News
FM excellence celebrated at BIFM Awards 2007
09-10-07 1:45 BIFM
Achievements in facilities management were celebrated at the 7th annual BIFM International Investors in FM Excellence Awards last night.
The event, held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London, lived up to its reputation as the jewel in the crown of FM events in the UK, with 1,200 facilities management professionals gathering to celebrate the achievement of their colleagues.
Dara O Briain, the biggest Irish comic to have hit the UK in recent years, started the evening’s entertainment with a stand-up set. O Briain’s topical comedy show for the BBC’s, Mock The Week, has been such a hit that it is now in its fourth series and he was one of the most popular guest presenters on Have I Got News For You. O Briain served up after dinner laughs and even managed to get the assembled FMs to agree with his conclusion that they were fairy folk.
The host for the second year running, Adrienne Lawler, journalist and newsroom anchor welcomed guests and congratulated all the finalists on reaching this stage. Peter Cordy, BIFM Chairman, and Ian Fielder, BIFM CEO, thanked the judges and all sponsors for their valuable contribution to making the evening a success. Reg Allen, Managing Director from headline sponsors Harrow Green, highlighted the incredible rate of change within the FM industry and paid tribute to all the finalists.
Lawler and BIFM Chairman Peter Cordy were joined on stage by the sponsors of each of the twelve categories to present the awards to the winners.
The presentations began with the ‘New Build Award,’ sponsored by Verry FM, presented to University of Glasgow for ‘SCENE Phase One Rowardennan’. The judges were looking at the extent of FM integration throughout the whole process of planning, designing, building and operating a new facility. The judges also gave a highly commended award to BAE Systems for ‘JSST Facility at RAF Waddington’.
The ‘Impact on Organisation and Workplace’ award, sponsored by Reliance Facilities Management, was won by GlaxoSmithKline for ‘GSK House’. The highly commended award went to Littlewoods Shop Direct Group for ‘Skyways House’.
The winner of the ‘Best Practice in a Fit-out Project Award’, sponsored by Jewson, was Landmarc Support Services Ltd for ‘Spider Blocks A, B, C and D’. The highly commended award went to Woolworth’s, Cushman & Wakefield and RCL Services Ltd for ‘Woolworth House’ in London.
The fourth award ‘Best Practice in a PFI/PPP Project’, sponsored by Facilities Recruitment Ltd, was won by Skanska Facilities Services for the ‘Derby Hospitals PFI’.
The award for ‘Best Article in FM Journalism’, sponsored by MITIE Group, was won by David Pearson for ‘Developing a Facilities Services Relationship’ published in Facilities Management.
The winner of the ‘Innovation Award’, sponsored by Hays Facilities Management, was United Utilities working in partnership with Thurrock Council for ‘Road Safety’.
The award for ‘Sustainability’, sponsored by GSH Group plc, went to Siemens plc for ‘Captain Environment – Saving the World in 3 Minutes’. The judges also gave a highly commended award to MITIE Managed Services for ‘Going Green at Castle Vale School & Performing Arts College in Birmingham’.
The ‘Technology Award’ sponsored by RS Components was presented to Amey Business Services for their ‘Biometrics Palm Vein Scanner in Toddholm Primary School, Paisley’.
The winners of the ‘Customer Service Award’, sponsored by Larch Consulting, were Inviron for ‘Inviron DNA’.
The award for ‘Student of the Year’, sponsored by Land Securities Trillium, went to Paul Mark White as the student who achieved the best performance in the BIFM examination Part I and Part II during the last year.
The penultimate award, for ‘Communications and Marketing’, sponsored by FM World, went to Morgan Lovell with a highly commended award going to Alfred McAlpine Business Services.
The final award ‘Facilities Manager of the Year’, sponsored by Linaker, is given in recognition of outstanding personal performance as well as career progression and was awarded to Andy Kelly, Senior Facilities Manager from Siemens Facility Management.
The evening then took another musical turn and the audience enjoyed a visually stunning show by one of the most popular bands on the UK party circuit. Star, an international show band, have cruised across the Atlantic and worked across Europe, the USA and the Middle East.
Full coverage, including a complete video of the evening, will appear on the special Awards page soon - see link below. The Award winners will also feature in the next issue of FM World.
The casino, sponsored by Workplace Law, raised £11,200, a record sum, for charity - to be split between the BIFM chairman’s charity Marie Curie Cancer Care and Exhall Grange school for disabled children.
