A few hours before the 2009 EGR Awards I had the pleasure of spending some time with Mark Blandford, founder of Sporting Bet, and Chairman of the EGR Awards judges.  Over a cappuccino, Mark and I chatted about his role as Chairman of the judges, what the EGR Awards are all about, and why he has decided to step down as Chairman after three years of serving in this prestigious role.

RL: Can you tell me what it means to be Chairman of the judges? What is this role all about?

MB: Well, first of all, I was delighted to be asked by Pageant Media to be Chairman of the judges.  They are big suppliers to the industry in terms of the conferences and organizing events for the industry, and their awards are probably the most prestigious in the sense that they are genuine and fair awards judged impartially by a range of people within the industry.

RL: How do you choose the judges for this event?