Judges take to the road to grill awards finalists

The Be Inspired Business Awards, the BIBAs, has started its second round of interviews, The BIBAs On Tour, which will see judges for its 18 prize categories cover 4,000 miles over the next month.The unique stage is sponsored by BLM, a leading UK firm specialising in commercial law and insurance risk, and aims to get under the skin of the finalists before selecting the winners.Yesterday, the second round of judging got underway with the Small Business of the Year judges meeting their eight finalists. Today it is the turn of the Service Business of the Year panel.Alexandra Wood, senior associate at BLM, said: “There is only so much you can tell about an individual or a business from an application form and an interview and that is why the BIBAs goes the extra mile to find out what its finalists are really about.“When you meet a business owner in their working environment and meet the team which makes their business tick, you get a far deeper understanding of what sets them apart from the other finalists in their category.“BLM has 10 judges representing us on some of the BIBAs this year and we cannot wait to meet the people which make Lancashire’s business community so special.”The finalists have already been announced following a selection process which saw hundreds of applicants meet the judges for face-to-face interviews last month.The Service Business of the Year category finalists which will meet judges today include Preston-based Sunshine Events, which are shortlisted for five prizes at this year’s awards, Blackpool electrical firm FTS Merit and Door4, the digital marketing agency based in Burnley.