Thursday September 8 was meant to be a momentous day for the Milton Keynes Business Achievement Awards, having been chosen by the organisers, Milton Keynes Business Leaders Partnership (MKBLP), for the official launch of the 2023 awards. In the end, the day was truly momentous but for completely unexpected reasons.
With guests already gathered at the Milton Keynes Council offices, at approximately 6.30pm, just as the speeches were about to get under way, news came through that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II had died. Chair of MKBLP, Nicholas Mann, was prepared for the worst news but it was still a difficult situation to handle give the gravity of the news. Guests were ushered into the council chamber, which was particularly poignant given the portrait of HM The Queen on the wall.
After the sad news was announced, thanks were given to Her Majesty for her years of service and for one of her last acts in 2022, granting city status to Milton Keynes. Of course, the launch event did not go ahead as planned, and was postponed until later in the month, with many guests staying on to reflect on their own memories of Her Majesty. Nicholas Mann said:
“It was a very sad occasion, but I think MKBLP handled the situation with as much respect as possible. We have nothing but a great admiration for Her Majesty The Queen and felt the only course of action was to postpone our launch event as a mark of respect.”
The 2023 Awards will take place on March 23 at Stadium MK and as the region’s premier business awards ceremony, this year its main theme is Celebrating Diversity. The event brings together the widest array of businesspeople, local politicians and civic leaders to enthuse and celebrate all that is wonderful about this thriving powerhouse of a community.
The awards provide a rare opportunity to promote an organisation’s brand to a hugely influential audience that has real buying power. Entries are now open across 14 different categories from Innovation and Professional Services through to Leisure & Entertainment and Technology. Entry is very simple and is open to any business with an MK postcode. First-stage entry asks businesses to provide some basic information, such as what sectors they work within and how many staff, contractors or volunteers they have and who their customers are. Organisations can enter a maximum of two categories from the following:
Celebrating Diversity – sponsored by Mazars
Charity of the Year – sponsorship available
Design & Creativity – sponsorship available
Culture & Arts – sponsorship available
Technology Business – sponsored by: Helix
New Business – sponsorship available
Customer Service – sponsorship available
Leisure & Entertainment – sponsorship available
Professional Services – sponsored by: dbfb
Business Impact in the Community – sponsored by My Milton Keynes
Small & Medium Business – sponsored by Ad Valorem
Micro Business – sponsored by Jardines BMW
Entrepreneur of the Year – sponsored by MHA
Innovation Award – sponsored by Niftylift
There will once again be an overall Business of the Year Award, selected by the panel of judges from the 14 category winners, and a Lifetime Achievement Award sponsored by All Things Business. The closing date for first-stage entries is November 18.
The new branding and website for the awards in 2023 have both been created by Interdirect, who have been one of the organising partners, together with event management company, Evolution, since the awards first started back in 2014. Businesses from across the region are encouraged to visit the new website, and entries can be facilitated online. More information about the Celebrating Diversity theme is also available, and businesses will be able to book a table for the awards when online bookings open later this year. Nicholas Mann added:
“We are thrilled to finally get the 2023 awards under way. Last year saw a huge number of entries but we want to encourage even more businesses to get involved. With 14 categories available, every organisation will be able to find at least one to enter. These will be the first awards to run since Milton Keynes was granted city status, and we want to help businesses shout their success stories from the rooftops.”
Organisations can also find out more information on the many sponsorship opportunities available. The awards will welcome back Milton Keynes Council and The Open University as headline sponsors, and All Things Business and MHA as primary sponsors.
Visit the MKBAA website or to talk to the team about sponsorship opportunities email sponsorship@mkbaa.co.uk
