The team behind Perth Concert Hall and Perth Theatre emerged victorious in the Business Leadership category at the 2009 Scottish Thistle Awards.
Horsecross Arts, the creative organisation that runs the two Fair City venues collected the coveted accolade at the Awards Ceremony and Gala Dinner at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre on Friday 23 October.
New to the 2009 Awards, the Business Leadership Award recognises businesses where leaders support their entire team to achieve an ambitious team vision and can demonstrate impressive results.
The judges praised Horsecross for team spirit, for imaginative approaches to leadership development, for quality management and innovative business practice. They highlighted the significant impact the organisation has had on the economic development of the local area, bringing in new business through cultural, conference and community programmes.
Chief executive Jane Spiers said:
"What a night! We're delighted to be Scottish Thistle Award winners for Business Leadership. Each and every member of the staff here has contributed to our success and I was thrilled to collect the award on behalf of everyone on Friday. It's a fantastic boost for everybody in Horsecross Arts to get such high profile, public recognition for the work we do - our cultural programme, our conference business and our education and community activity. We're all very proud of the team, our two amazing venues in Perth and what we've achieved in such a short space of time."
The VisitScotland Scottish Thistle Awards, which are among the most highly prized awards in the industry, celebrate quality and innovation across a range of categories.
Now in their 18th year, the awards are open to all businesses operating in Scotland's tourism industry. Horsecross Arts are previous winners of the Business Tourism Award in 2007 and also reached the 2009 finals in the Marketing Initiative Award for the Polish Spring season celebrating the cultural connections between Poland and Scotland.
Councillor Liz Grant, convener of lifelong learning, at Perth and Kinross Council said:
"I am delighted for Horsecross and their team. To be finalists in two awards, and go on to win a second Scottish Thistle Award in only three years, this is a considerable achievement. The Award is national recognition of how valuable a resource we have in Perth Concert Hall and Perth Theatre. Congratulations to everyone involved."
David Taylor, co-director of arts at the Scottish Arts Council said:
"The Scottish Arts Council congratulates Horsecross on winning this Business Leadership award. Horsecross has demonstrated exceptional leadership in the cultural sphere: regionally and nationally. It also makes a remarkable contribution to the artistic, civic and economic life of Perth and Kinross. This award shows that cultural organisations can demonstrate the high level of skills and capabilities required in today's challenging business environment."
Minister for tourism, Jim Mather, said:
"The Scottish Thistle Awards are a real opportunity to celebrate quality and innovation in Scottish tourism. In the current economic climate, all the Thistle Award winners have shown a huge amount of dedication and hard work and I would like to thank them for not only boosting their own individual businesses, but also Scotland's economy as a whole."