BOSS Awards Evening 2019 – Oh, What A Night!

The BOSS Awards are all about celebrating success, so, with 24% more attendees than last year packed into glittering rooms in the Tower Guoman Hotel overlooking the Thames and Tower Bridge, the 2019 event was set to go well from the very start.

It's also all about mixing business with pleasure, as BOSS Chairman Simon Drakeford pointed out in his opening remarks: "Have some quality conversations tonight - and some lower quality ones later on!" Drakeford also talked about the challenges currently facing the industry and explained how BOSS was especially needed in this rapid time of change.

Thanking the Awards judges and sponsors, BOSS CEO Amy Hutchinson explained how BOSS was actively shaping its offerings to meet those challenges, looking to provide connections, data, a united industry voice, apprenticeship programmes and networking opportunities for its members. And - of course - to celebrate success in our industry.

BOSS Board Member and BOSS Business Supplies Charity Trustee Frances Stephen next gave a short talk on the work of the Charity and why it was so needed, before introducing the raffle (for a magnum of champagne, kindly donated by Sean Loftus or Armor) and the silent auction of 11 fantastic prizes.

Also enthusiastic was Awards compere and self-confessed "four foot 11 inches tall stationery addict " comedian Lucy Porter, who wrily observed that "without the office stationery cupboard, some of us would literally never have been born..."

The highlight of the evening - as always - was the presentation of the Outstanding Achievement Award by David Langdown to OPI CEO Steve Hilleard. Greeted by universal acclaim, the hugely popular Hilleard thanked his wife Kelly, the OPI team and BOSS.

And then, the serious business of partying truly began...