2017 Aer Lingus Viscount Awards Cleared For Take-off

Premier Awards recognise business excellence across Northern Ireland



The ninth annual Aer Lingus Viscount Awards are officially open for entry across nine diverse categories.



Held in association with Ulster Business, the Viscount Awards aim to celebrate exceptional businesses and individuals that promote best practice and who have generated significant business success over the last year in areas including innovation, export, employee focus and overall growth.



Aer Lingus will once again fly the shortlisted companies to London to attend a gala awards luncheon on 24th May 2017 at the Institute of Directors’ palatial headquarters on Pall Mall, where the winners will be announced.



Andrea Hunter, Business Development Manager at Aer Lingus said: “We’ve widened the scope of the categories this year to encourage a really diverse range of companies to enter.



“Companies of all sizes should consider taking part, the only thing they must have in common is that they are best in class.



“We are interested in the calibre of the achievement and not just the scale of the project, and we’re proud to recognise businesses of all sizes for their successes.



“These awards have become a highly respected barometer of excellence and one of the premier events in the annual business calendar, giving both finalists and winners alike a superb platform to showcase their achievements.



“At Aer Lingus we understand that winning awards are a great way to acknowledge and market the companies that are forging ahead and inspiring change in their sectors.



“Indeed, in the past year we have celebrated a number of our own awards, including ‘Best Airline out of Belfast City’ at the Northern Ireland Travel and Tourism Awards, ‘Best Short Haul Airline Europe’ and ‘Best Long Haul Airline Flying West’ at the Travel Media Awards and our prestigious 4-star rating from Skytrax, joining a select group of just 40 airlines worldwide that also boast a 4-Star guest experience.



“This winter we celebrated nine years of operations in Belfast and we are delighted to be standing the test of time in the Northern Ireland market, and we will continue to strive to deliver the best possible experience for NI travelers,” she added.



The Awards will be judged by a high profile and independent judging panel of media and industry experts including: Andrea Hunter, Aer Lingus; David Elliott, Ulster Business; Wendy Austin, BBC, Tracy Meharg, Invest NI; Colin Walsh, Crescent Capital; Margaret Canning, Belfast Telegraph; Gary McDonald, Irish News; Richard Sherriff, News Letter, Alan Taylor, Arthur Cox and Roseann Kelly, Women in Business.



So if your business has experienced a stellar year and you want to shout about your success and receive recognition for your business acumen, have a look for the category – or categories – that best suit you.



Entry forms and criteria can be found at viscountawards.ulsterbusiness.com and all entries must be submitted no later than 5pm on Friday 24th March.



Photo Caption: Ulster Business Editor David Elliott and Andrea Hunter, Business Development Manager at Aer Lingus launch the 2017 Viscount Awards on Westminster Bridge, London.



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