The finalists of the Red Rose Awards 2020 have been chosen as the countdown continues to the biggest night in Lancashire’s business calendar.
Spanning microbusinesses to international brand names, a full spectrum of industries and representatives from every part of Lancashire, this year’s awards have attracted the strongest set of entrants in its ten-year history.
The finalists will now be invited to present their case in person before an expert panel of judges which will be tasked with picking one winner from the six contenders in each of 25 categories. The ultimate decision rests in the hands of 70 entrepreneurs, business owners and experienced decision makers, who will meet over two days at Ewood Park in Blackburn in February.
The identity of the winners will be kept as a closely guarded secret until the black tie prize giving ceremony on Thursday 12 March 2020 at Winter Gardens Blackpool, where an audience of more than 1,100 will hear which businesses and organisations have triumphed.
Sarah Hall, head of business development at Blackpool and The Fylde College who are judging partner for the awards for the second year running said: “Every year the standard of award entries goes from strength to strength - a clear indication that business owners are increasing their commitment to the development and upskilling of their teams.
“As ever, B&FC is hugely excited to be part of the Red Rose Awards. We can't wait to celebrate the winners and their achievements!”
Oliver Burton, CEO at Forbes Solicitors, headline sponsors of the awards for the tenth year, said: “The judging element of the awards is always enjoyable even after ten years! Deciding the finalists is a very difficult task so all finalists should be proud to reach it to this stage. We look forward to meeting them on the interview days to hear more about their success stories in Lancashire and beyond.”
John Stanworth, head of corporate banking at Barclays in Lancashire, a headline sponsor for seven years, added: “As always the award entries have been of a very high standard making judging a very difficult job indeed! It’s always great to read about different businesses in the county and their success stories.
“We are looking forward to meeting the finalists at the next stage and celebrating their successes on the night of the Awards.”
Richard Slater, publisher of Lancashire Business View, which stages the Red Rose Awards, said: “This has already proven to be a fantastic year for the Red Rose Awards campaign. We always work to improve on the previous year’s event and by amending the timeline, and bringing the entry deadline forward, we have enabled more businesses to take part. The result has been more entries than ever before, which is great news for the county of Lancashire but makes the jobs of our judges all that more difficult!
“The awards have grown in popularity over the years and more and more businesses are getting involved. This has been reflected in the number and the calibre of sponsors showing their support, which has also increased. This goes to show how exciting and vibrant the Lancashire economy is and that businesses of all stripes are enthusiastic about an opportunity to come together and celebrate each others’ successes.”
The judging partner for Red Rose Awards 2020 is Blackpool and The Fylde College. Headline sponsors are Forbes Solicitors and Barclays.
The awards are also sponsored by 3ManFactory, Albert Harrison, Baldwins, Bigtank, Bizspace, Boost and Rosebud, Campbell and Rowley, Community Foundation for Lancashire, Eventus Recruitment Group, Four Recruitment, Fun at Work, Harrison Drury Solicitors, James’ Places, Leonard Dews, Marketing Lancashire, Mattioli Woods, Motionlab, Napthens Solicitors, Nybble IT, Pendle Engineering, Peter Scott Printers, Pink Link, Porsche Centre Bolton, Ribby Hall Village, Rowan Group, RSM, Seriun, Stanley House Hotel and Spa, Sundown Solutions, The Growth Company, The Rovers Events, UCLan, VEKA and WEC Group. The charity partner is Cash for Kids.