Taking place on the 7th of November at the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, South Wales, the GIMA Awards celebrate the innovation, dedication and passion of garden product manufacturers, whom actively drive the future of garden retail.
Known for his signature acerbic wit and riotous storytelling, Tom Allen will lead guests through the list of winners. Allen has worked on shows such as The Apprentice: You’re Fired, Cooking with the Stars, Bake Off: An Extra Slice, Live at the Apollo, Celebrity Googlebox, The Last Leg, and QI, amongst others.
Outside of TV, Allen is regular feature on BBC Radio 3 and BBC Sounds as the host of Monsters of Music, as well as shows ‘Tom Allen Is Not Very Nice’, ‘Just a Minute’, ‘The News Quiz’ and ‘Loose Ends’. He also co-hosts the podcast ‘Like Minded Friends’ alongside Suzi Ruffell. Allen is a Sunday Times bestselling author, with his memoirs ‘No Shame’ and ‘Too Much’. An accomplished comedian, Allen has a 50,000 strong sell-out tour under his belt, including his latest stand-up show ‘Completely’ finishing its run earlier this summer.
A budding gardener, the comedian has also appeared on BBC Two’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show coverage, where he explained that gardening helped him grieve for his father. Allen regularly appears on instagram, amusingly embracing his new gardening exploits, paired with the odd failure….
GIMA Director Vicky Nuttall said: “Until now only a handful of people have known about Tom joining us at our 2024 awards and the response has been phenomenal, so I have no doubt that now the cat is out of the bag that we’re going to see a flurry of ticket sales! Tom is sure to be an incredible host and will help make the 2024 GIMA Awards truly memorable.”
The Garden Industry Manufacturer’s Association (GIMA) is a membership organisation of around 150 members representing the majority share of suppliers and manufacturers operating within the UK gardening industry. Formed in 1999, its goal is to promote the commercial, trading and industrial interests of UK and EU-based companies supplying the UK garden industry.