As the organisers of the Milton Keynes Business Achievement Awards (MKBAA), Milton Keynes Business Leaders Partnership (MKBLP), digital agency Interdirect and events company Evolution, prepare to launch MKBAA 2023, some of this year’s award winners talk about what winning means to them.
Vertigo VR, winners of Leisure & Entertainment; Whitecap Consulting, winners of Professional Services; Pragmatiq who picked up the Technology Award; Climb Quest, winners of Customer Service; and MKBAA 2022 winners of the Business Impact in the Community Award, Future Wolverton, gave their verdicts.
How did you feel when you heard your name announced as winners at MKBAA 2022?
Future Wolverton (F): Really surprised but completely delighted! The competition was very tough, so when our name was announced, it all felt a bit surreal!
Whitecap Consulting (W): It was a real mix of feelings and emotions – but mainly surprise and elation!
Pragmatiq (P): When we heard Pragmatiq announced as winners we were delighted! It’s been a busy few years, working with clients across various industries, growing the business, moving into new offices and much more. So, to be recognised as Technology Provider at MKBAA 2022 was a proud moment.
What was the reaction of your team?
Climb Quest (C): They were delighted and proud of themselves and what the whole team has achieved, particularly as it was for Best Customer Service, which was directly related to how they look after our visitors.
Vertigo VR (V): The team was over the moon to learn the news. The award now proudly sits at our main reception and just as customer feedback often helps to fuel excellent customer service the award built up the team’s pride in our work, and strive for the excellence.
W: We had a table at the awards with some of the team as well as some of our MK friends and clients – there was lots of celebration on the table. And there was a great sense of pride across the business.
F: The team had decided we were going to have a really good, fun evening, and we hadn’t really discussed who was going to collect the award if we did win! When I got up to go to the stage I had to look behind me to check at least a few other people had got up too!
What does winning the MKBAA 2022 Award mean to your business?
P: Winning was a brilliant achievement for the business. It is a testament to everyone in the company and their hard work, which contributes to our success in different ways.
F: The award has given us the confidence to plan for the future, and a belief that we are making a difference. Since winning we have won new contracts and explored new opportunities, as well as linking up with other award winners who have offered support to our work with young people.
C: Customer service is such as important part of the climbing experience that visitors receive at Climb Quest. Winning the award both highlights the hard work we do in this area and also demonstrates to new visitors that we will go out of our way to give them an amazing leisure experience.
Will you be entering MKBAA 2023 or getting involved in any other way (e.g. sponsorship)?
F: We will certainly think about entering again because the benefits to the team and business have been substantial.
V: We are planning on entering the next year’s awards and certainly will be looking forward for a chance to be involved in any way that we can. We are a home-grown Milton Keynes company and this amazing town is where we want to prosper and see other amazing projects grow.
W: We’ll definitely be at MKBAA 2023!
What would you say to anyone thinking of entering MKBAA 2023?
V: I would totally recommend entering the awards. There are forms to fill in with questions that can also offer an opportunity to look back and front and evaluate your work. It is just so easy to forget that running any project is not an easy journey and applying for awards and answering questions about your business does remind you of the reasons you set out to invest your time and energy, and why you are still running and wanting your projects to be valued by the others. At least this is the magic those applications worked on me.
W: Milton Keynes has such a great range of successful businesses. It’s important that we continue to shout about how great this city is, so we need to get even more businesses and even more diversity entering the awards. So, I would encourage all businesses that have made an impact in Milton Keynes and have a story to tell, to enter the awards. What’s the worst that could happen?
P: The MKBAAs are a fantastic awards to enter, and we would highly recommend doing so. It’s a brilliant opportunity to showcase your business, your achievements, your team and everything else that makes you stand out. Make sure to pick the right category, pay attention to the criteria and back up your statements with evidence.
C: Highly recommended as a way to raise your profile and also to recognise the achievements of your team.
F: Go for it! Winning the award is only the beginning – the profile it gives and the networking and business opportunities it leads to have made a real difference to Future Wolverton.
This year’s headline sponsor Milton Keynes Council, premium sponsor All Things Business and category sponsors dbfb and Integral Powertrain, will all back the awards for another year and there are a large number of previous supporters who have already expressed their interest in being involved again as well as a few newbies.
Entries for the coveted awards will open following the official launch party on September 8. Email hello@mkbaa.co.uk, if you would like to attend.
–
If you’d like to sponsor the awards, as a headliner, category or other sponsor, get in touch at sponsorship@mkbaa.co.uk
