Six-figure sum will be spent by business awards across county

The Be Inspired Business Awards, the BIBAs, has already appointed local firms to supply its awards and has said it will continue spending more in the coming months.

In 2015, the BIBAs spent more than £140,000 with businesses across Lancashire for the second year running, and it expects to spend a similar figure this year.

Babs Murphy, chief executive of awards organisers, the North and Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, said that made the BIBAs among the biggest spenders with Lancashire firms.

She said: “Not only does the BIBAs support Lancashire businesses by throwing the spotlight on their successes, we back up our words with pounds and pence.

“There are few events in this county which spend as much with suppliers within the county as the BIBAs does and we have consistently proven that.

“In 2016, we have already made some appointments and preparations are now under way to bring more firms on board as we approach our ceremony.”

The awards have already signed up Blackpool-based Rowley’s Catering to supply a meal to the more than 1,000 members of the Lancashire business community expected to attend its ceremony.

Executive travel firm Fylde Executive Cars has also been appointed the official transport supplier for the event which takes place on Friday, September 16 at The Blackpool Tower.

The company will also supply transport to the awards judges as they go ‘on tour’ for a second round of judging starting next Monday, June 20.

This unique round of judging sees the panels visiting businesses in all parts of Lancashire as they bid to select a winner from the shortlists of eight finalists.

Next Monday, the Best Use of IT judging panel, led by Stephen Hart of category sponsor Intersys Group, will become the first to hit the road.

In 2015, Ian Hall, the chairman of Preston-based retail group James Hall and Son, collected the lifetime achievement prize, Lancastrian of the Year, when the BIBAs handed out its prizes in front of a sell-out crowd at the Blackpool Tower in September.

Social enterprise Jobs Friends and Houses CIC, which works with ex-offenders, won its Most Inspiring Business of the Year prize and individual prizes went to Phil Lawson of Skelmersdale’s Virtue Technologies, who won Entrepreneur of the Year and Louise Wilkinson, who runs Lomeshaye Village Day Nursery, who was named Business Woman of the Year.