The North East Entrepreneurs’ Forum has announced a shortlist of talented business leaders competing for its annual awards.
Running for more than a decade, the North East Entrepreneurial Awards recognise the talent, innovation and drive of business people across the region.
Shortlisted for the Entrepreneur of the Year (sponsored by Ward Hadaway) are Dean Benson, Visualsoft; David Penny, Penny Petroleum and John Waterworth, Parkdean Resorts.
The shortlist in the Emerging Talent category (sponsored by United Carlton) is made up of Ryan Davies, Gospelware; Lisa Eaton, Unwritten Creative; Mark James, Differentology; John Savage, Flame Heating Spares and Raman Sehgal, Ramarketing.
The Lifetime Achievement award and Mentor of the Year (sponsored by the Malhotra Group) will be announced on the evening.
In partnership with the North East Local Enterprise Partnership for the third year running, the awards ceremony will take place at the Boiler Room, Crowne Plaza Newcastle, in the city’s Stephenson Quarter on the evening of October 7th.
More than 350 guests are expected to attend the event to celebrate the achievements of the region’s entrepreneurs, as well as to raise money for a number of local charities.
The evening will be hosted by comedian Jason Cook, best known for co-creating and starring in the hit BBC series Hebburn, and the ceremony’s after dinner speaker is adventure fundraiser and Guinness World Record breaker Jamie McDonald.
Entrepreneurs’ Forum chief executive Gillian Marshall said: “We have some incredibly talented and inspirational entrepreneurs in our region who lead dynamic, innovative companies and provide fantastic employment opportunities in the North East.
“It’s always an incredibly tough task for our judges to narrow down entries into a shortlist and an even harder job to pick a winner in each category, and this year will be no exception. Our shortlists are made up of some very impressive entrepreneurs in a diverse range of sectors who all deserve recognition for their achievements.”
Networking and drinks sponsor for the evening is SGP Technology Group.