黑洞社区

The ceremony itself took place two weeks ago at London鈥檚 Grosevenor House hotel 鈥� and proved to be 黑洞社区鈥檚 most elegant party yet. The 黑洞社区 Awards 2009 had a classical theme with piano music and hair-flicking from Myleene Klass and posh

stand-up from Pimm鈥檚-o鈥檆lock comedian Alexander Armstrong. Winners of the prestigious gongs were serenaded to the stage by an electric violinist, and nearly 1,200 guests enjoyed confit of duck and the Grosvenor House鈥檚 own very indulgent trifles.

The industry may be reeling from the credit crunch but its pursuit of excellence and innovation remains undimmed. 鈥淭hese awards were the hardest yet we鈥檝e had to judge,鈥� said 黑洞社区 editor Denise Chevin, in her introduction to the evening. 鈥淚n some categories, we could have picked a winner several times over.鈥�

I鈥檓 over the moon! It鈥檚 the best evening of the week! Okay, the best evening of the quarter!

Paul Drechsler, chief executive of the year

Particularly hotly contested were the chief executive and private and public project categories, won by Wates鈥� Paul Drechsler, Grosvenor鈥檚 Liverpool One and Allford Hall Monaghan Morris鈥� Westminster Academy respectively. Drechsler returned to the stage a second time to pick up the Major Contractor of the Year award 鈥� 鈥淲ates is a contractor that has really come of age,鈥� said the judges, impressed by a turnover now topping 拢1bn and a 37% growth in profitability, not to mention a string of diverse project successes including the Stratford Eye tower and Rochester prison.

Drechsler, credited with hitting his own 拢1bn turnover target a year early and boosting profits from 0.6% to 4.7% during his four-and-a-half year tenure, was on typically ebullient form. 鈥淚鈥檓 feeling fantastic! But I鈥檓 feeling fantastic because we won Contractor of the Year for 2,000 people in the Wates group. It鈥檚 the best award we could possibly win and I know everyone in the company will be delighted and justly proud of that achievement. I played a small part in it but they鈥檝e all played a much greater one. I鈥檓 over the moon! It鈥檚 the best evening of the week! Okay, the best evening of the quarter!鈥�

Sir John Sorrell, outgoing chair of Cabe, collected the Personality of the Year award, having more than filled the enormous shoes of his predecessor and put the organisation, and the cause of good design, even closer to the heart of public life. He鈥檚 won many friends during his five-year tenure, and his diplomacy was in full effect when accepted the award. 鈥淭his is a real surprise and a great honour,鈥� he began. 鈥淚 hope you don鈥檛 mind if I take this away and share it with all the staff and the fantastic commissioners at Cabe who work with enormous energy and great skills. This is really for them.鈥�

I hope you don鈥檛 mind if I take this away and share it with all the staff and the fantastic commissioners at Cabe who work with enormous energy and great skills

Sir John Sorrell, personality of the year

For Davis Langdon, which won consultant of the year for the fourth year running, boss Rob Smith said it would be a welcome tribute as the downturn hit the industry. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a sombre time so it鈥檚 great news to take back to our people that they鈥檙e still respected out in the market. It is a difficult period and next year鈥檚 going to be hard, and it鈥檚 stuff like that that dispirits you a bit. So I feel good about it.鈥�

Not that the credit crunch seems to have dented the industry鈥檚 love of a good party. Winners and runners-up celebrated late into the night with a customarily raucous disco, charity casino in aid of The Prince鈥檚 Trust 鈥� which raised 拢9,500 for its Get into Construction programme 鈥� and shots of vodka poured down an ice luge.