The last few months have flown by as a result of the preparations for the IITPSA President’s Awards and 60th Anniversary Banquet.

 

After months of planning the big day had arrived and on 8 November 2017 we honoured various individuals within the ICT industry who have made significant contributions and who we consider to be role models.

 

I arrived early at the venue where we were hosting the event and I had butterflies in my stomach. The red carpet was rolled out and I walked through a tunnel which reminded me of a James Bond movie. The entertainers for the evening were rehearsing and were tweaking the audio so it would be just right.

 

I was transported into another world. The décor suited our Diamond theme to a “T”. I could hardly contain my excitement. The hanging wall banners looked awesome. The staff were very friendly and helpful and I just knew that we were going to have a wonderful evening.

 

The guests started arriving and I realised that I should probably change into my high heeled shoes. Flip flops do not go well with evening wear and I was not about to make a fashion statement. Canapes and cocktails were served and we were rubbing shoulders with the industry’s crème de la crème.

 

Our professional MC, Mark Pilgrim, started the preceding’s and he kept us in check to make sure that we stuck to the schedule.  We kept the speeches short and sweet. After all, this was an evening of celebration and acknowledgement of our peers.

 

The finalists were called up one by one to receive a certificate. Reaching the finalist stage, in in itself, is a major accomplishment. Finally, the winners were announced. Clearly very popular because the crowd went wild. 

 

As the evening drew to a close my excitement had still not begun to wear off. I exchanged my evening shoes for my flip flops again and was taking in the last bit of the evening’s magic.

 

The event was a huge success and if you were not able to attend, we’ve published a video and photos on our Facebook page.

 

I hope you all had a wonderful year and I wish you a fantastic and healthy 2018