More often than not, PR pros redirect the spotlight away from their own achievements and onto their clients’ successes. Occupational hazard aside, the 2009 PRWeek Awards provided PR pros with the opportunity to put their own accomplishments front and center and celebrate an industry’s overall excellence. During my second Awards, it was a real pleasure to hear the enthusiastic applause for agencies in the midst of challenging (and highly scrutinized) projects, like Fleishman Hillard’s win for assisting with Bumble Bee Foods’ Castleberry’s National Food Recall, or small agencies, like Dig Communications, be lauded in their own right. Above all, what the the 2009 Awards did best was showcase the value created by all the nominated agencies, win or lose, and the industry at large.

I didn’t know what to expect going into the PRWeek Awards last night - it was my first year attending the event - but I have to say that I was impressed with how excited every single person I spoke to was.

My highlights for the night?

The guy from LaunchSquard conducting video interviews and asking which firm would win Boutique PR Agency of the Year. (His firm did!) Meeting Shannon Riggs, this year’s Young PR Professional of the Year, who flew in all the way from Oregon to attend the awards.

And, Coyne PR, this year’s Awards darlings. I met Tom Coyne for the first time early in the night and the first thing he did was let me know that his tables would be having a pretty good time. He was right. Coyne’s sheer excitement, I think, made everyone remember how lucky they are that they get to be a part of this industry.

PRWeek had its Awards show last night. Oh, you didn’t hear? More than one person told me that they were so excited by the turnout (down a bit from last year, but still packed house). True, the situation out there can be dire, but it gave the industry an opportunity to cheer on colleagues and celebrate winning campaigns.

I definitely noticed more people trading notes and talking openly about their company’s/client’s strategy. A recession is not the time to be confident in one’s own infallibility. So it was great to hear the war stories and campaign tactics that aren’t usually discussed in company (especially to a journalist).

A special thanks, of course, to our wonderful chair: General Mills CMO Mark Addicks. The industry thanks you for your service.

After a night at the PRWeek Awards (my second), I’m going to need some new business cards. Not so much because I passed so many of them out to industry contacts who were tolerant of my glad-handing, but because mine don’t have my Twitter handle – - on them.

As evidenced by the of #prweekawards messages, tweeting throughout the awards and other events is a big hit with PR folks. And no less than three industry contacts asked me if my card had my Twitter information on it.

Who knows? Maybe by the time the 2010 PRWeek Awards rolls around, Twitter handles will be so commonplace, attendees won’t have to ask.

Last night was my fifth (!) PRWeek Awards, and I have to say that it was definitely one of the best. It’s always good to spend some time with some of my favorite industry contacts, and last night was no exception. In addition to the host Ralph Harris, who actually managed to keep the attention of the crowd, the highlight of the evening was definitely Coyne PR’s win for Midsize Agency of the Year. Having the entire agency there brought an infectious level of enthusiasm to the festivities. It’s always exciting to see how important the PRWeek Awards are to the the industry. Especially given the tough times nearly everyone is facing right now, it was a good opportunity to concentrate on all that is good in the PR industry and celebrate the outstanding work being done. Congratulations to all the winners!

Last night was my first PRWeek Awards and the evening really was a lot of fun! From hearing the excitement from agencies and companies as their hard work was recognized (here’s to you, Coyne!), to sipping cocktails and swapping stories with great PR pros, I had a great time. I’ve been at PRWeek for a little less than a year, so I’m still putting faces to names and getting to know people outside of a last minute phone call to get a quote. I enjoyed talking about our Awards dresses with Lisa Sepulveda, CEO of Euro RSCG Worldwide PR, and had plenty of laughs with the hilarious Julian Green, director of media relations of Miller Coors. From ringing the Nasdaq bell earlier this week to laughing over cocktails at the After Glow last night, it’s been a great couple of days of getting to know you all a little bit better. And that’s been great!

Last night was my ninth PRWeek Awards. Though I consider myself an old pro at this point, I admit going into the evening with great uncertainty. You can’t escape the current economic reality, and I was interested to see what kind of turnout and what kind of mood would be awaiting all attendees.

