In my first few months here at PRWeek (like a few others on the editorial staff, this was my first awards), much of my interaction with members of the industry has been one-on-one by telephone or email.

Last night was a great example of the range of high tech and low tech ways that people still use to communicate with one another. There were the speeches delivered on video, the intimate conversations that hummed beneath the Tavern tents, the body language of hugs and clanking of glasses in celebration of the evening, and, of course, the Internet, where news/online editor Keith O’Brien and I worked to get online visitors the list of winners and honorable mentions as the announcements were being made.

A PR exec from a technology company sat on the left of me during dinner, talking about how vblogs are becoming more ubiquitous. On my right, another exec talked about his work in the multicultural field, reaching out to the growing Hispanic market. I wondered aloud whether we were on the road to a more bilingual society.

Outside of the nominated companies and campaigns, the awards are a reminder of all of the communication tools at the industry’s disposal, all the different ways they can be used, and all the tools and techniques that are possible.