Cornwall Business Awards open for applications

12.01.12

Today marks the launch of the Cornwall Business Awards 2012, the most prestigious business awards event in the county and a celebration of innovation and achievement.

“The Awards are a great opportunity to shine the spotlight on the stars of the Cornish business community. This is the seventh year that Cornwall Development Company has staged the Cornwall Business Awards on behalf of the business community and every single year the range and quality of entries seems to be higher.” says Suzanne Bond, Chief Executive of Cornwall Development Company.

Around 350 business leaders are expected to attend the awards dinner at St Mellion International Resort on 17th May, with live video streaming being used to share the results around the world.

Any business based in Cornwall or the Isles of Scilly can enter one or more of fourteen award categories, which include Young Business Person of the Year, Best New Business in Cornwall and Most Creative Use of Design.

Neil Chamberlain of Worldwide Financial Planning, sponsor of the ‘Best New Business’ award, says: ‘These are challenging times for businesses everywhere but Cornwall is bucking the trend and we are seeing a pattern of continued growth for many businesses, as well as many inspirational and innovative new businesses being formed.“

A new award category this year is ‘Best Use of Superfast Broadband’.

Suzanne Bond adds: “We are seeing a real transformation in the business landscape in Cornwall as businesses seize new opportunities in the knowledge economy and make the most of the latest technology to reach out to new markets in new ways. The pioneering roll out of superfast broadband is now starting to accelerate this further. It is a very exciting time to be in business in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.”

Entries for the Cornwall Business Awards 2012 should be made online and the closing date for entries is March 16th.

The award categories are:

Young Business Person – sponsored by First Great Western
Best New Business – sponsored by Worldwide Financial Planning
Best Third Sector Business – sponsored by the Eden Project
Customer Focus – sponsored by Coodes
Best Employer – sponsored by Cornwall College Business
Best Use of Superfast Broadband – sponsored by BT
Most Creative Use of Design – sponsored by University College Falmouth
Best Business Leader – sponsored by Ginsters
Excellence in Marketing – sponsored by Francis Clark with Winter Rule
Most Dynamic Growth Business – sponsored by Plymouth University
Best Diversification – sponsored by Niddocks
Best International Business – sponsor to be confirmed
Business Innovation – sponsored by Combined Universities in Cornwall
Best Entrepreneur – sponsored by Unlocking Potential

Winner of Winners – sponsored by St Austell Brewery

A full list of the award categories and criteria, and an online entry form, are available now at www.cornwallbusinessawards.co.uk