It's a big ask – getting over 550 of the North West's multifarious media movers and shakers – on a school night – to gather and mingle harmoniously, all the while hoping to be heading home with a shiny new award to parade. But they did.
The gathered tribes danced warily round each other as the drinks began to flow. But the newspapers, radio, television, production houses, creatives, consultants, lawyers, architects, musicians, clients and the all-round great and the good from the whole region turned out too. Click here to view a slideshow of the event on Flickr.com The sheer scale and popularity of the event was evident – and as tables filled to (and beyond) capacity, it was also obvious that word has spread that these awards would really mean something.
So special praise then for compere Jim Hancock: three decades wrestling answers from minutely-briefed politicians, as Granada TV's political correspondent and later as the BBC's political editor, means he knows all about ding-dong debates, but he had to assert himself early on to make himself clear above the chatter and clatter of the well-refreshed crowd.
Jim's banter with Granada and City Talk presenter Rob McLoughlin was a highlight of the evening – and there were many.
 Jim Hancock
Pride for the MEN as they pipped the Liverpool Daily Post and Lancashire Evening Post for the daily newspaper title.
Design Consultancy LOVE proved that true grit, embracing change and sheer hard work can turn a tough time into triumph – their award was earned the hard way.
Digital agency Code Computerlove took the top honours in what was one of the most keenly-contested categories, with a very strong field – and their delight was obvious.
The speed with which independent TV producers Mackinnon and Saunders whizzed their "Frankenstein's Cat" cartoon from concept to on-screen reality probably clinched them the judges' vote – well done, but just try getting the kids ready for school when THAT's on – thanks a bunch guys.
The magazine category saw the rare sight indeed of the crusading investigators of the Salford Star accepting their winners award from James Brown of the Daily Sport, aided and abetted by two of his ‘editorial assistants’.
Ten Alps pipped News International in the media sales slot category, by which time the audience was once again pitching towards top volume – so Old Trafford DOES get noisy sometimes…
Like How-Do, YUDU Media have zoomed from start-up to success in just over a year, and their original and innovative publishing software won them their category.
 Carolyn Reynolds/Lime Pictures
Xfm took the top spot in the keenly-contested radio award and their assorted presenters, musicians and sales staff did their best to rival the PR team’s delight.
A poignant moment in the TV programme section as soon-to-be-no-more Grange Hill was commended, almost as satisfying for Lime Pictures as their excellent ratings for Hollyoaks. Lime’s chief executive, Carolyn Reynolds accepted a special commendation from the judges for the 30 year contribution to children’s’ TV that Grange Hill has made.
But it was in the Dragon's Den that the judges invested their top award, to the delight of the strong BBC contingent on the night.
 Patrick O'Neill/Cheshire Life
The Stockport Express victory in the weekly paper category showed the judges had been reading their brief – and they added a decent nod to Crain's for their significant start-up presence.
Many within the crowd were by now bleary-eyed (or teary eyed in some cases) as the awards drew towards their conclusion.
Cheshire Life editor Patrick O'Neill readily admits to being a larger than life character and he was clearly as delighted with his staff and their efforts as he was at the commendation for his 20 plus years editing the magazine.
And the ceremony was well rounded-off by the personality crown going to the ever affable and somewhat dazed Mark Radcliffe – who, as a life-long City fan was clearly unused to having a good time at Old Trafford.
