With just over one week to go until the Kent Women in Business Awards (KWIBA) the excitement is apparent both on Facebook and Twitter. It’s a great achievement for anyone to make the list of finalists and the process of judging has not been an easy one. Fortunately I don’t have anything to do with that part and leave it to selected professionals from across the Kent Business Community. This year we had a panel of five judges and each category was judged by three of them.

Having witnessed them hard at work it became apparent that it wasn’t an easy task as there were so many talented women involved in some amazing companies. The judges this year were;

  • Lisa Settle – Telcare Ltd
  • Jackie Groundsell – 1230 The Women’s Company
  • Julie Askew – K-College
  • Paul Andrews – The Business Bunker & Jobs in Kent
  • Ruth Warren – Director for Specsavers

What excites me most about these awards is the passion that comes from some of the applicants. You get a real sense for the motivation they have to achieve in the way they do. It is an honour for me to host the event, which this year takes place on 27th March at the Great Danes Hotel in Maidstone. Roughly 200 will join together to mix with colleagues, acquaintances and possibly friends they haven’t yet met. The atmosphere is one of celebration backed up by the energised collaborative culture that is sweeping across the county. To see how far some of the candidates have come in the last 12 months is a clear sign of how the business community is eager to grow, develop and continue to put itself on the productive map.

We are fortunate to have three very inspiring speakers at the event, who are all successful in their own field and who are all passionate about achieving goals that may, at first, seem a little out of reach;

  • Bev James
  • Mimi Anderson
  • Paul Andrews

This event is one that I shall look forward to seeing unfold through the #KWIBA before, during and after the event. If you can’t make this event then it’s one I would definitely pencil in for 2015. Whether that is as a potential nominee or attendee, either way, it promises to be a night to remember!