Cake, for example, seemed to be having a particularly jolly evening - and encouraged a nearby table to share in their joy at bagging two awards by inadvertently showering them with champagne that its CEO Mike ('we've had a great year - best ever!') Mathieson had spontaneously purchased.
Nexus Communications MD Alan Twigg and Lexis PR chief executive Hugh Birley caught Diary's eye with their dress-sense (red tartan-style trousers for the former, a 'blue velvet frock-coat' for the latter) and were both on characteristic, chatty form.
As the evening progressed, all award winners were given polite and/or hearty rounds of applause - apart from David Cameron.
Vine's revelation that the Tory leader had been named PRWeek's Communicator the Year was met with predictable groans from the Labourites in the audience. Cameron told PRWeek: 'It is difficult to know how to respond to this one. If I am too enthusiastic, I will be accused of over-emphasising the importance of comms. But if I am not sufficiently appreciative I will be accused of being ungrateful.'
