awards by Ben Chambers “We did it,” my triumphant cry as the clock tipped past midnight on, by then, 4 September. I was tired, excited, a little emotional and quite frankly relieved that two and a half years after the second British Demolition Awards, we had successfully completed its third outing in our own south coast stomping ground of Brighton. The buildup to September’s awards was as close to challenging of any event or brand I have ever worked on. First, the COVID pandemic struck, immediately forcing us to put back the July 2020 awards by 12 months. Then we had sponsors, tables and key guests cancel, understandably given the climate. And then July 2021 was uncertain if not unsafe, so had to be struck off. We took the plunge and hammered a pin into 3 September and, by hook or crook, made it happen. It was a success and it marked a collective re-emergence of the demolition industry. I’d have accepted two out of three of those outcomes, but we hit the proverbial three cherries. What an event it was. The awards, held at Brighton and Hove Albion’s imposing American Express Community Stadium, looked 38 | DemolitionHUB Magazine
British Demolition Awards 2021 the part and all we needed was the industry. And in they came… with representatives from contracting giants such as Keltbray, Erith, Cawarden and Tilley & Barrett attending, as well as monsters of the supplier side including Liugong, McCloskey and Coveya. With more than 300 guests safely arranged in tables of 10, the atmosphere was one of celebration. With 10 awards up for grabs we had nominated three judges – demolition journalist and Hub contributor Paul Argent; Holly Price, Keltbray’s Director of Skills and Communities and former President of the NFDC; and Richard Vann, founder and Managing Director of project management and engineering consultancy RVA Group. The panel judged nine of the awards, while the NFDC had its own special award, which went to Aaron Davies of Keltbray. Cawarden won the prestigious Contractor of the Year and excavator giant Liugong took the Supplier of the Year gong. The full list of winners can be seen on page 40.. The event was a resounding success and is now a staple in the industry’s calendar, taking place again in September 2022, this time in The Midlands. I would love to see you there.
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