Business awards have direct impact on county

Small Business of the Year Winner Festive Lights at The North West Chamber of Commerce BIBAs

The Networking People (TNP) and The Mad Florists will both be supplying this year’s Be Inspired Business Awards, the BIBAs, which is expected to spend more than £140,000 with local firms for another year.

Lancaster-based TNP provides a wireless internet connection at The Blackpool Tower Ballroom where it will host its annual awards ceremony.

Burnley firm The Mad Florists supplies flowers handed to winners on the night.

Next week, the BIBAs will unveil the applicants which have made it through to the first round of its judging process which gets underway with face-to-face interviews from May 15

David Price of The Mad Florists, said: “We joined the BIBAs family last year and had a wonderful time supplying the ceremony at The Blackpool Tower, and are really looking forward to it again this year.

“The awards really are a hallmark of quality for any Lancashire business and it has given us great exposure for the service we provide.”

In 2015 and 2016, the BIBAs spent more than £140,000 with local businesses providing a direct boost to the county’s economy.

It expects to spend a similar amount in preparation for this year’s awards ceremony which takes place in September.

TNP spokesman Paul Astle added: “Working at the BIBAs has given us a great opportunity to work with many other Lancashire firms which are involved with the awards either as suppliers, finalists or sponsors.

“To provide full wireless internet coverage around a venue like the Tower means that the finalists are able to share a wonderful moment across the world, which is very rewarding.”