Awards Overview

About the West Kent Business Excellence Awards

The West Kent Business Excellence Awards are organised by the Courier Media Group in association with the West Kent Chamber of Commerce and 2008 marks the inaugural year of the programme.

The awards programme is open to small/medium and large businesses in separate category divisions in both the private and public sectors. Our aim is to recognise and promote the very best companies and business people operating in West Kent.

Why enter the awards?

The awards are designed to honour and recognise some of the brightest and best businesses and individual business people in the county.

Just putting together an entry, which by the way is very simple to do, will help you to take a fresh look at your business from both an internal and external perspective. It will cause you to refocus on the things you look at every day but perhaps don't really see!

But there are more immediate benefits.

Just by submitting an entry early in April or May could get you or your company featured in all the Kent and Sussex Courier and Sevenoaks Chronicle titles in May or June completely free of charge!

Those individuals and companies that make the finals, quite apart from being invited to attend a first class black tie awards dinner and presentation, are guaranteed a quarter page feature in the special 'Meet the Finalists' newspaper publication and in the Roll of Honour on the awards web site. Winners appear yet again in a special feature in the newspapers and on the web site immediately after the event.

Winners also receive a superb plaque to display.

And what about entering simply to recognise the effort and contribution of your staff who make your company so good?

What do I have to do to enter?

Not much is the simple answer.

Just choose the category or categories in which you think you excel and then write, in no more than 500 words (fewer are fine), why you think you should receive an award and then answer a maximum of five questions. Where possible you should attach supporting materials such as leaflets, photos, testimonials, etc to back up your entry.

And that's it!

Who carries out the judging?

Experts in their field! No general panel reviewing every entry that comes in. No one trying to judge the qualities of an entry in an area in which they have no expertise. Just experts dealing with a manageable number of entries to their category only. So you can be absolutely sure that your entry will be given the close attention it deserves.

What is the judging process?

The individual category judges will conduct a desk review of every entry they receive and compile a short list of companies, or individuals in the cases of Outstanding Business Person and Entrepreneur of the Year, they want to find out more about.

A visit to your premises will then be arranged at your convenience for the judges to interview you about your entry. The visit should take no more than 1 - 1½ hours.

How many finalists are there?

For the business categories there will be two small/medium company finalists and two large company finalists. Each category sponsor will determine the break point between small/medium and large and this may be different from category to category. For Outstanding Business Person and Entrepreneur of the Year categories there will be three finalists in each and no company size differentiation.

What do I get if I reach the finals?

Great publicity and prestige! You get two complimentary tickets to the black tie awards event with complimentary wine on the table, a quarter page feature with photo in the in the newspapers, your name in the roll of honour on the awards web site and a great opportunity to network with all the other finalists.

What do I get if I win?

In addition to all the above you will be featured in the newspapers again, you will be listed as a winner along with a photo of you receiving your award on the web site, you will receive a superb plaque to display, plus a commemorative photo.

And, you will have the opportunity to tell all your clients and customers about your success!

What is the closing date for entries?

Friday June 27th, 2008. But don't delay. Take advantage of the free publicity on offer by submitting an entry in April or May.

Where is the event being held?

The Spa Hotel, Tunbridge Wells on October 23rd commencing with a champagne reception at 7.00pm and dancing until midnight.

Need Help?

If you need any help or assistance please contact programme organiser Alan Pocock on 01245 400877 or via aepocock.apt@virgin.net