 Jason Manford
Sore heads on Friday certainly – so here's to the next one...and on this showing How-Do seems to have created what will undoubtedly become the biggest media and creative gathering in the North West's calendar in future years.Representatives of the following companies and organisations attended the inaugural awards dinner. AWA Advertising/Rattle, Liverpool JMU, Midas, MEN Media, Lancashire Evening Post, Manchester Confidential, IPB Communications, Paver Smith, BJL, Lancashire Magazine, TBWA\Manchester, KMP, Bauer Advertising, GMG Radio, NWDA, Ten Alps, ITV Granada, Broadcast magazine, Gyro International, Highlight, Cheshire Life, Flame Digital, driven, Mando, Excel Publishing, Citypress, Ci Research, Rossendale Radio, Glorious Creative, a4e, Mason Media, Liverpool Daily Post, Crain's Manchester Business, Salford Star, Sumners, LOVE, Mondiale Publishing, SKV, Insider, PushOn, City Talk FM, Designate Communications, Xfm, YUDU, Northwest Vision, Blue Skies, Ampersand, Rippleffect, MC2/Vertigo, speake2, Mackinnon and Saunders, Photolink, Code Computerlove, Turner Parkinson, Radio Today, Manchester Digital, Uniform, Lancashire Life, Connectpoint, Made in Manchester Productions, BBC, Lime Pictures, Liverpool city council, UCLan, Hays, Sport Newspapers, Daily Telegraph, Acrobat TV, Mediaedge:cia, Walsh Simmons, All Together Now, Tangerine PR, Hill Dickinson, MediaVest, Brabners Chaffe Street, Sale Sharks, Media Sales Network, Vision Group, Think Media, Lancashire Evening Telegraph, Peppermint PR, Brazen, Urban Splash, Maxbox, Ford Campbell, Lancashire Business View, True North, the Environment Agency, Davies Taylor, Manchester city council and Littlewoods. The list of shortlisted entrants, commendations and winners follows:
 The ICE team and Mark Rix/MEN Media
 Mediaedge:cia and Mark Rix/MEN Media Shortlist - And Partners, BJL, Gyro International, ICE Communications, Mediaedge:cia Manchester, MediaVest and speake2  MEN and Alan Johnstone
Winner: Manchester Evening News Shortlist - Lancashire Evening Post, Liverpool Daily Post and Manchester Evening News
 Love and Frank Hanna/Highlight
Winner: LOVE
Commendation: Uniform Shortlist - Dinosaur UK, LOVE, Touchpoint, True North, Uniform and Walsh Simmons  Foggett/Code and McLoughlin/City Talk
Winner: Code
Commendation: Photolink
Shortlist - Code, Fast Web Media, Latitude Group, Lightmaker, Mando Group, Photolink and Rippleffect
 Mackinnon and Saunders and Iain Bennett
Winner: Mackinnon and Saunders
Commendation: Made in Manchester Productions
Shortlist - Lime Pictures, Mackinnon and Saunders and Made in Manchester Productions
 Pivaro and Kingston/Salford Star
 James Brown and Sporting support Winner: Salford Star Commendation: Cheshire Life Shortlist - All Together Now!, Asian Lite, Cheshire Life, Insider, Lancashire magazine, Lancashire Life, Lancashire Business View and Salford Star
 Ten Alps and Debby Smith
Winner: Ten Alps Commendation: News International
Shortlist - Media Sales Network, MEN Media, News International and Ten Alps
 Saul Peake, YUDU and Hancock
Winner: YUDU Media
Commendation: University of Salford/Curious Shortlist - Flame Digital/PA Sport/Pitchside Live Google Gadget, PHD North/The Beautiful North/NWDA, Ten Alps Communications/Digital Film Delivery, University of Salford/Curious and YUDU Media
 Tangerine and Bill Daring/KMP
Winner: Tangerine
Commendation: Paver Smith Shortlist - Brazen, Citypress, Fido, IPB, Mason Media, MC2, Paver Smith, Spinoza Kennedy Vesey and Tangerine
 Jill Taylor and Xfm
Winner: Xfm Manchester
Shortlist - BBC Radio Merseyside, Century, Key 103, 97.4 Rock FM and Xfm Manchester  BBC on behalf of Dragon's Den and Andy Sumner
Winner: Dragon's Den/BBC Commendation: Grange Hill/Lime Pictures Shortlist - Dragon’s Den/BBC, Frankenstein’s Cat/Mackinnon and Saunders, Grange Hill/Lime Pictures, Hollyoaks/Lime Pictures, Inside Out Northwest/BBC, Mobile/ITV Granada, North West Tonight/BBC and Prank Patrol/Bakermedia
 Blaise Tapp/LEP and Tony Murray
Winner: lep.co.uk Commendation: bbc.co.uk/liverpool08
Shortlist - www.bbc.co.uk/liverpool08 www.channel4.com/hollyoaks (Lime Pictures/Conker Media), www.ema.mtv.tv (Lightmaker Manchester), www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk
www.lep.co.uk , www.manchesterconfidential.com , www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk , www.RadioToday.co.uk and www.revolution-bars.co.uk (Rippleffect)  Mandy Leigh and Gordon Burns
Winner: Stockport Express Commendation: Crain's Manchester BusinessShortlist - Crain’s Manchester Business, Stockport Express and Trafford Metro  Robert Harwood-Matthews and Mark Radcliffe
Winner: Mark Radcliffe
Commendation: Patrick O'Neill
For the record, the judging panel of acclaimed media figures comprised:
Alice Morrison, former BBC journalist and presently chief executive Northwest Vision and Media. Alice started her career on an entertainment magazine in Dubai and subsequently helped launch BBC News24 before plumping for a change of career with a switch to a leading Lancashire ISP, prior to joining NWVM.
