"The best virtual show so far."
▶ Watch · Dennis Publishing on Evessio
In short —
With Zoom fatigue setting in, Dennis Publishing took two flagship ceremonies online using Evessio's Awards Room — and earned the verdict every event organiser dreams of: "the best virtual show so far".
Two awards, one big pivot
Like many other event managers, Dennis Publishing was forced to move two of its major annual events online in 2020 — the PC Pro Awards and the Historic Motoring Awards. With Zoom fatigue setting in across the industry, the team chose Evessio's Awards Room to deliver something more memorable than another video call.
The brief was deceptively hard: bring the awards alive, keep attendees engaged from start to finish, and maximise sponsor exposure — all in a digital format. The added wrinkle? The Head of Events at Dennis had recently lost her team of five and was delivering the ceremonies single-handedly, on a platform that was new to her, the attendees, and the production crew.
Larger audience
The PC Pro Awards drew more attendees than the live event would have — and they stayed for the whole ceremony.
Hampers and trophies
Sent to winners' homes, recreating the togetherness of a traditional awards night.
60 virtual tables
The Historic Motoring Awards had a public gallery alongside — busy and full of buzz.
Live chemistry
Pre-recorded winner clips slotted in seamlessly. Intense for the planner — invisible to the room.
The PC Pro Awards
The PC Pro Awards drew a larger audience than the live event would have — and crucially, attendees stayed for the whole ceremony. Hampers and trophies were dispatched to winners' homes, recreating the togetherness and indulgence of a traditional awards night.
The chat brought the room to life. Around 150 in-room messages were sent in less than half an hour, with laughing, joking, and genuine engagement throughout. The presenter from PC Pro magazine even joined the live chat. Sponsors had prominent branding on the site and their own virtual table at the ceremony — and Dennis colleagues were "blown away by the look" of the branded graphics.
A virtual format doesn't mean a smaller occasion.
With the right platform, an online ceremony can deliver more reach, more data, and more buzz than the live version — at a fraction of the production overhead.
The Historic Motoring Awards
The Historic Motoring Awards, held at 5:30 pm on 22 October, hit an unusually good slot — late enough that work colleagues were still together, early enough not to clash with family time. Attendees joined from the United States; viewers in Japan watched on catch-up. Numbers held steady against the in-person 2019 awards.
The 40-minute ceremony saw guests log in up to an hour early and stay more than half an hour after the close, socialising and networking. Across 60 virtual tables, with a public gallery alongside, the room felt busy and had a real buzz. The Apprentice of the Year was able to join with their parents — the digital format proving less intimidating for a young person, and creating space for everyone to enjoy the moment.
Straight from the room
What attendees said about the night.
Blown away by the look of the branded graphics — it really felt like a proper ceremony.
I'll almost never need to go to another live event after this!
Social media was still buzzing about it the following day.
Dennis colleagues who had nothing to do with the event signed up for tables of their own.
A production that felt live
Voting for the Car of the Year category opened ahead of the event and stayed open throughout, only closing just before the winner was announced. The presenter had pre-recorded ten alternative winner clips, and the production team simply slotted in the correct video at the moment of reveal. Intense for the planner — but pulled off seamlessly.
The chemistry of live events was very much present, and feedback was overwhelmingly positive. From a packaged-product industry that thrives on in-person celebration, that's saying something.
Bringing your awards online?
See how the Awards Room creates real engagement, real chemistry, real impact.