Member Article

National awards ceremony moves to the Ricoh Arena

A national awards ceremony to recognise the unsung heroes of the rail industry is to take centre stage at the Ricoh Arena.

The seventh RailStaff Awards, which are run by the rail industry’s leading magazine RailStaff, will reward the work of people connected with the UK’s railway industry from drivers and cleaners to engineers and station staff.

The Jaguar Exhibition Hall at the Ricoh Arena will be transformed into a surprise theme for the evening on Saturday, October 25, when over 1,100 people will be attending.

Nominations are now open at www.railstaffawards.com. Last year the RailStaff Awards attracted over 1,500 nominations and 35,000 votes.

Karen Payne, Senior Event Manager for Rail Media, said: “The awards ceremony is growing in popularity each year and this year’s is expected to be the biggest and best yet.

“The RailStaff Awards recognise the courage, bravery and professionalism of people who deliver services every day of the year on the UK’s railways and at railway stations.

“There are 18 categories ranging from Apprentice of the Year and Train Driver of the Year to the Samaritans Lifesaver Award and Rail Engineer of the Year.

“There are some great stories to tell for each winner who has gone the extra mile to ensure we provide the best possible service on our railways and they have often saved lives, turned around their careers or overcome adversity.

“Nominations are now open by visiting our website and we want to encourage as many as possible so that we can publicly reward the fantastic work that rail employees are carrying out the length and breadth of the UK every day.

“We always have a spectacular theme to get everyone in the mood and this year’s will be announced very soon. This, coupled with amazing entertainment and a delicious four-course meal, is what makes the event unique in the industry.

“This is the first time we have held the RailStaff Awards at the Ricoh Arena and we are really looking forward to finding out the winners on the night.”

Chris Owen, Senior Events Manager at the Ricoh Arena, said the awards night was a great opportunity for everyone connected with the rail industry to come together and recognise the fantastic work carried out by their colleagues.

“The number of votes cast last year underlines the popularity of the awards and it is a wonderful way to be recognised by your peers,” he said.

“The Ricoh Arena is working with the organisers on every element of the night from the pre-dinner networking drinks to continuing the after-show party in the casino and I am sure it will be a night to remember.”

For more information about nominations and tickets, visit www.railstaffawards.com

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Matt Joyce .