Brighton Festival was among a number of organisations and people honoured at the 2005 Brighton and Hove Business Awards (BAHBAs) last night.

It won the award for Event Of The Year at the gala dinner where Channel 4 newsman Krishnan Guru-Murphy announced the winners.

Drakes Hotel, Brighton, received the award for Best New Kids On The Block and hotelier Roger Marlowe was named Outstanding Brightonian.

About 500 people from 150 of the city's top businesses attended the red-carpet event under a giant marquee at Brighton Racecourse.

The awards were established last year to salute entrepreneurial and creative talent in Brighton and Hove rather than Sussex as a whole.

Celebrities at the event included actor Mel Smith, designer Oliver Heath, hairdresser Trevor Sorbie and news readers Carol Barnes and Marcella Whittingdale.

Brighton and Hove mayor, Councillor Bob Carden, was guest of honour at The Argus-sponsored event which started with a champagne reception.

The BAHBAs were initiated by public relations company Midnight Communications which organised the event with Juice 107.2FM and Brighton & Hove Life Magazine.

Caraline Brown, chief executive officer of Midnight, said: "This year's awards have been so exciting as we have seen such a broad range of Brighton businesses being rewarded for their hard work - and not just the so-called usual suspects.

"I'd really like to thank all those involved, from the hard working team at Midnight to the judges who took the time to really consider each and every one of our entries, to our sponsors without whose generous support we would not have had an award scheme.

"Last night's presentation has firmly put the BAHBAs on the calendar as the premier city awards scheme and the place for networking."

More than 200 companies entered the awards.

Cabaret star and host for the evening Dolly Rocket presided over a charity auction which raised hundreds of pounds for sick children's charity Whoopsadaisy.

A full list of winners and pictures will be published in next Tuesday's Business supplement.

Friday, September 2 2005