Their Story
The idea for the Style Awards came about through a conversation between two colleagues Martina Leahy and Mary McGuigan. They were looking at ideas for an event for all the businesses involved in the fashion and beauty industry.
Their Goal
The majority of these businesses in Meath are SME’s and we wanted to offer them an event that they could enter and attend at very little cost, if any.
Their Solution
When we put the framework together we approached a number of businesses as sponsors and they loved the concept.
Our first award was a lunchtime event held with our host sponsors Headfort Arms Hotel in Kells. We had 6 categories and 6 sponsors and the following year and every year since it has been a stylish evening with almost 300 people attending – mostly women. We now have 10 categories ranging from Best Fashion Boutique to Best in Health and Fitness and we now have Style Awards in Meath, Westmeath and Mayo, with a special category at the Cavan Business Awards for those businesses involved in Style. Because of the relevance to their brands and the success of the event, most of our sponsors stay involved year after year.
Their Success
Aisling O’Loughlin and Sile Seoige have hosted the awards in the past and local charities in Meath, Westmeath and Mayo have benefitted from the events.
The framed awards are displayed with pride in business premises all around the county which demonstrates how important this recognition is to the recipients. We promote these awards across all our media platforms. Combining traditional media with the coverage on our websites and the engagement on social media delivers a diverse audience who are all interested in style and the business of style.
We have also been thanked for the business the event itself brings to hair salons, beauty salons, fashion and accessory boutiques in the local area.
Each year we try to up our game and offer something new and something extra. Last year, Irish TV filmed the events and this year we have tv celebrities, known for their fashion sense, as hosts for the awards. Next year plans are coming together to run a weeklong event – Meath Fashion Week – and the grand finale will be the awards on the Friday night.