Celebrating Skills, Supporting Talent

At the heart of the event is a clear mission, to recognise the individuals and organisations driving change through skills development and to inspire others to invest in the next generation of talent. Categories range from ‘Apprentice of the Year’ awards in specific sectors including hair and beauty, manufacturing and engineering, education and early years, to ‘East Kent Apprentice Champion of the Year’, recognising a broad selection of success stories across the public and private sectors.

A proven model, delivered by Pillory Barn

Pillory Barn took the inaugural East Kent Apprenticeship Awards, in 2018, from concept to reality in just eight weeks. As a full-service marketing agency, with more than 30 years of experience, we were able to create an awards blueprint then build it from the ground up. Key actions included developing a unique brand identity, creating an EKAA website, launching social media channels and running organic and paid for content, writing press releases, all in line with our strategic marketing plan to raise awareness and drive nominations. Extensive personalised outreach by our well-connected team successfully secured sponsors and even extended to calling local businesses with apprentice programmes in order to encourage entries.

“The first event was really rapid,” says Julie O’Connor, Operations Director at Pillory Barn. “But because we’ve done this before – with KEiBA, Pride in Medway and many other events – and we know what it takes to organise and deliver a professional, high-impact awards scheme and celebration. Running everything ourselves provides the unique ability to take a 360 degree approach.”

Each successive year of the awards, our strong regional network in Kent enables us to connect the right businesses to the awards, whether as sponsors, supporters, or entrants. In 2025 we brought on board high-profile regional partners including the Port of Dover as headline sponsor and Kimberly-Clark as the official dinner sponsor.

An awards night with purpose

EKAA culminates in a gala celebration, currently held at The Yarrow, EKC Group’s flagship training hotel in Broadstairs, which offers students a valuable ‘real life’ hospitality and catering training experience. The EKAA event includes a drinks reception, a three-course meal, professional AV staging with walk-up music, bespoke trophies, and entertainment, such as a magician or live music – all organised by Pillory Barn. Our experience of delivering Pride in Medway for more than 25 years and KEiBA, Kent’s business ‘Oscars’ for more than 12 years, placed us in a strong position to quite literally roll out the red carpet when organising a memorable event.

“This isn’t just another awards night,” Julie explains. “It’s a night of real recognition for apprentices, many of whom wouldn’t typically attend a formal event like this. From 18-year-olds fresh into work to adults retraining mid-career, we recognise them and make it a night to remember.”

The categories continue to evolve, aligning closely with EKC Group’s curriculum areas. Organisations such as East Kent Hospitals Trust, with large internal apprenticeship schemes, have been regular contenders and champions.

Driving skills development for the county

EKC Group and our sponsors’ invaluable support ensures that the awards reflect the real needs and opportunities in the local economy, pushing forward professional development and vocational learning. The event is a showcase of how apprenticeships transform outcomes, businesses, and communities.

With the model now proven, Pillory Barn sees real potential for the awards to scale.

“We’re ambitious about the future of the apprenticeship awards,” says Julie. “With the right partners and continued support, there is an opportunity to increase the profile and recognise apprenticeships right across the county. We’ve got the roadmap and the team to make that happen.”

As the event grows, there’s scope to bring in more apprenticeship providers, new categories, and regional heats, broadening reach while staying focused on the core mission: celebrating excellence in apprenticeships.

With deep roots in Kent and a long track record of delivering major awards programmes, Pillory Barn is the perfect partner to manage events like EKAA from end-to-end. From brand creation to full event logistics, from marketing strategy to stakeholder engagement, we bring together creativity, experience and local insight.

Whether it’s launching a new event or scaling a proven format, we can turn ambition into action.