Here at Troxy we certainly know a thing or two about awards ceremonies. Like Liam Neeson, we have a very particular set of skills.

Well, maybe not like that but what we do know the secrets to an awards tour de force!

Black tie or not to black tie! 

No one wants to be the only person in the room who missed the memo on dress code. So lay it out plain and simple

Black Tie vs Smart Casual

Black tie means grandeur, sharp dinner suits and ball gowns, no exception. Smart casual is more like dinner at a Michelin star restaurant, rather than the captain’s banquet on the titanic. 

What is important is that the two don’t mix, never have and never will. If you want smart and glitzy that’s great, but ask yourself might it alienate some of your audience? Perhaps the idea of a black sombre suit just doesn’t do it for them.

In this instance, steer away from the black tie vibe and go for something with a wider interpretation for guests. We’ve had Gatbsy, Christmas Party Sparkle, all kinds of themes!

But, if you want to go full Captain’s Banquet with monocles and pearls than absolutely go ahead and do that… sounds great!

Creating networking opportunities

Even if they won, if an individual or a group feel like they gained nothing from attending, then chances are they aren’t coming back next year.

So how do you drive engagement and fun as well as focussing on delivering praise and networking?

Creating opportunities to network is a critical part of the night. Making space to spot people and work a room is important to consider.

At Troxy as an awards venue we are lucky to have a space under our upper circle which can be used for networking before the main seated part of an evening.

This give us space to make use of the full room, ensuring that no-one gets lost and each and every one of our guests has the time and space to properly network and interact.

Icebreakers

A little something to ease the tension!

Nothing is more awkward than trying to speak to someone who could be professionally good for you, but you don’t yet know what you have in common.

There are so many options today that aren’t just having a magician working the room (don’t get us wrong, when your sim card ends up in an orange we’re as impressed as anyone.)

The options here are pretty much limitless, from mini drag queen bingo interventions to creating musical interludes by handing out instruments within a crowd, entertainment agencies offer amazingly inventive ways to get us all talking. 

Maybe your super creative and bursting with ideas and you’re more than happy to concept and execute these bonkers ideas on your own. Or you might event want to consider bringing in a creative experiential partner to plot and devise some truly stand out moments.

Keep them talking

Creating post event engagement is as important as making your interactions happen at the venue on the night.

While attendees might add each other on LinkedIn or drop each other an email, if you as an organiser can keep that engagement going through your channels – that’s the real gold dust.

Think that through and whether that’s through a dedicated portal, social media channels or an interactive experience on the night, you can make sure that you create more value for your audience than any other event they attend. 

Need Help? The team at Troxy work with a variety of suppliers and are always on hand to help with any ideas or sourcing to make your vision come to life.

If you’d like to have a chat with us about planning your own awards ceremony, then we’d love to hear from you. Drop us a line at hello@troxy.co.uk or give us a call on 0207 790 39000