Planning pays off as all on track on eve of Pride of Guernsey 2017 awards

THE final countdown to the Pride of Guernsey Awards 2017 has begun and with just one day to go before the ceremony at the newspaper’s Braye Road headquarters, the newsroom is being transformed.

THE final countdown to the Pride of Guernsey Awards 2017 has begun and with just one day to go before the ceremony at the newspaper’s Braye Road headquarters, the newsroom is being transformed.
Tomorrow night around 200 invited guests, including all 36 finalists, will be enjoying a popular new feature in Guernsey’s awards calendar.
Among those attending are the Lt-Governor, Vice Admiral Sir Ian Corder, and Lady Corder, and the Deputy Bailiff, Richard McMahon, and his wife, Sue-Yin.
People at home will be able to follow live coverage of the event on the Guernsey Press website, guernseypress.com, and social media.
The event will mark year two of the tributes, which are aimed at acknowledging and rewarding islanders who do extraordinary things every day.
One of the event’s sponsors, Joys Production Services, is again carrying out the major logistical feat of revamping the venue to make it ready for the ceremony.
Transforming a busy and working newsroom has been a challenge, but one that Joys and the Guernsey Press’s IT and operations department are enjoying.
Guernsey Press operations director Darren Cooley said good forward-planning had been crucial.
‘Preparation and planning has been key,’ he said. ‘Rather than move everything the day before the event, we have spread the move over two weeks.
‘It was fundamental we caused as little disruption as possible and that the move didn’t impact on the daily production of the newspaper.’
Tomorrow’s ceremony will bring to an end the 2017 Pride of Guernsey awards, which were launched at the start of May.
A total 145 individuals and groups were nominated across the 12 categories, not including duplicate entries, with almost 14,000 public votes cast after they had been shortlisted.
The winners of each award category, who will receive a prize equivalent to £1,000, were then chosen by a panel of judges.
The evening will be hosted by Jo and Andy Priaulx and presented by Island FM’s Carl Ward.
Full coverage of the awards ceremony in Monday’s Guernsey Press