BEST BUSINESSES TO COMPETE AT GRAND FINAL OF EUROPEAN BUSINESS AWARDS

On 4 May in Dubrovnik, Croatia, 132 finalists from 34 countries will be hoping to be named a winner at the Grand Final of Europe’s largest and most prestigious business competition, the European Business Awards, sponsored by RSM.

The businesses reached the final following a year-long journey, which began when the competition engaged with over 33,000 companies at entry stage last year. On the night, 11 category winners will be named alongside a ‘European Public Champion’; the winner of a public vote that generates around 250,000 votes from across the globe.

The event includes a Growth Conference during the day where businesses leaders will debate and identify ways to further grow their companies, followed by the Gala Dinner when the winners will be announced.

Adrian Tripp, CEO of the European Business Awards said: “This grand final presents a powerful opportunity for businesses to meet peers, do business and celebrate phenomenal success. I wish all our finalists the best of luck.”

Jean Stephens, CEO of RSM International, the sixth largest global network of independent audit, tax and consulting firms, and long-term sponsors of the awards, said: “The European Business Awards are an ideal platform to recognise and celebrate business excellence across Europe and beyond. Through our engagement with these awards it is evident that there is a thriving European business community who are hungry for further growth and success despite the uncertain times ahead. I wish them all the best of luck in the final.”

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.

RSM, with a presence in 42 European countries, has been a sponsor of the European Business Awards since its inception. The competition’s primary purpose is to celebrate and promote business excellence, and support the development of a stronger and more successful business community throughout Europe. Additional sponsors and partners of the Awards include ELITE and PR Newswire.

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

To vote for the European Public Champion go to www.businessawardseurope.com

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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. This year it engaged with over 33,000 businesses from 34 countries. Last year’s public vote generated over 227,000 votes from across Europe. Sponsors and partners include RSM, ELITE 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, 793 offices and more than 41,200 people internationally. The network’s total fee income is US$4.8 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 ELITE:

ELITE is a full-service programme designed to share best practice and increase growth opportunities for fast growing companies, with a focus on understanding the capital markets. ELITE is an innovative programme based on exclusive training and a tutorship model, supported by access to the business and financial community. Its aim is to prepare companies for their next stage of growth and investment.

For further information on the programme, companies and the full list of partners, please go to: www.elite-growth.com

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