1 Jun 2016

132 firms to compete at Grand Final of Europe’s biggest business competition in Milan on 17th June

132 businesses from 32 European countries are hoping to be named a winner in Europe’s biggest and toughest business competition, the European Business Awards, sponsored by RSM, at its Gala Event Final on 17th June in Milan, Italy.

Businesses will be celebrating success following a 16-month journey, which began when the competition engaged with over 32,000 businesses at its entry stage in spring last year, from which it named 678 National Champions in September 2015.

After a series of video presentations, face to face interviews and a public vote, the finalists in Milan are the ten shortlisted companies for each of the competition’s 11 categories and the ‘National Public Champions’; the companies whose video achieved the highest number of votes in their country. The public vote this year generated over 227,000 votes from across the globe.

The Event at the Milan Marriott Hotel will have two parts; a 100% Growth Conference during the day where businesses leaders will get together to debate and identify ways to double the size of their businesses, and a Gala Dinner in the evening when the final winners will be announced.

Alongside the successful finalists in attendance there will also be VIPs including leading academics, politicians, ambassadors, and business leaders from the most successful organisations in Europe, many of whom acted as judges for the Awards.

Adrian Tripp, CEO of the European Business Awards said: “The Gala Event Final is the result of enormous effort and achievement. It also presents a powerful opportunity for businesses to meet peers, discover new solutions, do business and celebrate phenomenal success. I wish all our finalists the best of luck.”

Jean Stephens, CEO of RSM, the sixth largest global network of independent audit, tax and consulting firms said: “The European Business Awards are an ideal platform to celebrate the innovation, strength of leadership and depth of business acumen of the finalists. But more than that, they provide a forum for leaders to discuss the evolving landscape, learnings and insights and how these can be utilised to drive business initiatives and growth across the continent.”

In the 2015/16 competition, all EU member markets were represented plus Turkey, Norway, Switzerland, Serbia and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Their combined revenue exceeded €1.2 trillion employing over 2.5 million people.

The European Business Awards’ primary purpose is to support the development of a stronger and more successful business community throughout Europe. Additional sponsors and partners of the Awards include UK Trade and Investment, ELITE and PR Newswire.

For further information about the European Business Awards and RSM please go to www.businessawardseurope.com or www.rsm.global and follow us on twitter at @rsmEBA

Ends

NOTES TO EDITORS:

For further press information or for case studies/interviews, please contact: EBA: Vanessa Wood at the European Business Awards on +44 (0) 796 6666 657 or email vanessa.wood@businessawardseurope.com

RSM: Gillian Hawkes at the RSM Executive Office - gillian.hawkes@rsm.global

About the European Business Awards:

The European Business Awards’ primary purpose is to support the development of a stronger and more successful business community throughout Europe. For all citizens of Europe, prosperity, social and healthcare systems are reliant on businesses creating an even stronger, more innovative, successful, international and ethical business community - one that forms the beating heart of an increasingly globalised economy.

The European Business Awards programme serves the European business community in three ways:

• It celebrates and endorses individuals’ and organisations’ success

• It provides and promotes examples of excellence for the business community to aspire to

• It engages with the European business community to create debate on key issues

The European Business Awards is now in its 10th year. It attracted over 32,000 businesses to the competition last year and in the public vote generated over 170,000 votes from across Europe. Sponsors and partners include RSM, ELITE, UKTI and PR Newswire. www.businessawardseurope.com.

About RSM

RSM is the sixth largest network of independent audit, tax and consulting firms, encompassing over 120 countries, 760 offices and more than 38,000 people internationally. The network’s total fee income is US$4.64 billion.

RSM is the lead sponsor and corporate champion of the European Business Awards promoting commercial excellence and recognition of entrepreneurial brilliance. RSM is a member of the Forum of Firms, with the shared objective to promote consistent and high quality standards of financial and auditing practices worldwide. RSM is the brand used by a network of independent accounting and advisory firms each of which practices in its own right.

RSM International Limited does not itself provide any accounting and advisory services. Member firms are driven by a common vision of providing high quality professional services, both in their domestic markets and in serving the international professional service needs of their client base. www.rsm.global

About UK Trade & Investment:

UKTI works with UK based businesses to export to international markets and supports overseas companies to look at the UK as the best place to set up or expand their business. If you are a company interested in expanding in to the UK, please contact Lisa.Greig@mobile.ukti.gov.uk or visit www.gov.uk/ukti

About ELITE:

ELITE is an integrated service designed to help SMEs prepare and structure for the next stage of growth through access to long term financing opportunities.

ELITE targets SMEs with a sound business model, clear growth strategy and a desire to obtain funding in the near future. ELITE offers an innovative approach, including a training programme, a working zone supported by a tutorship model and direct access to the financial community through dedicated digital community facilities. It is “capital neutral” to any financing opportunity, providing access to Private Equity and Venture Capital Funds, debt products, etc.

ELITE was successfully launched in Italy in 2012 and in the UK in 2014. It now accounts for more than 200 companies of different sizes and sectors, more than 150 partners and more than 70 long term investors. It is a European platform deeply rooted in each domestic market, through partnership with local institutions combined with the opportunity to access international support and advice. It will be a community of excellence: companies, advisors, investors and stakeholders with an interest in supporting SMEs. The larger the community, the wider the range of business and growth opportunities offered to ELITE members.

About PR Newswire

PR Newswire is the leading global provider of PR and corporate communications tools that enable clients to distribute news and rich content. We distribute our client’s content across traditional, digital and social media channels in real time with fully actionable reporting and monitoring. Combining the world's largest multi-channel, multi-cultural content distribution and optimisation network with comprehensive workflow tools and platforms,

PR Newswire enables the world's enterprises to engage opportunity everywhere it exists. PR Newswire serves tens of thousands of clients from offices in Europe, Middle East, Africa, the Americas and the Asia-Pacific region. For more information on PR Newswire please visit www.prnewswire.co.uk

 

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