The event, presided over by the Minister of Environment and Housing, Mr Francesc Baltasar i Albesa, was held at the Palau Pedralbes in Barcelona on 11 November 2008 and was the occasion for recognising the commitment and efforts of companies with an EMAS to improve their environmental behaviour. 
A total of 24 candidatures were presented in the three participation categories:
•Best Environmental Statement
•Best Initiative to Involve Personnel and/or Interact with External Interested Parties
•Best Environmental Implementation
The jury was presided over by Ms Maria Comellas i Doñate, Director General of Environmental Quality at the DMAH, and made up of members from different fields, from the administration itself to university and research areas, to the world of business and unions and even the communications sector. 
That year, the jury was made up of Mr Josep Maria Planas, Deputy Director General of Environmental Information & Education of the DMAH, Mr Josep Atsuara, Director of Quality, the Environmental and Safety at Cookson Electronics-Enthone España SA (partner and member of the Board of Trustees of the Club EMAS), Mr Didac Ferrer, Technical Director of the Centre for Sustainability (CITIES) at the UPC, Mr Joan Barfull, Director of the Environment Division of the PIMEC, Ms Marta Gonzalez, from the Department of the Environment of the UGT union of Catalonia and Mr Jordi Bigues, a journalist specialising in environmental topics.
Owing to the success of the first year’s event, reflected in the number of participants and the high quality of the proposals presented, the jury remarked on how difficult it was to select. In the end, they awarded two special mentions, in addition to the winners, for initiatives they felt merited mention.
The event was run and presented by journalist, actress and television presenter Rosa Andreu, who added a truly fun and fresh element. She received a warm welcome from all attendees at the ceremony. 
One of the organisation’s most relevant aspects is the attempt to follow environmental criteria while, in parallel, outlining and developing these criteria in order to uphold coherence with the spirit of the event.
•The trophies were hand crafted by a sculptor with recycled glass and embedded with copper, silver and gold leaf and copper wire, the latter also recycled. The packaging was also partially created from recycled materials. Plastics were not employed and there will be continuing improvements in this area in upcoming years.
• The stage was decorated with waste and materials collected from some of the attending organisations, providing them with a second use. There were also shelves and tables sharing the stage, made with recycled cardboard and decorated with flowers and other items made with trash and remains of materials (cardboard, newspaper, etc.). Aromatic plants were also used for adornment and, naturally, taken away for use after the event.
•The furniture consisted of chairs, armchairs and stools made out of recycled board that could be taken apart. When the event ended, the attendees themselves dismantled them and took them as gifts.
•The catering was organised by a social integration organisation with EMAS registration that served up organic, agricultural products. After a toast with cava, courtesy of Bodegues Sumarroca, attendees helped out in managing the waste generated from the catering, placing leftovers into the different containers provided to this end.
