Press Release: Stadium boss tops the league

 The boss of Coventry’s Ricoh Arena has been officially named the Midlands Business Person of the Year 2011.

Daniel Gidney took the plaudit at the 2011 Midlands Business Awards, largely on the back of a string of successes which has seen the Ricoh Arena’s off-field activities expand greatly and culminated in it winning the right to host football games in the 2012 Olympic Games. Ted Crofts of sponsor UK Special Events presented him with the award at a gala ceremony at the NEC Hilton Metropole.

Mr Gidney, who is from Birmingham, praised the efforts of his whole executive team at the Ricoh. He added: “I am very proud to fly the flag for Coventry.”

He was just one of a host of winners from across Coventry and Warwickshire. Gary Summers, MD of Southam-based Alumet Systems, was named by judges as the Midlands Entrepreneur of the Year. The firm supplies cladding, curtain walling and access systems, among other products, and has just added a solar energy business to its growing portfolio.

The Swanswell Centre in Rugby, which helps people with alcohol-related issues, picked up the Service Provider of the Year award. Rugby-based Chris Watts took the Networker of the Year title. He runs the Warwickshire Business Club, which is centred on Henley-in-Arden but has recently extended its reach to run events in Ansty, Coventry, and Nuneaton. There was also success for Stratford Business Forum, named Business Club of the Year.

To round off a great night for the area, there was also a lifetime achievement award for Lord Kumar Bhattacharya, of the Warwick Manufacturing Group in recognition of his work in promoting the skills of the area.

He said the award was among the most special that WMG had received because it was from its home region. He outlined the journey the organisation had taken from starting with a single desk at Warwick University to becoming a global player. He said one of his proudest achievements was being able to help broker the deal that led to Tata Motors buying Jaguar Land Rover, a company now on course to make exports of more than £9 billion this year.

“We have in this region a diversity of culture and people to be proud of,” said Lord Bhattacharya. “Times are tough but people here can hack it.”

The ceremony marked the fifth year of the awards and the guest of honour was Caroline Waters OBE - Director of People and Policy for BT Group. The overall event sponsor was ARUP.

Harj Sandher, MD of the Leamington-based organisers UK Special Events, the company behind the event, said: “These awards have grown in popularity and in quality. They demonstrate that the region has a thriving entrepreneurial spirit, which is needed at times like this more than ever.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

The full list of winners is as follows:

Midlands Entrepreneur of the Year

Gary Summers – Alumet Systems (UK) Ltd (Southam)

Midlands Young Entrepreneur of the Year

Winner: Ben Hanlin – Ben Hanlin Corporate Magician (Solihull)

Highly commended: Ben Dyer – Altogether Company (Stoke-on-Trent).

Midlands Networker of the Year

Christopher Watts – Warwickshire Business Club (Rugby)

Midlands Service Provider of the Year

Swanswell, Rugby

Midlands Innovation of the Year

Michael J Lucas – Zybert Computing Limited

Midlands Business Club of the Year

Winner: Stratford Business Forum

Highly commended: Nottingham Entrepreneurs

Midlands Enterprising University of the Year

Winner: Aston University

Highly commended: University of Worcester

Midlands Exporter of the Year

Winner: Waste Spectrum Environmental Ltd, Worcester

Highly commended: Master Magnets, Redditch

Midlands Business Person of the Year

Daniel Gidney, Ricoh Arena, Coventry

Lifetime contribution to Midlands Business

Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya, Warwick Manufacturing Group

For more information, please contact:

Harj Sandher, UK Special Events

07949 632388 or harj@ukspecialevents.com

Issued by Guy Ashworth, HCK Communications,

01926 420800 / 07971 680883 or info@hckcomms.co.uk

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