LOWESTOFT AIR FESTIVAL NEWS ARCHIVE
Air Festival Scoops Three Awards!!
10/12/2009
The importance to the local economy of the Lowestoft Seafront Air Festival has been recognised by the business community of the town, district and county.
The Air Festival, which has grown in 13 years to become one the top three airshows in the country, was singled out for three awards at the Waveney Chamber of Commerce Business Awards for 2009.
At a glittering ceremony held at Potters Leisure Resorts new Zest venue at Hopton, the Air Festival won the Regeneration and Community Development Award (presented by Suffolk County Council and Waveney District Council), the Creative Lowestoft Business Investment Award (presented by 1st East, the urban regeneration company for Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth) and the Retail Innovation Award (presented by Lowestofts Britten Centre and Lings Honda.
The SCC/WDC Regeneration Award is given to reward the schemes, organisations and people that have helped to breathe new life into areas of Waveney and have delivered improved opportunities for local communities.
The 1st East award is in recognition of a new or existing business that has invested in Lowestoft creating local wealth for local people and improving the economic success in the Lowestoft town area.
For the Retail Innovation Award the judges based their decision on four main criteria professional image, presentation skills, interpersonal skills and service concepts and skills.
Accepting the awards on behalf of the Lowestoft Seafront Air Festival company, managing director Paul Bayfield said: I am really so proud to accept these awards on behalf of the organising team and we are particularly pleased that they represent appropriate recognition for LSAF Ltd from its peers in the world of business.
We can now fully understand the value placed on the event and how important it is to the local community and businesses and what responsibility we have to keep the event going.
For several years the towns Air Festival was run by Waveney District Council with the help of European funding but since 2004 it has been organised by LSAF Ltd, a not-for-profit charitable company working in partnership with Waveney council and local charities.
The group consists of three unpaid directors assisted by a team of volunteers whose main aim is to make the event self-financing.
In each of the past two years the company has handed back over 28,000 to local and regional charities who have helped as stewards, programme and merchandise sellers and collectors.
The success of the Air Festival has been previously recognised. Last years record-breaking event won the Tourism in Suffolk award for the Best Festival or Event in 2008.