Alison Hastings, former editor and currently an adviser to the PCC and Camelot and the BBC Trustee responsible for England. Edited the Newcastle Evening Chronicle from 1996 to 2002 before relocating to Liverpool. Former columnist on UK Press Gazette and can be frequently heard and seen as a media pundit on radio and TV. A member of the Society of Editors and an adviser to the Press Complaints Commission.
Anthony Taylor, head of external communications at £2bn turnover Littlewoods Shop Direct and former head of media at the General Medical Council. Began his career at a PR agency in Manchester and subsequently worked in London and the Turks and Caicos Islands before moving back to his native North West.
Carl Hopkins, former chairman of JDA, the largest regionally-based direct marketing agency. Carl joined JDA in West Yorkshire 1984 as a junior designer and rose through the ranks to take over the business in 2000 as managing director and took the role of chairman in 2005 until the sale of the business in 2007. He has a growing range of other media interests.
Gordon Burns. TV presenter. There’s more than the Krypton Factor and North West Tonight to Belfast-born Burns. Began his career as a print journalist before moving into broadcasting as a news presenter on Ulster TV. Presented the Krypton Factor for 18 years until 1995 and the anchorman on the BBC’s North West Tonight since 1997.
Iain Bennett is the sector leader for digital and creative industries at the NWDA where he is responsible for strategy and development of Europe’s second largest cluster of creative and digital companies. He was previously a theatrical agent and subsequently a founder of a new media design agency. In 2002 he joined London Metropolitan University as managing director of its new media training company.
Jim Hancock, journalist, presenter and political commentator for over 30 years. He has interviewed every Prime Minister from Harold Wilson to Gordon Brown and has been a lobby correspondent for the BBC and IRN. He was Granada TV’s political correspondent from 1987 to 1994 and political editor of the BBC North West 1998 to 2006. Can also be found chairing conferences for bodies such as the NWDA, CBI and the IoD.
Karen Gee, previously sales and marketing director at Wigan-based Shearings Leisure. Since graduating in International Marketing, Karen has specialised in the travel and leisure industry, working for companies such as Airtours, First Choice, Flying Colours, Rail Europe, Universal Studios Florida, eDreams.com and Sky Travel.
Martin Anderson, chairman of TBWA\Manchester until last year and one of the most prominent figures in the region’s advertising community over recent years. Spent most of his career at what was BDH where he became creative director in 1978. Moved across to account management in 1988 and became MD in 1992 and chairman in 1996. Was chairman of IPA regions 1994 to 1996 and served on the IPA council in London for 15 years.
Philip Graf CBE, former chief executive of Trinity Mirror and currently deputy chairman of Ofcom and a NED with Archant. A Cambridge law graduate, Graf joined the Liverpool Daily Post and Echo in 1983 and became chief executive of what was then Trinity in 1993. Led the acquisition of the Mirror Group in 1999 and subsequently became the chief executive of the enlarged company. In 2003 he was asked by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to carry out a review of the BBC's online activities.
Sally Sykes left AstraZeneca to join DePuy as a board director in March. Previous roles with Ciba-Geigy, Scottish & Newcastle, Littlewoods and Manchester Airport. Sally is on the national executive and board of the CIPR and was rated by “PR Week” in 2006 as one of the 50 most influential UK PR practitioners.
Shaun Fensom, chief executive of Manchester Digital and chairman of the Community Broadband Network. Has been working in the online industry since the 1980s in various roles and with a number of ISPs.
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