Pictured above: Chris Owen, Event Manager at the Ricoh Arena

One of the first people appointed at the multi-purpose Ricoh Arena has earned a special commendation at the prestigious Exhibition News Awards 2011.

Nuneaton-born Chris Owen joined the award-winning venue ahead of its opening in 2005 as duty manager and over the last six years he has worked his way up the ladder to his current post of senior event manager.

And the 26-year-old has been presented with a special commendation at the Exhibition News Awards 2011 for Best Venue Event Manager ahead of the NEC in Birmingham and ExCeL in London.

Chris is responsible for all aspects of event management from meeting potential clients and preparing presentations to overseeing the operation on the day and taking part in a debrief with customers, suppliers and his team.

"I was surprised but delighted to receive a special commendation at a national awards ceremony which is highly regarded by exhibition organisers," he said.

"No day is ever really the same at the Ricoh because we have so many varied and different sized conferences, exhibitions and meetings.

"It is really rewarding to work with customers from their initial enquiry through the planning stage to seeing the day of the event itself go smoothly. 

"Over the last 12 months I have been working on producing a guide for exhibition organisers which answers and manages their requirements during their time with us and this has proved really popular.

"It is a real team effort here and there is no way I would have received this commendation without their help and support."

Mikala Turner, sales and marketing manager at the Ricoh Arena who nominated Chris for the award, said the accolade was fully deserved.

She said: "Industry executives from venues, organisers and suppliers judged 19 categories in the fifth Exhibition News Awards and there were around 750 guests at the awards ceremony.

"It was fantastic for Chris to receive national recognition for his valuable work in ensuring a wide range of events from different industry sectors run smoothly at the Ricoh Arena.

"Chris and the rest of the team have played an integral role in our conference and exhibitions business growing from zero to a £10m annual turnover in five years while the rest of the UK market has fallen by 30 per cent.

"Before the Ricoh Arena was built, Coventry did not appear in the top 20 of conference destinations in the UK and the city is now joint seventh which is a remarkable rise.

"And the fact Chris has been here every step of the way to see it unfold underlines his dedication and ability to do his job extremely well."