At the Wallace Space in Covent Garden on 25 July, 21 experts from the exhibition, experiential and creative sectors of the event industry came together to judge the many entries for this year's Event Awards.

Chaired by Event editor Jeremy King and Haymarket Exhibitions managing director Simon Daukes, the panel spent an entire day going through more than 400 entries.

The expert judges included corporate event planners from companies such as Sainsbury's, Selfridges, Sony and Research in Motion, alongside agencies of the calibre of Iris Experience, GSP, Event Concept and Hype Party Planning.

Using the judging criteria set out for entrants, the panel created a shortlist of 68 companies, listed below in alphabetical order.

>> Aquabatix
>> Attention Seekers
Communications
>> Beatwax
>> BMB
>> Brand Events
>> Brandwidth Marketing
>> The Brewery
>> Bristol Balloon Fiestas
>> Café de Paris
>> Centaur Exhibitions
>> The Circle Agency
>> Clay
>> CMPi
>> Creative Crew
>> Create Food and Party Design
>> DMG World Media
>> DRP Group
>> EC&O Venues
>> Emap TPS
>> Event Marketing Solutions
>> Excel London
>> Exposure
>> Freestate
>> Gallowglass
>> George P Johnson
>> GSP
>> Haymarket Exhibitions
>> Historical Promotions and Event Management/Coleshill Town Council
>> The Hospital Club
>> HPL Europe
>> i2i Marketing
>> Ignition
>> Iris Experience
>> Jackson Gilmour
>> Jack Morton Worldwide
>> Kai Catering
>> Lime
>> Lunch Communications
>> Mandarin Kite Communications
>> Media 10
>> Momentum UK
>> Moving Venue Caterers
>> MVM London
>> Newbu
>> Next Big Thing

>> Out of the Blue Communications

>> Oxygen Event Services

>> Platform

>> Portland Spa
>> Private Drama Events
>> Push UK
>> The Royal Parks
>> RPM Group
>> Salt Events
>> Science Museum
>> Sense Marketing Services
>> Sheepdrove Eco
Conference Centre
>> Sledge
>> Slice
>> Sprout
>> Stage One
>> Sternberg Clarke
>> Studio 10
>> Studio Boardman
>> TRO
>> Turret Middle East
>> Visit London
>> Zafferano