Hampshire Business Awards returns for a second year

The Hampshire Business Awards is to return for a second year following a highly successful first event which celebrated business success in the region.

The Business Magazine, supported by Hampshire County Council and headline sponsor Farnborough Airport, will be hosting the event at Farnborough International Exhibition & Conference Centre on November 21.

The showpiece will be attended by entrepreneurs, business leaders, venture capitalists and policymakers.

Chief Executive Officer of The Business Magazine, Richard Thompson, said: "We are delighted to return with the Hampshire Business Awards for a second year and were blown away by the response to the inaugural event last year.

"For an awards in its first year, it attracted 262 nominations and was attended by nearly 500 people on the night which was beyond all of our expectations.

"The innovation, determination and ingenuity of Hampshire's business community is something that we see at The Business Magazine day in and day out, through our publications and events programmes, therefore it has been great to be able to create a platform that recognises the people who are driving change.”

Nominations for the awards are now open with a closing date set for September 15, 2024.

The categories for this year's awards are:

Best Place to Work Award

Commitment to Education, Training & Skills Award (Sponsored by Gulfstream)

Contribution to the Community Award (Sponsored by AB Ports)

Entrepreneur of the Year

Equality, Inclusivity & Diversity Award (Sponsored by Milestone Infrastructure)

Growth Company of the Year

Hampshire Business of the Year (2 Awards) (Sponsored by Menzies)

Hospitality Business of the Year

Made in Hampshire Award

New Business of the Year

Not-for-Profit of the Year (Sponsored by Noble Holdings)

Sustainable Green Investment Award (Sponsored by Barratt Developments)

Taste of Hampshire Award

Tech Company of the Year

Technology Innovation Award

Young Business Person of the Year (Sponsored by Farnborough Airport)

Simon Geere, CEO at Farnborough Airport, said:  “Farnborough Airport is delighted to once again partner with Hampshire County Council as one of the headline sponsors of the Hampshire Business Awards. As the UK’s largest business aviation airport, we share a determination to actively support business innovation and economic development across the County.

"The Airport itself is at the centre of a dynamic and flourishing aerospace cluster and has become the largest employment site in Rushmoor, with Farnborough Airport supporting over 3,000 jobs and generating £200m within its local economy every year. Through the creation of economic opportunity for UK business and enterprise, the high-value and essential nature of flights from Farnborough Airport results in significant inward investment and economic growth across the region.

"We recognise the important role businesses play in the economic success of the local area. We are proud to celebrate the exceptional achievements of Hampshire businesses and how they are helping to shape a prosperous future for the County.”

Hampshire is home to world class educational establishments, rich natural assets, innovation and cutting edge technology.

It is also home to the Port of Southampton which gives companies in the region easy access to global trade routes while the Royal Navy, which is based in Portsmouth, is reliant on local supply chains to power the country’s naval fleet.

Sponsors of the awards include Farnborough Airport as headline sponsors alongside aerospace company Gulfstream, accountancy firm Menzies, Southampton port operator AB Ports, Milestone Infrastructure, industrial training specialist Noble Holdings and housebuilder Barratt Developments.

To find out more about the event