PC Retail

Of course it's even better to be involved in one. Show me someone who denies they've ever fantasised of feeling the warmth of the spotlight as a room full of rivals applaud their very presence on stage and I'll show you a liar. That or a chronically self-deprecating introvert, either way.

It was with this in mind that PC Retail decided to set up its own awards ceremony for the channel. The prospect of creating an event which recognised those behind every stage of a product's lifecycle – from the factory floor to the living room desk – seemed somewhat daunting at the embryonic stages. However it could only ever be such a wide reaching event and still do the PC Retail brand justice.

It was also hugely important to steadfastly secure the independence of the voting process. It's one thing to be praised by the media; we would argue its much more valuable to be celebrated by your peers.

While the achievements of the award winners themselves should not be understated, it's worth pointing out the unique nature of the PC and technology industry and the intertwined factors that drive it. No company is an island, and in this market like perhaps no other, cooperation with 'rivals' is so much more conducive to success than blindly trying to snatch incremental levels of market share at the expense of everything else.

I'm sure Gem, AMD and Lenovo would be the first to admit that they could not have maintained a business, let alone achieved such success, without the strength of the market as a whole, which is inextricably linked to the achievements of and corporation with others. Still, it's nice to be a winner.

We say roll on next year, and from the reaction on the night, it looks like we're not alone.