The Isle of Wight Chamber of Commerce Business Awards 2022 will be presented at Cowes Yacht Haven on Friday May 6th. Entries open on December 1st for the Island’s most prestigious awards ceremony, sponsored by WightFibre. The awards are being presented for the first time since 2019.
“We’re thrilled to be once again looking forward to the biggest night of the year for the business community,” says IW Chamber Chief Executive Steven Holbrook. “It’s a real opportunity to bring people together to celebrate success, in what has been an unprecedented and difficult time for us all. In the last year businesses have evolved, shown resilience and overcome all sorts of challenges as a result of the pandemic. We’ll be recognising those outstanding achievements at our awards ceremony on the 6th May.”
Entries will open from Wednesday December 1st and all entries must be submitted on-line by close of play on Tuesday 1st February 2022. Judging will then take place and a shortlist will be published at the end of March.
The IW Chamber’s Business Awards are judged by impartial experts, drawn from across the UK and the world. Businesses will be assessed objectively and judged wholly on their submission. Any Island based business can enter; they don’t need to be members of the Isle of Wight Chamber. Entries will reflect activity and success in the 2021 calendar year.
“I would recommend that every Island business enters for an IW Chamber Business Award,” says Steven Holbrook. “The process makes a business look at themselves from a distance – to analyse the things they do well, which can often highlight areas for potential growth too. Their awards entry will spotlight the things they are particularly proud of, as well as considering the wider perspective, which is good for planning, structure and development. The process in itself has real value – it’s definitely not just about winning on the night. Winning is the cherry on the cake for a select few but everyone who engages in the process will get plenty out of it, including individual feedback from the expert judging panel. To be shortlisted for these hugely prestigious awards is a huge achievement.”
This year’s category list includes a new Entrepreneur of the Year Award, along with the Made On The Isle of Wight Award which recognises homegrown success, as well as a Launched in 2021 Award which spotlights a newly launched product or brand.
The event hasn’t been held since October 2019 because of the pandemic. Bringing the ceremony back in 2022 presented an opportunity to reposition the awards night as a precursor to the summer, rather than at the end of the year.
“For the first time we’ll be holding the awards in the spring, with warm weather and much more daylight,” says Steven Holbrook. “Traditionally the event has been held in December or November, on quite a chilly evening! 2022 will be something of a transitional year, as we move away from the pandemic and start to do some new things on the night. We’re really laying the foundations for a new type of Chamber Awards night. It’s an exciting and very fresh take on our signature event, which is now firmly established in the early part of the year.”
“WightFibre is proud to be the overall sponsor of the 2022 IW Chamber Business Awards – this prestigious night does so much to celebrate the success of the IW Chamber and the Island’s business community. WightFibre are thrilled to be part of it” – WightFibre CEO John Irvine
Entries open on December 1st and all entries must be submitted via iwchamber.co.uk by close of play on Tuesday 1st February. Please see the IW Chamber website for a full list of categories and further information.
