This year’s Be Inspired Business Awards, or BIBAs, will be handed out at a gala ceremony in just three days time
With awards up for grabs in 20 categories, 160 finalists will soon discover if their bids for glory have been successful.
The big night takes place in the atmospheric surroundings of the Blackpool Tower Ballroom, the stunning Victorian-era dance hall that has been an annual feature on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing since 2010.
More than 1,000 guests and dignitaries will attend the ceremony, now in its 16th year.
As well as the awards presentations, the evening will feature a sumptuous dinner prepared by Campbell and Rowley, yet-to-be-revealed star entertainment, and an after party hosted by Smooth Radio Northwest, with table centres by Margaret Mason adding to the sense of occasion.
Babs Murphy, chief executive at the North and Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce that organises the BIBAs, said she can’t wait: “Friday night’s awards ceremony is the culmination of months of hard work by the whole Chamber team, and I’d like to thank them all for the effort that has again gone in to making the BIBAs a success again in 2023.
“I love the glamour and glitz of the ceremony, but I love the reactions from the winners even more as they walk on stage to collect their awards. That’s what I’m looking forward to the most and why I can’t wait for Friday to get here.
“Twenty richly deserved winners will be announced at the ceremony. Between them, they represent all that’s great about doing business in Lancashire, from the plucky start-ups to the established, global brands. It’s important to recognise and celebrate the hard-working, innovative and entrepreneurial talent we have in the county, and that’s what we’ll be doing in just a few days from now.”
As a reminder, the finalists in the various categories are:
Business of the Year
Barnfield Construction
Bowland Inns & Hotels
HOOFCOUNT
Leyland Trucks
M M Acquisitions
Senator Group
Standfast & Barracks
Tower Employment Services
Medium Business of the Year
Adlington Group
Coolkit
Inspire Youth Zone
Mi3
Royal Sanders
Service Care Solutions
Standfast & Barracks
Tower Employment Services
Small Business of the Year
CLIFTON HOMECARE
Aspire UK Interiors
HOOFCOUNT
QA Scheme Support Services
Scope Fire & Security
Serconnect
Spencer Clarke Group
Suresite Group
Micro Business of the Year
Arthurs Of Aughton
Catering Elite
Flamingo Associates
Four Seasons Glamping
NORI HR And Employment Law
Paisley Training and Consultancy
The Small Business Academy
Winckley 263
Start Up Business of the Year
(Crank Works T/A) Hercules Resin Tools
Ecoeyes UK
Four Seasons Glamping
HEIR Education
Hope’s Therapy Dogs
HSE Advice UK
Sales Geek Blackburn
Voice It! Podcast Agency
Employer of the Year
Buzz Education (trading name – Company name is Direct Education )
CLIFTON HOMECARE
Melling Performance Springs .
QA Scheme Support Services
Senator International
Service Care Solutions
Spencer Clarke Group
The Boathouse Youth
Global Business of the Year
HOOFCOUNT
Levity Crop Science
Melling Performance Springs .
Senator International
Sovereign Beverage Company
Standfast & Barracks
VetPlus
VisionsLive
Service Business of the Year
Becketts FS
CLIFTON HOMECARE
HEIR Salon
ICG
NW Recruitment Services
Orca
Scope Fire & Security
Suresite
Manufacturer of the Year
Coolkit
HOOFCOUNT
Leyland Trucks
Melling Performance Springs
Scentish
Senator
Standfast & Barracks
The Vita Group
Green Business of the Year
Equestrian Surfaces
Hedgerow Luxury Glamping
IoT Horizon
Making Energy Greener
RKMS Group
Senator International
STORTEC Engineering
The Vita Group
Construction Business of the Year
PININGTON
Barnfield Construction
DEPHER CIC
HPA Architects
Mahoney Contracts
Serconnect
STORTEC Engineering
Wareing Buildings
Leisure & Tourism Business of the Year
1842 & Ivory Tower
Bowland Inns & Hotels
Southport-Golf Academy
Lytham St Annes Spitfire Display Team , (The Spitfire Visitor Centre)
Panache Cruises
The Lawrence Hotel
The Secret Garden Glamping
Digital & Marketing Business of the Year
Complete.
EXP (EXPERIENCE EXP )
GrowTraffic
ICG
Red-Fern Media
Standfast & Barracks
StudioLWD
VisionsLive
Community Business of the Year
DEPHER CIC
HAPPA- Horses and Ponies Protection Association
Inspire Youth Zone
Lancashire BME Network
Rainbow Hub NW
Recycling Lives Charity
The Boathouse Youth
The JJeffect CIC
Family Business of the Year
1842 & Ivory Tower
Becketts FS
Equestrian Surfaces
M M Acquisitions
PININGTON
Scentish
Fab Home Interiors
Suresite Group
Professional Service Business of the Year
Adlington Law
Becketts FS
DT Information Governance
Eventus Recruitment Group
HPA Architects
James Scott Associates
Kasion Accounting Solutions
Paisley Training and Consultancy
Scale Up Business of the Year
Adlington Group
LCM Environmental Services
Scope Fire & Security
Serconnect
Sovereign Beverage Company
Standfast & Barracks
STORTEC Engineering
TransformHub
Innovative Business of the Year
Hercules Resin Tools
Adlington Welding Supplies (Adlington Group)
Airframe Designs
IoT Horizon
Levity Crop Science
Melling Performance Springs .
TransformHub
ULSOCO UnLimited
Apprentice Team of the Year
CLIFTON HOMECARE
Graham Engineering
HAPPA- Horses and Ponies Protection Association
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Leyland Trucks
Preston College
Service Care Solutions
WEC Group
Education Establishment of the Year
Blackburn College
Cardinal Newman College
Creativity Works Preston
Highfurlong School
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Myerscough College and University Centre
Preston College
Rosscon Training
Doors open at 6.30pm on Friday, with guests advised to arrive early to avoid the build-up of traffic in the area as thousands descend on the seaside town for The Blackpool Illuminations.