Events professionals from across Scotland recognised at national E Awards ceremony in Glasgow

A magical display of more than 450 dazzling giant lanterns that illuminated the sky for 50 nights has been recognised as the best event of the year at a glittering ceremony in Glasgow.

Edinburgh Zoo’s Giant Lanterns of China event – which lit up the skies last year in a series of breath-taking displays in the capital – scooped the top award at the second annual E Awards for the Scottish events and festivals industry at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC).

The zoo was also the winner of the Creative Event/Festival Excellence 2018 award at the annual bash for events and festival industry professionals.

Award-winners in ten categories were recognised at the ceremony, which received entries from almost a hundred individual events from across the country – from outdoor festivals, to indoor ticketed business events.

Around 150 people gathered at the Scottish Event Campus on Wednesday evening for the ceremony, which featured a welcome from the Lord Provost of Glasgow, Eva Bolander, a drinks reception and entertainment from Peaky Blinders.

The full list of winners and sponsors were:

Conference/Association Event Excellence 2018 Award (Sponsored by the EICC)

Winner: Registers of Scotland for Registrars of Title Conference

Creative Event/Festival Excellence 2018 Award (Sponsored by All Event Hire)

Winner: RZSS Edinburgh Zoo for the Giant Lanterns of China

Event Supplier Excellence 2018 Award (Sponsored by Dundee & Angus Convention Bureau)

Winner: Actavo Events

Event technology Excellence 2018 Award (Sponsored by Event Tech Live)

Winner: Speakeasy Productions for the Edinburgh International Science Festival and Royal Highland Show

Marketing & Digital Event/Festival Excellence 2018 (Sponsored by Metro)

Winner: The People’s Money-Launch of Royal Bank of Scotland £10 note

Outdoor Event/Festival Excellence 2018 Award (Sponsored by NOEA)

Winner: Oban Live 2017

Scottish Event Space or Venue Excellence 2018 Award (Sponsored by KD Media)

Winner: Dynamic Earth

Student Event/Festival Excellence 2018 Award (Sponsored by the Scottish Event Campus)

Winner: Universities of Scotland Events Conference 2017

Event Planner Excellence 2018 Award (Sponsored by Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel)

Winner: Nicola Hyne from the Technology and Innovation Centre

Sustainable Event/Festival Excellence 2018 Award (Sponsored by Glasgow Convention Bureau)

Winner: Edinburgh International Conference Centre for the Edinburgh Anaesthesia Festival 2017

Overall Scottish Event or Festival of 2018 Award (Sponsored by Actavo Events)

Winner: RZSS Edinburgh Zoo for the Giant Lanterns of China

Judith Wilson, Director of EventIt, organiser of the E Awards, said: “Congratulations to all of the winners at this year’s E Awards. The level and quality of entry this year was absolutely superb; we had entries from across Scotland, which demonstrates how motivated and enthused the events and festivals community is to gain recognition for their work from industry peers.

“I would like to thank everyone who entered the E Awards, all of our winners whose hard work and dedication paid off, our sponsors and the Lord Provost of Glasgow, Eva Bolander, for a very warm welcome on the evening.”