More than 600 benefits professionals gathered at the London Hilton, Park Lane on Friday 25 June to celebrate the best reward and benefits strategies among employers operating in the UK.

Entertained by comedian Mark Watson of Never Mind the Buzzcocks and Mock the Week fame, guests were treated to an afternoon of lunch and awards presentations, followed by a drinks reception.

This year’s awards had over 100 finalists, from which the four expert judging panels selected 21 winners. The rigorous process involved some strong debates and in categories where there was more than one potential winner, a ‘highly commended’ accolade was given.

This year’s highly commended entrants included: Kent County Council (for ‘Most effective total reward strategy’), Amey (for ‘Most effective healthcare and wellbeing strategy’), University of Lincoln (for ‘Most effective benefits strategy for working parents’), Ladbrokes (for ‘Most effective motivation or incentive strategy’) and Azzurri Communications (for ‘Most effective use of a flexible benefits plan’; entered by Thomsons Online Benefits).

Read more articles on the Employee Benefits Awards 2010 winners and finalists