Raccoon Events, the company behind the multi award-winning National Running Show, National Outdoor Expo and National Snow Show portfolio, has scooped two prestigious awards at the AEO Excellence Awards 2020 for Best Consumer Show and the Innovation Award. Adding to its impressive list of 11 industry recognition awards, the winners of the 2020 Excellence Awards were named at a digital event on Friday 4 December.
The 2020 show was the third National Running Show to be hosted at the NEC in Birmingham and attracted over 24,500 visitors across the two days and included a stellar line-up of speakers including Linford Christie, Sally Gunnell, Kriss Akabusi, Lazarus Lake, Dean Karnazes and Camille Herron. Winning the hugely sought after Best Consumer Show award shows the huge dedication and commitment the team has to delivering a show that is relevant, well timed to deliver beginning of season content and not ‘end of line’ products with a big focus on inclusivity and community.
Ultra-running legend Camille Herron on the Ultra Stage at The National Running Show 2020
The Show’s ethos has always been ‘no matter how far or how fast you run’ and this approach has helped build a community of runners who feel welcome, motivated and inspired and who continuously feedback the positive experience they have at the show year on year.
The judges said that it was an inspiring and inclusive show with something for everyone covering all elements of the running world and a focus on sustainability. An event evidently created and delivered by runners for runners.
The second award the company scooped is the Innovation Award for its commitment to creating and delivering a first-class sustainability programme, hosting an event that is truly inclusive and building and supporting a running community that spans the UK and beyond. The National Running Show, now in its third year has a unique approach on its sustainability, inclusivity and community at the event.
The judges said this was a truly inspirational entry. “The team at Racoon created a utopia event through their core values of sustainability, inclusivity and community which were visibly demonstrated through every aspect of the event and this was overwhelmingly appreciated by the event attendees.”
Mike Seaman, CEO at Raccoon Events commented: “We are thrilled to have won two of the most prestigious awards in our industry. We have a very clear vision of the type of event we want to deliver for the running community and our commitment to that and our unwillingness to waver on proving the best experience possible has paid off. This is the best way to end a pretty challenging year and we can’t wait to bring our community together again for the next event.”
The National Running Show South will be at Farnborough International, 5-6 Jun 2021. For more information about the event visit: https://nationalrunningshow.com/south
