Victoria Place, Woking has received a silver award at the ICSC Global MAXI Awards. Expert judges from around the globe voted to recognise Victoria Place’s Christmas campaign last year, ‘The Forgotten Toys’.
The award was announced at the global ICSC conference in Las Vegas yesterday. The Global MAXI Award programme is one of the most recognised international awards programmes in the marketplaces industry, designed to reward creative campaigns that are innovative and add value to the industry. The awards celebrate professional excellence and the most effective achievements in retail and place-making marketing globally.
The Victoria Place campaign encouraged families to bring their pre-loved toys to the Christmas grotto which were then donated to local charity Sebastian’s Action Trust, to be given to families that may not be able to afford them. The centre was overwhelmed with the huge generosity of the community that made this initiative so successful. Some 2,871 donations were received, which was significantly over the centre’s initial target.
Victoria Place was one of only two centres in the UK to reach the MAXI Awards final, with both UK centres taking top awards at the event.
John Paul Jackson, centre manager, said: “To have won a MAXI Award and be highlighted as one of the best campaigns in the world is a fantastic achievement. ‘The Forgotten Toys’ campaign was a tremendous initiative, and we are hugely grateful for the generosity of the community in getting behind this campaign. This is an achievement that the town should be very proud of.”
Supporting the community and local charities is key to the scheme’s ethos and this momentum is set to continue throughout the coming year and beyond.
