Category: Awards

Best Places to Work Award – Medium Organisation

Engage Hospitality is delighted to have been recognized as one of the Sunday Times ‘Best Places to Work 2024’. This prestigious award, powered by WorkL, celebrates the outstanding achievements of Britain’s top employers in creating exceptional workplace environments.

The report said: “Uncapped commission, incentives including ski trips and outings to sporting events and concerts, and regular social events are among the benefits of working for this London-based hospitality agency. Engage, which delivers corporate sports and entertainment events in the UK and globally, prides itself on cultivating a fun and positive work environment built on meritocracy. All 73 employees take part in diversity and inclusion training as well as mental health awareness training.”

It’s a true testament to our people, who aim to embody our company values on a daily basis through their work, personalities and interactions with our clients.

Whether it’s at our events, or in our London office, we strive to be Excellent, Engaging and Entertaining for everything we do and everyone that we hire.

“Being named a ‘Best Place to Work’ is a very proud moment for all at Engage Hospitality. It is a testament to the hard work put in consistently by all of the team. We are honoured to receive this recognition and remain committed to enhancing our workplace environment to support the wellbeing and professional growth of all our employees.”
Andrew Hodgkins, Managing Director

How does the ‘Sunday Times – Best Places to Work’ work?

The Sunday Times Best Places to Work awards survey uses 26 questions from WorkL’s employee engagement survey, developed by behavioural scientists, data analysts, psychologists, business leaders, academics and other independent parties to most accurately monitor employee engagement, wellbeing and discretionary effort in the workplace. To achieve a high overall engagement score, an organization must score well across WorkL’s six-step framework:

1. Reward and Recognition
2. Instilling Pride
3. Information Sharing
4. Empowerment
5. Wellbeing
6. Job Satisfaction

Engage Hospitality scored over 75% in every single category, and 80% or more in the Wellbeing, Instilling Pride and Job Satisfaction sections. It was also rated Excellent for Diversity and Inclusion as well as Confidence in Management.

Work with Engage

If you are interested in working with Engage, then please do not hesitate to contact us about our current opportunities or email careers@engage.co.uk directly.

There’s still a lot of sport to be played between now and December, but we’re getting in early to take a look at the early contenders for this year’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.

The Lionesses have dominated the award in recent years, with Mary Earps claiming the gong in 2023, a year after England teammate Beth Mead was crowned the winner. This year, the men will be hoping to follow in their footsteps as they target a first trophy since 1966 at Euro 2024 in Germany.

As well as the EUROs, we’ve got the Olympics in Paris to look forward to, as well as plenty of exciting action across darts, cycling, boxing and more. Here’s who we think could be in with a chance of winning SPOTY in 2024.

Luke Littler

Only once in SPOTY history has a darts player been honoured, with Phil Taylor coming second to Tony McCoy in 2010. But there’s every chance we’ll have our first oche champion this year, with Littler the early favourite for the award.

Aged just 16 at the time, Littler stormed his way to the PDC World Darts Championship final, beating former world champions Christian Kist, Raymond van Barneveld and Rob Cross along the way.

He ultimately fell at the final hurdle as he was beaten by world number one Luke Humphries but his incredible rise has made him one of the most talked about sports stars of the year so far. His performances saw him picked for the 2024 Premier League Darts and he continues to shine as he looks to go one better and become the youngest ever world champion at the end of the year.

Russ Cook

While the award is generally reserved for professionals or Olympians, few could argue that Russ Cook’s achievements should go unnoticed. Otherwise known as the ‘Hardest Geezer’, Cook spent almost a year stomping across tarmac, through jungles and deserts, and overcoming life-threatening situations to become the first ever person to run the entire length of Africa.

The 27-year-old ran through 16 countries, starting in South Africa and crossing the finish line at the northern tip of Tunisia. He ran almost 10,000 miles, completing the equivalent of around 380 marathons in 352 days, while raising more than £1 million for charity. While it’s unlikely that Cook will be given the top gong, there’s every chance that his remarkable achievement will be honoured in some way at the event, which will be thoroughly deserved.

Jude Bellingham

Two of England’s finest footballers are both enjoying remarkable seasons on the continent and with the EUROs taking place this summer, success for England will likely see plenty of the squad in contention for the award.

If England are to do well, Bellingham and Harry Kane will inevitably be involved and it will cap off phenomenal seasons for both. Kane left Tottenham last summer and has enjoyed a fine first campaign at Bayern Munich, scoring 44 goals in all competitions.

