The Richmond area’s public relations community gathered last night to honor its own at an awards ceremony at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. The big winners of the evening were CRT/tanaka and the city of Richmond’s Department of Public Utilities, both of which won Best in Show awards.

In an effort to better integrate social media into its work, CRT/tanaka has bought Livingston Communications, a Washington-based social media firm. This is the second time this year that the Richmond-based public relations and marketing firm has bought another agency. Mark Raper, CEO of CRT/tanaka, said adding Livingston will allow his firm to integrate social media into its core public relations and marketing disciplines. Social media include online platforms such as Twitter and Facebook.

CRT/tanaka has purchased Lewis & Neale, a New York-based marketing and communications agency that specializes in food. Lewis & Neale’s clients include the American Spice Trade Association, the U.S. Apple Association and the Avocado Producers and Exporters from Mexico.

Carpet cleaner Bissell Homecare Inc. has hired Richmond-based marketing and public relations firm CRT/tanaka as its agency of record. The agency will provide public relations, branding and online social media work for the Michigan company. Bissell makes vacuum cleaners, steam cleaners and cleaning chemical for homes. Mike Mulvihill, president of CRT/tanaka, said the agency would help Bissell with launching products, including machines that will help remove pet hair in carpets and technology that makes machines more eco-friendly.