Aycliffe Business Park Community (ABPC) has appointed an experienced events team to relaunch the popular Make Your Mark Awards.
Resolution Media and Publishing has agreed a three-year deal to deliver the Make Your Mark Aycliffe Business Awards, with the event to relaunch in 2024.
The publishing and events company is co-owned by Aycliffe Business magazine founder and former ABPC board member Martin Walker.
Together with his business partner Dave Allan, their Resolution team have delivered 16 business awards events in the last five years, after launching the hugely successful Tees Businesswomen Awards in 2018.
Since then they have created the Tees Business Awards, Tees Tech Awards, Best New Tees Business Awards, VelociTees and the Wear Businesswomen Awards.
And while on the ABPC board, Martin successfully delivered the Make Your Mark Awards in May 2022 through his Aycliffe Business Park-based company, Mantis Media.
But with the support of his Middlesbrough-based team, and utilising Martin’s local contacts, Resolution are now aiming to replicate their successful business awards events model for Aycliffe Business Park.
Resolution and ABPC have agreed a date and a venue for the 2024 Aycliffe Business Awards, with the event to be delivered in Hardwick Hall’s Coleman Suite on Thursday, May 9.
ABPC board chair Kerina Clark – pictured above with Resolution directors Martin (left) and Dave – said: “After Martin successfully coordinated the 2022 Make Your Mark Awards, the positive feedback from everyone involved was overwhelming.
“As a board we want to make sure that the events we deliver are of the highest standard, so partnering with Martin and Dave at Resolution was an easy decision.
“Their expertise in delivering top quality awards events means we can be certain that Aycliffe businesses will benefit from the best of celebrations.
“As the region’s largest business park, we have plenty to celebrate, and many companies who want to be involved.
“Finding a venue large enough to host our flagship event has been a challenge but we’re confident Hardwick Hall Hotel is close enough to be accessible for everyone, and is able to accommodate our event in their fantastic Coleman Suite.
“This is a brilliant opportunity for our Aycliffe businesses to both nominate themselves and put others forward for an award.
“It’s a great way to recognise those around us doing great work themselves and also supporting other local businesses.
“Aycliffe Business Park is home to companies who are world leaders and some fantastic SME’s and micro businesses and all deserve recognition and celebration.”
Aycliffe Business Park is home to around 500 companies employing an estimated 10,000 people.
Martin formed Aycliffe Business magazine in 2012, which was the inspiration behind Resolution’s successful Tees Business brand, with the magazine celebrating its 10th anniversary last year.
“For me personally I’m delighted to be involved in this project and excited that we’ll be able to relaunch an awards event which is close to my heart,” said Martin, who’s originally from Newton Aycliffe.
“Everyone who knows me knows that Aycliffe Business Park is hugely important to me, it’s where it all started, and where I launched my first business venture and what was the catalyst for Tees Business.
“I thoroughly enjoyed working on the 2022 Make Your Mark Awards and I’m looking forward to showing Aycliffe businesses what Resolution can do with awards events.”
Dave Allan added: “I know a lot about Aycliffe Business Park, it’s a huge employment area with a cross-section of businesses of varying sizes and sectors, so we know there’ll be lots of amazing stories to hear about.
“I also know a lot about the Make Your Mark Awards through Martin and I know how successful the 2022 event was.
“I’m sure with our Resolution team behind us, we’ll be able to build on that and establish the event as a regular annual date in the Aycliffe Business Park calendar.”
The Make Your Mark Awards were originally launched in 2014, when Tekmar Energy was crowned the inaugural Aycliffe Company of the Year.
Since then, the awards have seen Finley Structures, PWS, Stiller Warehousing and Distribution and 3M pick up the Company of the Year trophy.
A number of categories are available for sponsorship, including Company of the Year, Engineering & Manufacturing, Environment, Innovation, Newcomer of the Year, Service Business of the Year, Small Business of the Year and Community Champions.
There’ll also be individual awards for Businessperson of the Year, Lifetime Achievement, Making a Difference and Apprentice of the Year.
Highlight films showing some of Resolution’s recent business awards events can be seen here: www.youtube.com/@teesbusiness9020/videos
More details about how to enter will be revealed in early 2024. But for businesses interested in sponsoring the event, call the Resolution team on 01642 450255 or email [email protected].
