Awards launch date revealed

Shropshire Chamber of Commerce will be officially launching its 2024 Business Awards in January with new-look categories and criteria to reflect the ever-changing local economy.

A launch event will be held at the Mercure Albrighton Hall Hotel near Shrewsbury on the evening of January 25, when businesses will get chance to meet and hear from past winners, plus judges, sponsors and event organisers.

This will be the 24th year of the awards, which have grown into one of the largest of their kind in the UK. More than 13,000 people have attended the black-tie presentation evenings since the first event was staged in 2001.

Kelly Riedel, events and training manager at Shropshire Chamber, said: “The awards are now firmly established as the largest annual business celebration in the county, and winning a trophy is a real badge of honour.

“We know that the business climate continues to be challenging for many local employers, so it’s more important than ever to celebrate and recognise our success stories. We will be explaining the entry, shortlisting and judging processes at the launch event, to ensure that businesses get a real understanding of how our teams of independent judges reach their decisions.

“We’ve made a few tweaks to build on the success of last year’s event, following feedback and suggestions which we invited from our members and stakeholders – and we can’t wait to reveal what’s in store.”

The launch event will be a chance for businesses to find out about categories and criteria for 2024, which will include a new award for the retail, leisure and hospitality industries, and the introduction of a growth award to recognise top performers.

Popular categories such as company of the year, best new business and best small business will be returning alongside categories recognising innovation, customer service, and businesses giving back to their local communities.

Entries for the awards will open on the day of the launch event, with details to be found at  https://shropshirechamberbusinessawards.com/ 

The 2024 award winners will be revealed at Telford’s International Centre on Friday June 21.

Previous winners of the coveted company of the year title include Aico of Oswestry, Grainger & Worrall from Bridgnorth, Grocontinental of Whitchurch, McConnel of Ludlow, Salop Leisure from Shrewsbury, and Telford businesses Lyreco, Dodd Group, Smartwater and Reconomy.

View the picture gallery from this year’s awards night at https://shropshirechamberbusinessawards.com/gallery-2023/