EVENTS
The Chairman Blessed with a new tuxedo, your intrepid man of the night has been out and about at the best festive gigs. Did he spot you?
T
he Chairman always has a busy festive season, and this one was no different.
Between black tie dinners and long lunches, cocktail parties and Christmas drinks, there is more bubbly consumed during the preChristmas party season than in the rest in the year combined. One of the events which is the highlight of the season is the Crimestopper’s Annual Quiz, a night of guaranteed fun wrapped up in a highly competitive competition which is never fails to win high praise from the captains of industry and justice which attend. It was a triumph once again with question master Tony Rice living up to the hype with some challenging-yet achievable questions posed by master of ceremonies Paul Reilly who cajoled the rowdy bunch with aplomb.
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Taking over the mantle of Chair of Crimestoppers Northern Ireland from legal eagle Peter Stafford was mediation man Gordon Gough, whose services were luckily not required despite the Deloitte team not managing to walk away with top honours this year, much to Peter Allen’s chagrin. It was a great night and, as always, fantastic to see hotelier and Crimestopper’s patron Howard Hastings, glasses wearer of the year Noel Brady, king of Momentum Tom Verner and a host of other top names. The organisational magic was provided by Crimestoppers Northern Ireland stalwart Val Smith and the indomitable Angela Magee, and of course the firebrand regional manager for Crimestoppers Susan Brew who has built the organisation into an exemplar for others to follow. A fantastic night was had by all. Roll on 2018.
The third annual Glitter Ball lived up to its name once again this year, with all the glitz and glamour we’ve come to expect from this headline social event. But it wasn’t just a case of style over substance – this year the fundraising ball raised a staggering £53,000, with every penny going to a youth-focused programme with Action Mental Health. Staged at the Culloden Hotel, Cultra on December 2, the organising committee of five campaigning women from Holywood pulled out all the stops to treat almost 500 guests to an evening of fine dining and an auction abundant with amazing prizes.
Guests delved deep into their pockets, raising the vital funds for AMH’s MensSana programme which delivers a range of resilience building programmes specifically for children from as young as eight through to late teens. It was great to see old friends Alison Reid and Sharon Bann who were on fine form, and a delight to catch up with Nuala Ellison and Liam McDermott. Meanwhile, those coffee gurus Peter Fitzsimmons, Joan Hill and Keith Anderson certainly know how to party and were keeping the party flowing.
Belfast Waterfront has stormed ahead of its national competitors to bring home the coveted award for the Best Event Space 2017 at the Event Awards in London as the venue continues to place Northern Ireland on the map as one of Europe’s most exciting destinations for conferences and events. The ceremony, which took place at the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith, saw judges awarding top marks to projects which are regarded as truly awe-inspiring. This year, 30 industry professionals scrutinised more than 300 entries to find the very best brand experience campaigns and venues. Belfast Waterfront was competing for the Best Event Space 2017 award against seven shortlisted venues including Excel, Olympia, The O2, The Crystal, Silverstone Wing, The Troxy and Tobacco Dock. Well done to Catherine Toolan, Asheligh Davidson and all the team at Belfast Waterfront. ■