Under normal circumstances, I avoid awards ceremonies like I avoid the seasonal flu: by retreating into a hermetically-sealed (ok, sound-proofed) room while my wife recklessly exposes herself to the obnoxious cattiness and tediously feigned gratitude that seems to contaminate every televised event. Awards ceremonies, specifically those of the celebrity-laden televised variety, are definitely not my thing.

Occasionally though, a sharp-witted host that cunningly mocks the celebrity elite and injects some relevant political commentary (thank you, Jon Stewart. Maybe one day the Oscars will invite you back…) might draw me from my self-imposed quarantine. It is definitely the efforts of the host that makes my rare exposure to awards shows an entertaining venture.

Such was the case at the 2011 Microsoft Impact Awards in Toronto last month. Of course, the entertainment factor for me and my fellow partner, Graeme Byrne, was upped by the fact that Arbutus Solutions was nominated, and won, for Project & Portfolio Management Partner of the Year. See MORE about the event, including photos.

Robyn Benincasa, a eco-challenge adventure champion and firefighter, hosted the awards gala that paid tribute to the outstanding contributions from members of the Microsoft Partner Network. Robyn’s stories about racing around the world in the most dire of circumstances with a team of elite competitors definitely rang true. Though most of us regular folks would never dream of rappelling down a 300-foot cliff into a jungle in Borneo for nothing more than mere glory, we could identify with her parables of teambuilding and relying on one’s own fierce dedication to get us through our challenges.

I especially appreciated Robyn’s story about the final leg of a race in which her team was being closely pursued by the opposing French team. She kept looking behind her to see how close they were, and finally her teammate forcibly positioned Robyn’s head towards the front of their canoe, insisting that “winning is that way.” In the story that earned Arbutus Solutions our nomination, there were many times when we could have been distracted by our competitors. But we chose instead to focus on our own strengths as a team, and to focus on what worked best for the client. It was a sweet victory to be honoured for that work.

With any awards ceremony, it could have been a quick slide into the mundane, but Microsoft’s executives, the event planners, and Robyn made the event both entertaining and inspiring. All 43 awards were distributed in record time, as Robyn requested that each winner keep their acceptance to a “tweet”. Smart. You know how us tech guys can just go on and on. The venue, the Fermenting Cellar in Toronto’s distillery district, was perfect for the event. The open bar was a nice touch too! All of Microsoft’s efforts to honour us as partners inspired us to stick around until the end, to hear about the innovative work our fellow partners are doing.

Well done, Microsoft and the Partner Network. Arbutus Solutions is proud to be a part of the team. And thanks to Robyn Benincasa for igniting our flame. We look forward to next year’s Impact Awards. The only question remains…which designer will I be wearing?

PS We are also mentioned in this article posted on ITbusiness.ca.

Familiar tools means less resources are needed for re-training your staff, making the transition smoother and quicker, and expediting productivity.