700 guests dining in style in the luxurious surroundings of the Grand Ballroom at London’s Hilton Hotel on Park Lane. Radio 4 broadcaster and comedic writer Armando Iannucci offering many a funny anecdote to enthral the audience. A Charity Casino and Auction that raised thousands of pounds in aid of the London Bombings Relief Charitable Fund to the delight of the Fund’s chief executive John Stoker, who spoke eloquently on the aftermath of last July’s terrorist atrocities in the Capital. And who can forget dancing well into the small hours with music from Salsa and Cumbia specialists Coco Express!
The Security Excellence Awards 2005 will live long in the memory for all in attendance as a fabulous night. Now into its seventh year, the industry’s ‘Oscars’ attracted more entries and sponsors than ever before (with G4S Security Services (UK), T-Mobile (UK), ACPO CPI, the Security Industry Authority, ASIS International, Nedap and Total Workplace Management joining our well-established supporters Southern and Northern Monitoring Services, Intrepid Security Solutions, Prima Corporate Wear, Panasonic (UK), the British Security Industry Association and IFSEC/CMP Information).
As ever, the Black Tie event maintained a serious purpose – namely honouring the very best companies and individuals in the business – but there was also more than a hint of fun. This is as much a social occasion for the readers and supporters of event organisers Security Management Today, Security Installer and CCTV Today as it is an important ceremony to honour the best practitioners in the industry.
Much deliberation on the part of the Judging Panel had whittled down a substantially increased number of entries on the 2004 event, enabling the assembled hordes to congratulate the Best Security Manager, the Best Guarding Company, the Best Training Initiative, the Best Security Manufacturer, the winners of the Best Customer Care Initiative and the Best IT Initiative. Also honoured were the winners of the Best Partnership Initiative, the Best Security Consultant and the Best Security Installer.
This year’s Judging Panel covered a broad spectrum of the industry, with all of the individuals concerned rightly seen as experts in their field.
Sitting on the Panel for 2004 were Professor Martin Gill (director of Perpetuity Research and Consultancy International), Stefan Hay (managing director of SITO and deputy chief executive of the BSIA), Mike Bluestone (director of training at Initial Security), Alex Carmichael (the BSIA’s technical director), National Security Inspectorate chief executive Tom Mullarkey, Dave Anscomb (security manager at Abbey), Ian Johnson (principal consultant, IJA Group), Tony Marsh (head of security, Post Office Ltd), SSAIB chief executive Geoff Tate, Patrick Dealtry (principal consultant of the Patrick Dealtry Consultancy), Richard Childs (principal consultant, the Community Safety Consultancy), Bill McGlennon (head of Sellafield Security Services, BNFL) and Bill Wyllie, chairman of The Security Institute.
As always, the Panel was completed by Security Management Today’s (SMT) Editor Brian Sims, Alan Hyder (Editor of Security Installer) and CCTV Today’s Editor Ron Alalouff.
The Home Office and the SIA: supporting the Awards
With a programme introduction by Home Secretary Charles Clarke and a pivotal Keynote Address courtesy of Security Industry Authority chief executive Peter Hermitage, guests could easily reconcile the fact that the Security Excellence Awards are without question the premier awards strand in the private security industry. Indeed, this is the only awards scheme to recognise practitioners right across the sector.
SMT, Security Installer and CCTV Today wish to convey their sincere congratulations to all of this year’s winners and runners-up!
For our part, we are already looking ahead to the 2006 judging sessions. And remember… Next time it could well be you or your organisation being honoured! Look out for details of how to enter the 2006 Security Excellence Awards in forthcoming editions of SMT.