Meanwhile, Bellingham’s debut season at Real Madrid has seen him net 22 goals to help his side win the La Liga title. The English duo met in the Champions League semi-finals, with Bellingham’s Madrid side coming out on top, which likely puts the midfielder ahead in the queue. Should Real go on to win the final against Borussia Dortmund, a strong England showing at the EUROs would go a long way to helping his SPOTY cause.

Olympic heroes

The Olympics heads to Paris this summer and there are plenty of Team GB hopefuls looking to make themselves a hero. Gold medalists tend to dominate the SPOTY award, with the likes of Andy Murray, Bradley Wiggins, Chris Hoy, Kelly Holmes and Steve Redgrave all winning it in Olympic years this century.

That could well happen again, with plenty of contenders. Katarina Johnson-Thompson is targeting gold in the heptathlon after coming out on top in last year’s World Championships. She finished third in SPOTY last year and is targeting her first Olympic medal in what will be her fourth games.

Meanwhile, swimmer Adam Peaty is expected to make a splash in the pool again after two golds and a silver in Tokyo three years ago that saw him also claim third in SPOTY. Keely Hodgkinson is targeting gold after securing silver in the 800 metres three years ago.

Elsewhere, Max Whitlock is looking to go out on a high. The gymnast is set to retire after the Paris Olympics and he’ll be desperate to add to his medal collection, having already claimed three golds and three bronzes across the previous three Olympics.

Mark Cavendish

Cycling superstar Cavendish was set to retire last year but after crashing out of the Tour de France, he’s back in pursuit of making history. The 38-year-old has won 34 Tour de France stages, the joint-highest of all time alongside Eddy Merckx.

Cavendish was hoping to clinch the record last year but he was forced to pull out after crashing during stage eight and breaking his collarbone. With the 111th Tour de France set to start in June, Cavendish will be a strong contender for SPOTY if he can win a stage to become the undisputed leader.

Other Contenders

Following Manchester City’s historic treble win, there’s every chance one of their many stars could make a claim for the award. And following a resurgence over the last few seasons, few could deny that John Stones is deserving of recognition.

Elsewhere, the likes of Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Lewis Hamilton could come into the thinking if they end the year strongly. Plus, with the Rugby World Cup set to take place later this year, a strong tournament from England as mentioned, or even Wales or Scotland may see a contender or two emerge from their squads.

Engage are delighted to confirm that we are once again official corporate hospitality brokers for The BRIT Awards 2024 with Mastercard.

2023 brought with it a wonderful year of BRITs performances, wth Harry Styles, Lizzo and Stormzy all gracing the stage to make it a memorable night.

There are already some huge tours announced for 2024, which bring with it speculation on who may be performing in London come March.

Take That begin their tour in April next year as they return for a huge 31 dates in the UK and Ireland alone, not to mention the European leg of the tour!

Another recent announcement comes in the form of former Oasis star and now solo act Liam Gallagher, as he embarks on a ‘Definitely Maybe’ tour in 2024 to celebrate 30 years since the release of the band’s iconic first album.

That’s just some of the names that could be on the list to perform at The BRIT Awards 2024 with Mastercard but there are many more tours already announced as well as many more to come!

The BRIT Awards are the most prestigious event in the British music calendar and we can secure your place for a glamorous night at the O2 Arena.

The BRIT Awards 2024 with Mastercard

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Our hospitality offering has got even better this year, as we can confirm a third option, the Show & Party package. So let’s take a look at what we have on offer:

Show & Party Package

• Level 1 seated ticket for the show
• Access to BRITs After Show Experience

Diamond Dining Package

• Drinks Reception Upon Arrival (Magazine London)
• Bespoke 3 Course meal with Live Entertainment – Tables up to 10 guests
• Each table will have a Drinks Package as Standard (Standard Drinks Package – 2 prosecco, 3 x white, 1 x red, 6 x Peroni & 6 x Diet Coke)
•  Priority Level 1 Seating for the BRIT Awards 2024 with Mastercard (O2 Arena)
• Access to BRITs After Show Experience (Magazine London)

Sapphire Suite Package

• Upon Arrival Complimentary Drinks Reception on Suite Level
• Pre-Show Hot Fork Buffet (Drinks can be pre-ordered)
• Suite Seating for the BRIT Awards 2024 with Mastercard
• Post show, guests can remain in their suites until 11pm (tbc)
• Access to BRITs After Show Experience (Magazine London)

With the hospitality packages, attendees can immerse themselves in the ultimate VIP experience, combining the thrill of live music with world-class hospitality.

The BRIT Awards are the British Phonographic Industry’s annual popular music awards. The highest profile music awards ceremony in the UK, the BRIT Awards have featured some of the most notable events in British popular culture. In this article, we look back at the five most memorable BRITs performances to date.

