The winner of the demolition innovation award for a unique product is Liebherr.

The winner of this year’s Equipment Innovation – Series award is Powerscreen with Liebherr highly commended.

What did we learn from the opening session of the Demolition Summit…?

Whilst others are off making themselves look pretty for tonight’s Demolition Awards here in Amsterdam, I have taken time out to think over the past day of communication and interaction with demolition professionals from across the globe.

During the past seven hours or so, I have met a number of people for the first time, many of them from far-flung corners of the globe. Now as an Englishman who speaks no foreign languages and who has only a rudimentary grasp of his native tongue, such interactions would normally prove difficult. But, thanks to the Internet in general and social media in particular, these people were friends long before I met them face-to-face. Furthermore, it transpires that we all share one common language; the language of demolition. And while certain words of phrases get lost in translation, it doesn’t take long to decipher what everyone is talking about.

I was critical of last year’s Demolition Awards which, I suggested, were not internationally representative. This year’s awards are still a few hours away so we don’t yet know just how global these global awards will be this year.

But, one thing’s for sure, the Demolition Summit preceding them has been by far the most internationally-inclusive demolition event I have ever attended.

Credit where credit’s due – Organisers KHL and D&Ri have done a fine job of bringing the industry together. What the industry does now with that togetherness is entirely down to the delegates here.

Fans in last minute scramble for Spectrum souvenirs.

Comcast-Spectacor says it will hold one final event for the public on Saturday where fans can pay $25 and take anything they can carry away from the Spectrum arena in South Philadelphia. The company says the demolition will not affect any parking in the area of the Wells Fargo Center nor interfere with any entrance at the Wells Fargo Center.

“We will begin the demolition process by enclosing the Spectrum with protective fencing on Monday,” said Comcast-Spectacor President Peter Luukko. “The demolition of the arena will commence from the inside as early as Monday or Tuesday. We expect to be working on the exterior by the third week in November.”

The event on Saturday is called the “If You Can Carry It, You Can Keep It” event. Admission is $25 which includes a commemorative Spectrum crystal, as well as the opportunity to go onto the arena floor and take home a personal souvenir of the Spectrum.

Read more here.

Watch this space for Demolition Summit and Awards news and views.

We’re just over 24 hours away from the start of our Demolition Awards coverage and (partly to celebrate and partly to reacquaint ourselves with the technology) we have just posted a brief audio message.

We will be using this technology to bring you the latest news from the event, together with photos, interviews and ultimately post-award videos too.

So take a listen below and please be sure to check back on Friday 5 November when we’ll be coming to you LIVE from Amsterdam.

Demolition of pub in Yate delayed because of the discovery of asbestos.

Contractors charged with knocking down The Swan pub had to postpone work when a small amount of asbestos fibres were found, according to The Gazette.

The 19th century pub is being demolished as part of Tesco’s redevelopment of its shopping centre store. Spokesman Dan Bramwell said: “A small amount of asbestos was found.

“We had to go through South Gloucestershire Council’s statutory procedure which is why there was a delay. It has all now been cleared and the pub has been demolished.”

Read more here.