Thrissur | The Silent Heroes Awards, organized by the Event Management Association Kerala (EMAK), the official association of event managers in Kerala, have been distributed. The eighth edition of the awards night, held at the Hyatt Regency in Thrissur, was inaugurated by the Minister for Higher Education, Roji M. John. This year's EMAK Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Hari Anand, the founder, designer, and entrepreneur of the 'Hari Anand' label. The Silent Heroes Award winners received Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals across 60 categories spanning 5 distinct levels.

During the ceremony, a dedicated staff welfare scheme ' EMAK Medcare' was launched to benefit EMAK Members. This fund is designed to provide crucial financial support for medical emergencies or illnesses occurring during events.

"The event management sector is a three-lakh crore rupee industry in India. With an estimated three lakh plus people employed in this sector in Kerala, it is not only a highly significant employer but also contributes substantially to our economy," said Minister Roji M. John during his inaugural address.

The Minister for Excise and Co-operation, M. Liju, had kicked off the 'Meet & Meet' session yesterday as part of the event. Alongside this, the event featured a B2B Expo, knowledge sessions, panel discussions, and entertainment programs. Thrissur District Collector Shikha Surendran IAS inaugurated the knowledge sessions held as part of the event. Thrissur Corporation Deputy Mayor A. Prasad, various national and state representatives of the event management association, and prominent business leaders also attended the event.

Raju Kannampuzha, President of the Event Management Association Kerala, expressed joy in being able to recognize and celebrate the remarkable achievements within Kerala's event management sector. General Secretary Bahanan K Areeckal, Vice President Dhishan Ammanath, Treasurer Praveen Chandran, Joint Secretary Ajesh Mukundan, Convenor of Silent Heroes- 2026 Joel John also attended the event.