The Scrounger Awards for Training Solutions 2001

TrainingZone

The Scrounger Awards for Training Solutions 2001

By TrainingZone

Scrounger continues his irreverent look at the training show year by turning a critical eye to last week's Training Solutions show.

Here, he revives the Scrounger awards ceremony from the CIPD show at Harrogate - read on to find out who gets the gongs this time around!

It was delightful to visit so many old friends at the recent binge in the NEC, and in between casting artificial pearls before …. ahem …. Scrounger dutifully judged the fun and freebies to be had. Here then are the Scrounger Awards for Training Solutions 2001.

Hardest working extra award: The ice cream vendor at Xebec McGraw-Hill's stand.

Most unlikely excuse award: The Tetley snack wagon, unable to cut baguettes in half for customers, in case of "cross contamination".

"Don't say you weren't warned" award: EAL (the Engineering Awarding Body), for handing out rubber spanners……..

The Victor Meldrew prize: Blue Beetle, for the poor chap they painted blue…

High technology award: Totem, carving telegraph poles into strange shapes with a hammer and chisel.

"Most-likely-to-stay-on-my-desk-and-not-get-given away" award: GP, for their basic, sensible, no-frills, plastic ruler.

Big kids award: Mpower, for the furry snake.

"What-the-hell-is-he-advertising ?" award: The man in the baking foil jump suit…… what WAS he about?

"I-must-have-one-of-those" award: Not awarded.

Tired and emotional category winner: Fifth Model Solutions for adding orange juice to decent champagne, and then keeping it well away from the punters.

"Del Boy" award: Poisson Rouge, mon ami!

"I've seen that before award": Impact, for STILL trying to get rid of the key rings.

"Oh-just-go-out-and-BUY-something-will-you?" award: SVI for their boxes of Smarties. SVI get the "bag of the show" award too, as there didn't seem to be any other entries in this once popular category.

Local boy makes good award: Tudor of Lichfield, suppliers of Chocolate Fish to Happy Computers.

And finally, this year's best pen award: Actis, for their elegant grey and white retractable ball pen, took the award from the ever practical (but getting old in the tooth) transparent blue version. Honourable mention goes to LearnDirect - so good at this "low tech." stuff……

Scrounger will be out and about again at CIPD Harrogate in the Autumn, if he can get the stain from this cheap ball pen out of his only suit……

Scrounger
"Modern Management"
scrounger@ismstowe.demon.co.uk