Exeter wins recognition at awards ceremonies

Exeter has won recognition at a number of influential awards ceremonies.

Local authorities Exeter City Council and Teignbridge District Council were singled out for their role in putting on the highly successful BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend at Powderham Castle.

Working in partnership, the two councils won the Tourism Event of the Year Award at the English Riviera and South Devon Tourism and Hospitality Awards.

Fifty thousand people attended the Big Weekend at the end of May, witnessing some of the best bands in the business, including Coldplay and Mumford and Sons.

The event is estimated to have brought in around £3.5 million of benefits to the local economy.

At another ceremony, Exeter City Council's Chief Executive and Growth Director, Karime Hassan, was named Property Personality of the Year. He attended the Insider's annual South West Property Awards in Bristol to pick up the award.

​The prestigious event honoured a range of schemes, professionals and developers from across the region.

Speaking in front of a packed audience of almost 250, South West Business Insider editor Graham Southorn praised the past year's achievements and said the strong activity across the region is set to continue, highlighting the "huge impact" that the government's decision to approve Hinkley Point C will have on the construction industry. The event raised money for Children’s Hospice South West, while Village Design sponsored the drinks reception.