This year’s Fit Out Awards were another huge success with a record number of entries and over 850 attendees at the gala dinner on November 3rd in Dublin. The Fit Out Awards are an excellent opportunity for fit out professionals including suppliers, contractors and designers to come together with their clients, showcase their work and achievements and express their appreciation for the industry’s achievements over the year. This year’s Outstanding Contribution Award was presented to Architect Conor MacCabe, Head of Interior Design at Henry J Lyons & Partners. Conor is a longstanding client of ours on projects such as Willis Towers Watson in Dublin and SMBC Aviation Capital, and we are delighted that his well-deserved success was rewarded. Speaking at the awards, Conor said that in their five years in existence, the Fit Out Awards have helped identify Fit Out as an industry in its own right. Judging this year was chaired by President of the Interiors Association Angela Connolly, who led an expert team of recognised architects, designers, clients and academics. Categories reflect achievements by all disciplines and recognise a range of sectors including office, residential, retail, tourism and leisure, conservation and the public sector. This year’s awards were presented at a black-tie gala dinner at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Dublin, compered by RTÉ 2FM’s Rick O’Shea. You can view a selection of photographs of the gala dinner and awards on the Fit Out Award’s Facebook and Flickr Pages. Optima is delighted to have co-sponsored the Fit Out Awards this year. We were involved in ten of the shortlisted projects, demonstrating that with our ongoing product development and strict quality control, Optima’s partitioning systems remain the first choice for specifiers in Ireland.