It was an honour to be able to volunteer for this great night of celebration, and I wanted to share a few important things I learned from the event as a UKOUG volunteer, general guest, and winner.
First off, for those who haven't been there before, the 2024 Community Awards were held at Red Bull Racing's iconic and one-of-a-kind MK-7 venue. Even as someone who isn't a big fan of Formula 1, I thought the enormous room's overall design was visually stunning! Its contemporary board room, large screens showcasing the achievements of the Formula 1 drivers, and walls covered in black draperies are all striking features of this place.
It created the ideal atmosphere for the evening, when a few friends and colleagues of Oracle came together to celebrate the successes of the previous year and to honour exceptional partners, projects, and community members.
I arrived a little early to help set up the event, and despite the fact that I hadn't met the team yet, their welcoming nature made me feel at ease.
Catering & accessibility
If, like me, you have a lot of food intolerances, there's usually something on the plate that you can't have or don't like, but I found the food delicious, and each course was arranged in a way that accommodated the preferences of each individual.
As a disabled, neurodivergent person with a role in diversity and inclusion, I thought this location did a great job of accommodating a wide range of needs. I have chronic fatigue syndrome and am a neurodivergent person. This mostly just means that I need to be very careful about how I pace my day (check my LinkedIn profile for more information on my personal experiences). However, as everything was more or less on the ground floor and close by, it was never too much of an issue for me.
The location was easy to find and straight-forward. The staff were friendly and there to point you in the right direction, from the security gate to the parking lot, the front door, and all the way to your seat.
The seating plan was a light green pastel that was neither too bright nor too stark and it was clear and concise. The main event area was either accessible by a couple of steps, a small lift, or a ramp, and it was also located in close proximity to the area where disabled people could use the restrooms.
Once you're in this area, the corridors are wide, and the area is mostly flat. Throughout the entirety of the night, I was able to access the boardroom area, which was an air-conditioned, quiet space situated at a distance from the main event and tables.
Shine
This year's event also included a brand-new initiative: Shine, a mentoring programme for women and non-binary people in our Oracle community. Founded by Leona Chauhan, CEO of UK Oracle User Group & Magia Consulting.
Some of those talented women were there on the night and are pictured below! The first cohort has fifty participants in the initiative from thirty different Oracle organisations!
Coordinating this event and being the diversity leader for Magia Consulting earned me the DEI Advocate of the Year and it is an incredible honour. It encourages my passion for diversity and inclusion, a subject about which I feel very strongly, and it gives me a sense of pride and appreciation that my efforts are being recognised. The award was rendered even more inclusive by the fact that it was a joint victory with Pete Gutteridge-Paye from Namos Solutions. What better way to celebrate an inclusion award than with more than one winner!
Please see this link for the winners in each category!
It was lovely to see so many proud winners and passionate people coming together to celebrate each other's business expansion and personal achievements in the Oracle community!
I really hope I get to be able to attend next year's event, as it is truly not an event to miss within our Oracle community
