleasure of welcoming on stage our charity partner – Taylor-Made Dreams.

The charity was set up in memory of, and inspired by Taylor – the son of founder and CEO Suzi Mitchell – and who sadly passed away in 2011 after fighting a terminal condition for four years. For an industry renowned for its good deeds, It was gratifying to hear you’d raised £13,200.

Thank you.