The BBC, Brent Council, Sainsbury’s and Orange were among the winners of the 2009 LiveCom Awards on Thursday (10 December).

Launched four years ago, the awards are organised by the International Visual Communications Association (IVCA) to recognise excellence in the live event and experiential marketing sectors both in the UK and internationally.

Winners and highly commended were awarded across ten categories for UK events with Brent Council picking up two awards for Best Cultural and Arts Event and Best Festival for Brent Diwali 2009; the BBC with production company Imagination scooping the prize for Best Sporting Event for BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2009; and Sainsbury’s and production company drpgroup and the Department for Children, Schools and Families with Crown Business Communications sharing the top spot in the Best Seminar and Conference category for their ‘Parent Know How Launch and Showcase Event’ and the ‘Sainsbury’s Our Conference ‘09’ respectively.

This year the awards received a record number of entries – up 27% on 2008. “Despite the tough economic climate, clients from both the public and private sectors are continuing to invest in live events and experiential marketing campaigns as they recognise the added value and significant commercial return on investment that can be achieved through such activity,” said Marco Forgione, chief executive of the IVCA.

See below for the full list of winners.

UK Events
Internal Experience
Winner:   Focus on our Future Roadshow
Production Company:  Top Banana
Client:   Aggregate Industries

Cultural and Arts
Winner: Brent Diwali 2009
Production Company:  Brent Council
Client:   Brent Council

Sporting Events
Winner:   BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2008
Production Company:  Imagination
Client:   BBC

Festivals
Winner:   Brent Diwali 2009
Production Company:  Brent Council
Client:   Brent Council

Learning Experience
Winner:   BBC Blast on Tour
Production Company:  BBC Outreach Team and SIS Live
Client:   BBC Learning

Award for Motivation and Inspiration
Winner:   Top Dog Event
Production Company:  drpgroup
Client:   Office Depot

Winner:   LDA Personal Best Graduation Ceremony 2008
Production Company:  innovision
Client:   London Development Agency

Commercial and Promotion
Winner:   Eminem's Relapse Rehab Experience
Production Company:  Blazinstar Experiential
Client:   MediaCom UK / Polydor Records

Campaigns
Winner:   Army 'Start Thinking Soldier' Campaign
Production Company:  Jack Morton Worldwide
Client:   The COI on behalf of The Army

Seminars and Conferences
Winner:   Parent Know How Launch and Showcase Event
Production Company:  Crown Business Communications
Client:   Department for Children, Schools and Families

Winner:   Sainsbury's Our Conference '09
Production Company:   drpgroup
Client:  Sainsbury's

International Events
Internal Experience
Winner:   Thomas Cook Inspiration Conference
Production Company:  drpgroup
Client:   Thomas Cook

Winner:   Orange Partner Camp
Production Company:  Acclaim Events & Media Communications
Client:   Orange

Entertainment Experience
Winner:   Tokio Hotel Virtual Tour
Production Company:  Musion Systems and Holicom
Client:   Tokio Hotel & Mediamarket

Commercial and Promotion
Winner:   Wella International Trend Vision Award 2008
Production Company:  Jack Morton Worldwide
Client:   Procter and Gamble

Campaigns
Winner:   Release the Power
Production Company:  The Bank
Client:   ROTA (Reach Out To Asia)