Famtastic Awards 2026 at Cedar Court Bradford
On 30 October, we welcomed 200 guests to Cedar Court Bradford for the Famtastic Awards 2026. There were pink flamingos, live music and napkins being waved above heads. And when the messages started coming in afterwards, one thing kept getting its own mention: the pie.
A day for the people who bring events together
This was our first time hosting hospitality industry awards of this kind at Bradford. It brought venue finding agents, event planners and hospitality teams together under one roof, many of them seeing the hotel for the first time.
The day started with workshops and a networking lunch, followed by an afternoon of speed networking. As Unique Venues Birmingham shared afterwards, it was a chance to make new connections and catch up with people they already knew. By the time guests came back down for drinks, the conversations were already in full swing.
When the Cedar Suite went Britpop
Pink Union Jacks, vinyl records and a photo backdrop gave guests plenty to play with before dinner. Inside the Cedar Suite, a brass band and live drummers brought two very different sounds to the evening. And if you look through John Steel’s photos, you’ll see exactly what happened when the dinner napkins stopped being part of the table setting.
Of course, the awards were the reason we were all there. Congratulations to everyone who was shortlisted or took home an award, and thank you to Paula Kelsey and the Famtastic team for trusting us to host.
What guests remembered
Andrew Woods even spelled out CEDAR COURT in his LinkedIn post, picking out everything from the food and the team to the refurbished spaces and conference facilities. Event planner Gail Crowe had a simple message for anyone who hadn’t visited yet: “Not been to the hotel? You should!”
We loved seeing the room come together, but it was the feedback about the people looking after it that meant the most. Guests wrote to us about the welcome, the service and the little touches they noticed throughout the day. As for the pie, we’ve passed the messages on to the kitchen. They know they’ve set themselves a benchmark.
Planning an awards night or conference in Bradford?
If you’re looking for somewhere that can take you from daytime workshops to a full awards dinner, come and see the spaces for yourself. We’d love to show you around and hear what you have in mind.