Voting is now closed for the 2014 Sussex Business Awards and the shortlist for the finals has officially been announced
Entrants had to go through extensive evaluation coupled with phone, face to face and panel interviews in order to book their place in the final, leaving just over 40 companies from across the county vying to win one or more of the sixteen trophies up for grabs at this year’s event.
For the first time in many years the longest established scheme of its kind in Sussex sees no single company make the shortlist more than once, although representatives of their companies have been shortlisted for additional individual awards.
Now in its 26th year, the Sussex Business Awards introduced a new category for 2014, generating a great response to the Young Sussex Businessperson of the Year award.
Sponsored by Sussex Downs College, the award recognises the achievements of youthful entrepreneurs aged between 16 and 25 who have demonstrated a passion and flair for business.
“Sussex is increasingly recognised as a hub for digital media outside of London, with a high start-up business rate, even in challenging economic times and young people are often at the vanguard of this movement,” says Wayne Wright, Vice Principal for Curriculum and Enterprise at Sussex Downs College. “I am confident that all three of the finalists on our shortlist will be the business leaders of tomorrow.”
The judging was chaired for the first time by Mike Herd, executive director of the Sussex Innovation centre and a previous winner of the Sussex Businessperson of the Year award, who was pleased with the award’s continued popularity and variety.
“We are delighted with the response to this year’s awards from a broad range of fantastic businesses across the breadth of Sussex,” he says. “An excellent and diverse range of applications made the judging particularly difficult and resulted in some very worthy winners. Congratulations to all the shortlist!”
This year’s ceremony will take place on Wednesday 10th December 2014 at The Grand, Brighton and will be attended by over 500 of the county’s leading business people.
Tickets cost £90 each (plus VAT) or £850 (plus VAT) for a table of ten. This includes champagne reception, a three-course meal and two bottles of wine on each table, as well as entertainment, dancing and more.
For more information or to buy tickets, please contact the Sussex Business Awards on T: 01273 666200 or E: sussex@midnight.co.uk. Or follow them on Twitter @SussexBizAwards