The EVCOM lunch was held at the House of Lords and welcomed board members, the membership community and patron members. Michael Hirst OBE, Patrick Russell and Naga Munchetty were announced as the 2021 fellows at a celebratory event in London.

Charlotte Gentry, founder and CEO of Pure Communications Group,  announced the first fellow, Michael Hirst OBE. Hirst currently sits on the BVEP Executive Committee as immediate past chair. He has worked in the tourism and hospitality industry for over fifty years and was awarded an OBE for his services to the sector. Alongside serving on several boards including the Tourism Alliance and Hilton International, Hirst was also voted ‘Personality of the Year’ by readers of Meeting & Incentive Travel.

Filmmaker, Tim Langford, presented the second fellowship award to Patrick Russell who has led the non-fiction team at the BFI National Archive since 2000. Russell has worked on several major archival projects drawing on the British tradition of documentary and non-fiction filmmaking. Having been a partner to EVCOM for several years, he has shared his knowledge on the sector and hosted several webinars and events at the BFI.

Naga Munchetty, journalist and presenter on BBC Breakfast, was announced as the third and final fellow by Des Good of Grosvenor Films. Munchetty has interviewed some of the world’s most influential politicians while also welcoming celebrity guests and sharing the lighter side of British news. She has become a household name for many following her authoritative coverage of major news events including the collapse of the Northern Rock.

Each fellow shared insight into the comms industry and addressed some challenges faced by practitioners this past year.