Industry Update: Cultural Enterprises Awards 2024 Finalists Announced

The Association for Cultural Enterprises is delighted to announce its star-studded line-up of Finalists in this year’s Cultural Enterprises Awards.

With current economic challenges and funding cuts within the sector, it has never been more important to recognise innovation in commercial enterprise and its vital role in sustaining the cultural sector. The Cultural Enterprises Awards celebrate and showcase best practice in cultural income generation. This year’s Awards have attracted a record number of entries, and the calibre is particularly high.

The Awards cover all areas of commercial activity across 12 categories including retail, catering, publishing and events. The Creative Commerce award recognises innovative new ways of generating revenue, while the Rising Star Award celebrates up and coming talent within the sector. There is also a Best Supplier Award which recognises all the incredible businesses which supply products and services to the cultural sector.

The shortlisted entries have been selected for their creativity and originality as well as their commercial success. Sustainability is a strong theme this year with materials being repurposed and recycled to create unique gifts – from stage props at the iconic Shakespeare’s Globe, to products made from original wood from HMS Victory at the National Museum of the Royal Navy.

All types and sizes of organisations from across the UK are represented among the Finalists, from the Natural History Museum, Historic Royal Palaces and the National Portrait Gallery to unique smaller venues like Kettle’s Yard, Little Angel Theatre and The Deep, as well as the National Trust, RNLI and National Trust for Scotland.

The Awards are judged by a panel of industry experts, all chosen for their extensive experience in cultural income generation. First time judge David Fenton, Interim Assistant Director, Retail, Admissions, Publishing, Licensing & Membership, Imperial War Museums, was impressed with the calibre of entries: “Being able to read through all of the amazing submissions gave me a real sense of the level of creativity and enterprise that is taking place across our sector. There were so many unique and varied ideas – well done to everyone.”

Cultural Enterprises CEO Gordon Morrison said: “Promoting commercial best practice within the cultural sector has never been more important given the urgent need for the sector to maximise income streams and identify new sources of money making. The Cultural Enterprises Awards provide a brilliant platform to showcase commercial excellence within the cultural sector, and perform an essential role in providing inspiration and ideas on maximising income streams to cultural venues across the country. I am delighted that we have seen a record level of entries this year, and the calibre is particularly high, providing us with an outstanding showcase of commercial best practice to inspire the wider sector.”

All shortlisted entries will be showcased at the Cultural Enterprises Conference at ICC Wales on 13-14 March, where the winners will be revealed at the Awards Dinner. The winner of an additional special award will also be announced on the night – the Jill Fenwick Award for Outstanding Contribution, named in honour of Cultural Enterprises’ former CEO, is awarded by the Association to an individual whose work has had a significant impact upon cultural income generation over the course of their career.

Click here to view 2024 Finalists

Images, top to bottom: Christmas Range, Natural History Museum, Best Range Finalist;  Museum of the Moon, Old Royal Naval College, Best Ticketed Event Finalist