By Andrew Brown Stand Up For Southport
Elite Bars in Southport has been judged best in the North West at the prestigious Wedding Industry Awards.
Managing Director Mark Dilley and his team were delighted to be awarded Best Mobile Bar Hire Service in the region.
They now go forward to compete in the national finals in January 2025.
Mark Dilley said: “It was fantastic to get the win! We are still walking on air!
“These awards are the best recognised within our industry, so it was a huge accolade for us.
“There was massive competition this year, with over 1,500 businesses in contention across the different categories.
“Organisers told us it was a record year for entries with lots of people wanting to get involved.
“It was a really good awards ceremony, with over 200 guests there. We had a great night.
“I enjoyed meeting other like-minded industry professionals and connecting with them, seeing who else is doing well.
“Since our win was announced, my phone has been going non-stop! I’ve had loads of messages of congratulation from people. It’s given us all a real boost.
“Thank you all so much to everyone for your support! We were blown away by all your kind wishes and are so proud to be able to bring this prestigious award back home.
“Now we’re going forward to the national finals in January. We’ll be up against companies from London, the Midlands, Scotland, all over the country, and we’re looking forward to it.
“I would like to say a big thank you to my team at Elite Bars and Elite Marquees.
“Without my team, this award would not have been possible. I cannot thank them enough for their hard work and dedication.
“We’re all part of one big family; Team Elite!”
Damian Bailey, founder of The Wedding Industry Awards said:
“Since 2011 The Wedding Industry Awards has been dedicated to recognising and rewarding excellence in the wedding industry and this year’s Regional Finalists and Winners are clearly at the top of their game.
“Our awards are unique as they are voted by recent wedding couples and it’s not the total number of votes that companies receive that leads to success. Instead, we focus on the quality of the feedback they get from eligible couples, amongst other things. Larger companies and talented individuals compete on a level playing field and the best wedding suppliers always rise to the top.”
Elite Bars continues to grow its reputation in the North West Region. Last year the company was appointed as the service provider for the historic Meols Hall wedding venue in Churchtown. Mark and his team have already catered for over 110 weddings since then.
They are now also partnered with the CHET Centre (Crosby Hall Educational Trust) in Little Crosby in Liverpool, as well as Worden Hall in Leyland, Lancashire.
The firm caters for clients with a range of budgets and requirements. In August they planned and hosted a star-studded surprise 40th birthday party where entertainment was provided by Marti Pellow and Olly Murs.
That was followed by 17 nights at the 2024 Southport Comedy Festival in September and October, with stars including Ben Elton, Jason Manford, Henning Wehn, Jimeoin and Jo Caulfield.
The Southport-based firm has 15 permanent and part-time members of staff with 30 contractors working for them at any one time.
Elite Bars CEO Mark Dilley said:
“It’s been a great year for Elite Bars who are already providing a number of wedding venues with a high end service. We have had one of our best years to date with record high bookings and are now working hard on securing more venues and bookings for 2025 onwards.”
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