The entries are in and the judges of the East Anglian Daily Times Business Awards 2023 have been busy choosing the finalists and winners. Here we find out more about what’s involved.
The East Anglian Daily Times Business Awards is one of the highlights of the year for Suffolk businesses.
Every year, the judges are blown away by the quality of those who enter, making it an extremely hard decision to pick the winners.
This difficult task is almost complete, with the four finalists in each category due to be announced on August 23.
Those finalists will be invited to attend the celebration event held at Kesgrave Hall, Ipswich on Thursday, September 28, where the winners will be announced.
The nominations go through two rounds of judging. The application forms allow the judges to assess the entries against the five-point criteria, after which they are shortlisted to six-eight businesses that make it through to round two, which is a meeting with the judges.
There are two judges per category: one is a representative from the category sponsor
and the other is either a representative from LOCALiQ, a well-respected member of the local business community, or a previous winner.
These “expert” judges are an essential part of the robust judging process and the awards couldn’t take place without their input.
Here, some of the judges tell us why they’re so keen to be part of the East Anglian Daily Times Business Awards 2023:
Lisa Perkins – director, BT Adastral Park and Research
Judging the Rising Star of the Year category
It has been a very positive experience to see so many excellent companies setting up in our region. There has been a brilliant range of different enterprises and I loved seeing the applied innovation and entrepreneurship.
Everyone we met impressed, and it was very difficult to choose between the entries. I wish all the businesses the very best in the future and look forward to seeing them thrive.
It is very encouraging and makes me quite excited for the future for Suffolk.
Doug Field OBE – CEO at East of England Co-Op
Judging the Medium Business of the Year category
We at the East of England Co-op are striving to improve and it’s great to see how local businesses are excelling at what they do.
Celebrating success is something we all need to do more of. We need to be shining a light on what the business community brings to Suffolk and tell the story of the impact we have locally, nationally and globally.
Lizzy Firmin – COO at Ellisons Solicitors
Judging the Employer of the Year category
At Ellisons, our values are embedded in everything we do, and playing an active and supportive role in the communities within which we work is something that has always been important to us.
As a firm, we have a long history and association with Suffolk and we are pleased to be able to support the awards.
Suffolk is a thriving market with a great business community and it’s vital we recognise the fantastic contribution local businesses make and shout about their hard work, success and innovation to help raise the profile of Suffolk and empower other businesses.
Judging the Director of the Year category
I’m very honoured and excited to have been asked to be one of the judges in this year’s Director of the Year award.
Having won it last year, it’s something that can never be taken away from me and is right up there as one of my proudest moments ever, and certainly in my business life.
To be on the other side of the table has been a really interesting experience, but no-one managed to talk as much as I did last year!
There are some great candidates and I have really enjoyed the process and meeting new people.
Best of luck to all the finalists!
Stuart Dantzic – managing director at Caribbean Blinds UK
Judging the Growth Business of the Year category
As the MD of a Suffolk-based company myself, I’m passionate about championing the region’s businesses and their successes.
To be part of an event that brings together like-minded professionals in a unique environment while raising company profiles is an honour and I can’t wait to celebrate the achievements of the local business community.
I look forward to a night of networking and meeting some of the people who build the communities, grow the businesses and drive the successes that we as a region should be proud of.
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