The shopping centre industry turned out in force this week to see this year’s winners of the Sceptre 2011 awards revealed at the Dorchester hotel in London.

Those celebrating Sceptre wins included one of Porterfield PR’s biggest clients – Capital Shopping Centres – who scooped the Environmental Management Team of the Year for an innovative recycling project which is underway at the company’s Chapelfield centre in Norwich. In addition the shopping centre giant was also recognised as a runner up in each of the three other categories it had been shortlisted in.

The event itself was hosted by a comedian by the name of Miles Jupp – little known to many in the audience until he announced that he had once held a job “twatting around in a pink jumper on a children’s programme”. At this point one of Porterfield PR’s staff with young children got rather overexcited when she realised the said comedian was, apparently, Archie the inventor from Balamory who apparently can do just about anything.

Despite his lack of recognition amongst those without toddlers Jupp actually proved a fantastic compere who held his audience well and provided a wealth of giggles, proving that sometimes spending megabucks on household names isn’t as much value as finding a host who can truly make their guests laugh.

The full winners were:

• Manager of the Year (small centre) – Shelley Filippi, Shurch Walk, Caterham
• Manager of the Year (medium centre) – Malcolm Angus, Crompton Place, Bolton
• Manager of the Year (large centre) – Tony Wilkes, The Brunel Shopping Centre, Swindon
• Security Team of the Year – Crystal Peaks, Sheffield
• Customer service team of the year – Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth
• Environmental Management Team of the Year – Chapelfield, Norwich
• Young Achiever of the Year – Louise Harwick, specialist leasing executive, thecentre:mk, Milton Keynes
• Marketing Manager of the Year – Nikki Kitchen, The Rock, Bury
• Managing Agent of the Year – Cushman & Wakefield
• Short Term Retailer of the Year – The Cupcake Compartment
• Retailer of the Year – Waitrose
• Lifetime Achievement Award – Graham Harvey, Group Advertisement Director, Shopping Centre