I was not disappointed. Without any hesitation, I claim that the PRWeek Awards 2009 was among our best events ever. I saw so many faces I recognized, many from various meetings and some merely from the thousands of images I have collected and placed on our pages over the years. It was great seeing you all last night.

I must give kudos to the event’s host, Ralph Harris. He was funny. He was enthusiastic. He was a gentleman, extending his hand to escort all of the ladies to and from the stage to present or accept awards. It’s no coincidence that one of the best PRWeek Awards ceremonies was ushered along by perhaps the finest host we’ve ever had.

Coyne Public Relations. I know I will not be alone in mentioning this fine firm, led by one of the industry’s truly good guys, Tom Coyne. Sure they had nine tables, but their enthusiasm was infectious.

Special thanks to the VIP guests seated at the table I hosted - Bill Heyman (Heyman Associates); Bruce Berger (Univ. of Alabama); Robert Noltenmeier (NYU); Derek Creevey (Edelman); Rob Merritt (CKPR); Jennifer Cohan (GolinHarris); Judy Blatman (Council for Responsible Nutrition); and Matt Traub (DKC). Eight fine examples of the PR industry’s strength, representing agencies, trade groups, executive recruiting; and academia. If this octet of luminaries is any barometer, this industry has a bright future indeed.

Last night was my first time at the PRWeek Awards - and wow. What a show. I met so many great people:  the PR team at McDonald’s, Viacom, George Washington University, Pfizer, and a great agency leaders, as well as folks from PRNewswire, DS Simon, and KRC Research. While the reception was a whirlwind of meet-and-greets, dinner turned serious as folks waited to hear who took home the awards. Check ‘em out here.

My table included Rick French (FWV), Shannelle Armstrong from Sears, Lynn Hanessian (Zeno), Patrice Tanaka (CRT/Tanaka), and a number of other great folks. We cheered on everyone, though it was really unnecessary because we were seated next to that rowdy group of nine Coyne PR tables. Yes, nine! I saw Tom Coyne at the reception, and he told me about his nine tables. “Well, I told the staff if we were ever up for agency of the year, I’d bring them all,” - to paraphrase. Of course, a roar went up when the firm took home Midsize PR Agency of the Year. That was followed shortly by some wild screaming at the group of Edelman tables when it won first Large PR Agency of the Year, and then the top prize of Agency of the Year.

One comparison heard often at the PRWeek Awards is that the event is “the Oscars of the public relations industry.” That’s not really a fair comparison – the stars of PR are much more excited to win than Academy Awards honorees.What’s striking upon entering the big tent at Tavern on the Green is that the representatives of the various firms don’t seem to think of the event as a work night. For them, it’s a good time out on the town – complete with pictures in front of the large PRWeek Awards logos.It’s no secret that PR professionals work hard, and when it pays off with an award, the cheering is loud enough that it spreads positive buzz about a company throughout the event. Now if only putting on a tuxedo wasn’t so difficult…

As this was my first time attending the PRWeek Awards, I was shocked by the number of people in attendance. While the cocktail hour was decently crowded, I didn’t really realize how many people were actually there until we entered the tent for dinner and the awards presentation.  Walking around the room where the awards were announced, or even while waiting in line for the bathroom, I could sense the excitement of all the PR professionals in attendance.  Throughout the night it really stood out to me how highly people value the PRWeek Awards.  The loud cheering coming from winning tables was a sure sign of how delighted people were to be taking home awards, but I noticed reactions on the opposite end as well.  A table near mine seated a number of people from an agency who did not take home an award, and you could tell by the expressions on their faces (and some of the comments they made) that they were genuinely upset they didn’t win.  Despite being a dissapointing situation for them, this proves to PRWeek that people truly value the publication’s work and the magazine we put out each week. As a side note, I did find it kind of disrespectful and dissapointing how many people were talking and not paying any attention throughout the comedy act and portions of the awards presentation. Other than that I feel the PRWeek Awards was a huge success.