Business winners will be announced at gala dinner
The comedian, author and broadcaster Colm O’Regan will host the 10th annual County Wexford Business Awards which are due to be announced at a black tie gala dinner in Clayton Whites Hotel on Friday, May 25.
The awards ceremony is usually a sell-out event with 500 people in attendance and those who haven’t yet booked tables are encouraged to do so as ticket sales will be closed soon.
A total of 70 businesses were shortlisted this year and the winners and runners-up across 18 categories have already been selected by a panel of judges following an interview process on April 25 but the names are being kept a closely guarded secret until the night.
The overall County Wexford Business of the Year Award which last year went to Nolan Transport of New Ross, will be chosen from the winners of each award category.
There were two independent judges for each category - one drawn from the sponsors and the second being an expert in their field, including representatives from Diagio, the IDA, Small Firms Association, National Standards Association, Bord Bia, IT Carlow, ESB Ireland, WIT and IADT.
The main sponsors are Wexford Chamber which organises the event, Wexford County Council, the People Newspapers and the Environmental Protection Agency.
The trophies which will be presented to the winners were manufactured by Kent Stainless of Wexford which also provided a new trophy design this year.
Popular Wexford band Cornerboy will perform at the annual dinner which is a celebration of business excellence in the county and a recognition of the contribution of local businesses to the local and national economy.
All the categories attracted a high standard and volume of entries this year and the 2018 shortlist includes some names that have featured in the Business Awards before. ‘ The support we received from businesses across the county in terms of applications and sponsorship was phenomenal’, said Wexford Chamber CEO Enda Kavanagh.
Awards will be presented in the following categories- Tourism, International Trade, Operational Excellence, eCommerce Excellence, Retail Excellence, SME of the Year, Social Media and Digital Marketing, Corporate Social Responsibility, Social Enterprise Outstanding Achievement, Start-Up Business of the Year, Family Business of the Year, Training Provider of the Year, Service Industry Provider, Food and Beverage Producer, Environmental Best Practice, Franchise of the Year and Outstanding Contribution to Business.