1.    Stormzy (2018)

A rain drenched Stormzy paid tribute to the 72 people killed in a fire at Grenfell Tower in North Kensington, London eight months after the tragedy when he performed “Blinded By Your Grace PT.2” and “Big For Your Boots” in 2018. The part of Stormzy’s performance which really caught the eyes of all was when he said “Theresa May, where’s the money for Grenfell? What, you thought we just forgot about Grenfell?”

Following the disaster, many families were left without a home for many months and some even had to wait years to be rehoused. Across the UK, thousands of people still live in high-rises similar to Grenfell, which are covered in the same flammable cladding.

Stormzy wanted to use his platform to highlight these issues and directly criticised Thersea May’s Government response to the tragedy. The artist directed his anger and frustration at them by rapping “You should do some jail time, you should pay some damages, we should burn your house down and see if you can manage this”.

In response to Stormzy’s performance, there were more than 10,000 tweets per minute which referenced him when he was on stage, which made him the top trending topic in the UK that night. The Government responded to Stormzy’s act by reiterating their £58.29 million commitment to the recovery and acknowledged that their initial response was too slow.

2024 BRITs Hospitality

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2.    Michael Jackson (1996)

When the King of Pop was mid-way through his flamboyant performance of his ‘Earth Song’, what happened next was certainly unexpected; Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker decided to provide the “moon”! In what was less of a “moon” and more of a bend and flounce, Cocker turned away from the crowd, bent over and made a wafting gesture from his behind.

Images of starving children were being displayed onto a screen and whilst Jackson shone with a bright white light to model himself as a kind of Jesus, Cocker took to the stage, front and centre, and deemed this as his chance to steal Jackson’s thunder.

Cocker was immediately taken to a police station and was kept there until 3am on charges but was later released without charge. When questioned on his bizarre moment in the spotlight, Cocker said “I was just sat there watching it and feeling a bit ill. It seemed to me there were a lot of other people of kind of found it distasteful as well, and I just thought: ‘The stage is there, I’m here and you can actually just do something about it.’”

3.    Adele (2011)

Backed by a lone grand piano with the lights dimmed, the stage was set, and Adele was ready to perform ‘Someone Like You’. One of the most powerful voices in the music industry took to stage as The O2 audience fell completely silent. Adele sings about missing her lover, who’s moved on to someone else.

She recalls and regrets plainly, before moving into a chorus that serves as comfort, defiance, and anguish. The emotional nakedness of its lyrics and Adele’s performance is still so astonishing to this day and left many that night with goosebumps.

On the back of this wonderful performance, ‘Someone Like You’ became Adele’s first UK #1 single, staying on top for five weeks, selling over one million copies. Adele then went on to command Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage, which she headlined in 2016 and proved that Adele could leave any crowd breathless.

There is no clear evidence that Adele’s BRITs performance directly led to the huge success she had in her career, but it certainly feels like it was a life-changing moment for both her and the music industry.

4.    Amy Winehouse (2008)

At the 2008 BRITs, the late Amy Winehouse performed twice; ‘Love Is A Losing Game’ and ‘Valerie’. Though her lone performance of ‘Love Is A Losing Game’ converted Earls Court into a smoky jazz club, it was in fact Winehouse’s rendition of ‘Valerie’ which was the main event.

Accompanied by a superb orchestra, the late Amy Winehouse with friend and music producer Mark Ronson gave an amazing performance of ‘Valerie’. Winehouse commanded the stage when she stepped out and her distinctive vocals, spontaneity and creativity all shone through.

What makes Winehouse’s 2008 BRITs act even more impressive is the turbulent time she was enduring in the lead up to her performance by the press. Her private life was being intensely monitored by the tabloids, who were even critical of the standards of her stage show. Despite all this, she emphatically silenced her critics with her fantastic performances of ‘Love Is A Losing Game’ and ‘Valerie’.

5.    Dave (2022)

Dave closed the show in 2022 in some style when he brought out Fredo, Meekz, Ghetts and Giggs as they performed ‘In The Fire’. By inviting these artists on stage, it showed that any ceiling can be broken and how the UK rap scene can be taken to unprecedented levels. Many of these artists may never have had the opportunity to go to the BRITs before, but Dave inviting them to perform with him and making a buzz gave them this unique experience.

Unlike his 2022 BRITs performance where he accused then Prime Minister Boris Johnson for being “a real racist”, this performance was all about feeling, with Dave recalling his experience of being at risk of deportation. During his show-stopping performance in 2022, Dave played both the piano and a flame-throwing guitar, which was a fitting and memorable way for the 2022 Best Hip Hop / Grime / Rap Act winner to end the night.

If you want to be part of the BRITs in 2024, get in touch now to be the first to hear about our hospitality packages.