Scottish Green Energy Awards 2014

Can you tell me more about the 2014 Scottish Green Energy Awards?

The Scottish Green Energy Awards started in 2004 with an aim to establish an outlet to showcase all of the projects that Scotland was delivering in this sector. The awards allow us to celebrate the businesses and the people who are committed to driving our industry forward, whilst helping them to get recognition on a national and international level.

How did this event differ from past award ceremonies?

The awards have grown year-on-year and at the 2014 event we had 1,224 attendees, which was our biggest turn out yet. In terms of the production, the screen size, the content and the stage area were all really impactful. A lot of this comes down to the fact that the Lennox Suite is custom-built, which made for a really slick and professional experience.

This was the first time this event had been held in the EICC’s Lennox Suite. What made you choose this space for the event?

We hold our annual conference at the EICC and having seen the Lennox Suite, I knew it could accommodate high numbers and that it had some very impressive facilities. We were looking to grow the event and there are very few spaces in Scotland that are as flexible as the EICC and could handle an awards dinner for more than 1,000 people. The space available to us meant that we could really build on previous events and make this one better than ever.

The show lighting, projection and staging looked very impressive. From a technical production perspective, how accessible did you find the EICC’s technical services?

They were absolutely fantastic. We all challenged ourselves with this event and the EICC team rose to the challenge. We pushed the barriers in terms of the use of live media, animation and video content, which involved a lot of live-production on the night. There were a lot of firsts for both our team and the EICC, but they did a fantastic job, which resulted in a seamless event.

I understand that the EICC commissioned an application specifically to deliver moderated live tweets on the big screen. What impact did this have on the evening?

When we went to the EICC production team with this idea, there was nothing off the shelf that did what we wanted it to do or looked how we wanted it to look. So the production team at the EICC delivered a custom-made solution that gave the event a real edge. It was great seeing people make use of the facility to tweet their thoughts on the evening and congratulate the award winners. It added a real wow factor.

What was the highlight of the evening?

It has to be walking into the room and seeing how well the tables were decorated and the impact of the big screen, which was 26 metres wide. You could have heard a pin drop during the big screen moments – the audience was so engaged and the acoustics were so powerful.

Did any issues arise on the evening that the EICC was able to help in resolving?

With an event of this size there are always issues of some sort, but the best compliment I can give the team is that I wasn’t aware of any of them. The whole evening was seamless and that wasn't down to luck; it was down to the team’s hard work.

Would you recommend the EICC?

All of the feedback we have had says that this year’s Scottish Green Energy Awards was the best yet. The EICC has a great team who find a way of managing your expectations in line with your budget all while bringing a luxury feel to the event. So yes, I wouldn't hesitate in recommending the EICC.