BEIJING, May 6 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China, Sir William Ehrman, KCMG will help launch the inaugural The British Business Awards, at an event at the British Embassy on Monday 5th May.
The Awards, which are being organised by the British Chamber of Commerce in China with support from UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), British Council, China-Britain Business Council and Confederation of British Industry, will recognise those who have championed British business in China as well as applaud the most outstanding Chinese alumnus to have studied in the UK.
In inviting entries for the five categories of Award: Company of the Year, Innovative Product, Corporate Social Responsibility Programme, Entrepreneur and Alumnus of the Year, the Ambassador said: “The Awards recognise British innovation, enterprise and endeavour which are the hallmarks of our national spirit, qualities that have made the UK the largest European investor in China and Great Britain the home for some of the largest Chinese multinationals and tens of thousands of Chinese students. As Patron of the British Business Awards I invite all to take part through entering, judging, and attending the Awards ceremony in Beijing in November.”
Commenting on the Awards, British Chamber of Commerce Managing Director Ian McKendrick said, “The Chamber is a vibrant centre for connecting British and Chinese business, Government and social networks. The Awards are a platform for the community to demonstrate the best of British spirit and to realise real benefits from the Chamber’s role in Beijing.”
“The process of the Awards has been devised to ensure transparency to make this a trophy to fight for. We encourage everyone who is eligible to enter today to win.” said Jim James, Chairman of the Awards and executive committee member of the British Chamber of Commerce.
The closing date for applications is July 18th, with on-line voting taking place from 1st August to 26th September and the Judging Panels making their final decisions ahead of a gala dinner on 6th November when the winners of the five Awards will be announced.
More information can be found at http://www.britishbusinessawards.cn .
Notes for editors
The British Business Awards are organised by the British Chamber of Commerce, Beijing, to recognise and reward people who are building businesses and brands or contributing to society through innovation, enterprise and endeavour.
Entries are invited from British companies and organisations operating in China, members of the British Chamber and Chinese companies with strong links to the UK, Chinese employees of eligible organisations are encouraged to submit entries for the Entrepreneur and Alumnus of the Year Awards.
The judging process has been devised to ensure transparency and meritocracy via the separation of entry evaluation and final approval, and the inclusion of an on-line component to ensure that companies large and small will all compete on a level playing field. Each of the 5 Awards has a Judging Panel comprised of 6 judges drawn from the British and Chinese business communities, Government and the media. The Judging Panels will evaluate the entries and shortlist the top 5 entrants in each Award category. There will be the opportunity for the business community to participate in the process by voting on-line for their chosen entrant in each category. The Judging Panels will take into consideration the on-line voting results to select 3 finalists. The Panel of Advisors, chaired by the British Ambassador, which includes the head of each of the supporting business and Government associations, will then approve the winner of each Award.
The British Embassy
British Embassy in Beijing is one of Britain’s largest overseas Embassies and aims to promote the interests of the United Kingdom and contribute to a strong world community. For more information, please contact Mr. Douglas Matheson at douglas.matheson@fco.gov.uk .
UK Trade & Investment
UK Trade & Investment aims to enhance the competitiveness of companies in the UK through overseas trade and investments and attract high level of quality foreign direct investment to the UK. For more information, please contact Mr. Doug Matheson at douglas.matheson@fco.gov.uk .
British Chamber of Commerce in China
British Chamber of Commerce in China is an independent, not-for-profit membership-based organisation with over 2000 members nationally that provides connectivity for British Business in China. For more information, please contact Ms. Kate Alden at marketing@pek.britcham.org .
British Council
British Council connects people worldwide with learning opportunities and creative ideas from the UK and builds lasting relationships between the UK and other countries. For more information, please contact Ms. Jazreel Goh at Jazreel.Goh@britishcouncil.org.cn
China-Britain Business Council
China British Business Council, with over 1000 members globally, is the UK’s leading organisation helping British companies do business in China. For more information, please contact Mr. Brian Outlaw at brian.outlaw@cbbc.org.cn .
Confederation of British Industry
The CBI is an independent, business-funded organisation with over 350 members in China, representing multinationals, SMEs and sector organisations via its Beijing, Brussels, Washington and the UK offices. For more information, please contact Mr. Guy Drury at Guy.Drury@cbi.org.uk .
