Although the two awards ceremonies have co-existed within ten to 20 days of each other for the past four years, the inclusion of a number of supplier awards as a result of Eventia combining its UK and international awards made the situation untenable.
Responding to industry feedback, Eventia decided to change the awards date to November 2010.
"At a time when the industry is still experiencing challenges, we have taken the opportunity to resolve the issue of the proximity of the two events once and for all," said Eventia CEO Izania Downie. "Fundamentally, as an association we are here to represent our members and it was very important to us to respond to their concerns surrounding the timing and format of this event. It has never been more important that all key stakeholders in the industry remain unified in promoting the professionalism of what we do and the need for live events."
The Eventia board has also decided to reduce the number of awards originally proposed to be given out on the evening, focusing instead on "projects delivered by entrants demonstrating how they have thought creatively and added value to client briefs to deliver against their commercial objectives".
Separately, the event industry association has seen membership rise by 10% over the past year as the industry continues to battle the economic slump.
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