Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce yesterday announced the shortlisted companies who have made it through as finalists in the biggest ever Edinburgh Business Awards.

69 nominees have been chosen from record levels of entries across the 15 categories.

Liz McAreavey, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Chamber (ECC) said: “The judges found this a challenging task, with very high quality entries for this year’s Awards demonstrating yet again the growing importance of these awards in the Edinburgh – and Scottish – business calendar. All of the judges were impressed with the quality of entries, which does credit to the city and its business community in all areas, from innovation to social responsibility.”

In the Best Performing Business category, AM Bid Services, AWS Recruitment, The Yard and Edinburgh Airport were among those who were recognised for their financial and operational successes and for their innovative approaches to expansion in their market.

The Edinburgh Chamber’s commitment to encouraging an equal society was reflected in their announcement of new category for 2018 – Inspiring Partnerships. Hibernian Football Club, The Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home, Cre8te Opportunities, The Kitchin and Grassmarket Community Project were nominated in this category, celebrating their strong and sustainable business-third sector relationships and the positive effect these have on their respective communities.

20/20 Productions, Doig & Smith and Steedman & Company are finalists in one of the most hotly-contested categories, Developing the Young Workforce, which recognises organisations who support young people into positive destinations.

Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce President Scott Black said today: “We had a huge number of submissions for the ECC Annual Business Awards this year. It’s great to see such a positive response, which highlights the excellent contribution our entrepreneurs and leaders, from all sectors, are making to the success of our capital city”

“With over 500 guests expected in February, we are looking forward to celebrating some of Edinburgh’s top business and third-sector achievements.”

The winners of the awards will be announced at the Awards Dinner at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre on 8th February 2018. Colin Temple, Managing Director at schuh and Sophie Dekkers, UK Country Director at EasyJet were recently announced as keynote speakers for the evening.  For more information and to buy tickets, please contact the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce – awards@edinburghchamber.co.uk or 0131 221 2999.

The full shortlist of the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce 7th Annual Business Awards

Best Performing Business 1-10 sponsored by DJ Alexander

  • Heehaw
  • AM Bid Services
  • The Outcomes Partnership Ltd
  • AWS Recruitment

Best Performing Business 11-50 sponsored by DJ Alexander

  • Grassmarket Community Project
  • Pufferfish
  • The Yard
  • Workflo Solutions
  • Specialized Signs

Best Performing Business 51+ sponsored by DJ Alexander

  • Mortgage Advice Bureau Network Partner Scotland
  • Edinburgh Airport
  • Lothian Buses
  • Activpayroll
  • ESPC
  • Sykes

Diversity in Business sponsored by Edinburgh Trams

  • Dishoom
  • The Yard
  • Cyrenians
  • Grassmarket Community Project

Responsible Business sponsored by City of Edinburgh Council

  • Anderson Strathern
  • Ogilvie Ross LLP
  • Vegware
  • Lothian Buses
  • Business Fives Ltd

Young Leader of the Year sponsored by Turcan Connell

  • Alan Surgeon, AWS Recruitment
  • Sarah Singh, Edinburgh Trams
  • Maryn Murray, Click Netherfield
  • Chris Kirk, Chisholm Hunter

Inspiring Partnership sponsored by Essential Edinburgh

  • The Kitchin
  • Grassmarket Community Project
  • Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home
  • Cre8te Opportunities Ltd
  • Hibernian F.C.

Creative Marketing sponsored by Cameron Presentations

  • Lothian Buses
  • Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home
  • Marketing Edinburgh
  • Represent

High Growth sponsored by Edinburgh Airport

  • Best Western Braid Hills Hotel
  • BSC Edinburgh
  • AM Bid Services
  • Farrpoint
  • Royal College of Surgeons
  • Mortgage Advice Bureau Network Partner Scotland

International Trade sponsored by Regus

  • Heehaw
  • Click Netherfield
  • Edinburgh Airport

Excellence in Health and Safety

  • SP Energy Networks
  • Edinburgh Airport
  • Edinburgh Trams

Director of the Year sponsored by the Royal Bank of Scotland

  • Lea Harrison, Edinburgh Trams
  • Scott Mitchell, The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh Commercial Enterprises
  • Jonathan Rayner, Edinburgh Airport
  • Andrew Morrison, AM Bid Services
  • Dominic Taddei, Mortgage Advice Bureau Network Partner Scotland
  • Angus MacFadyen, Pufferfish Ltd
  • Michael Field, Workflo Solutions Scotland Limited
  • Celine Sinclair, The Yard

Best New Start Up sponsored by Business Gateway

  • Projeckt42
  • Business Fives Ltd
  • Ergo Law Ltd

Developing the Young Workforce sponsored by Developing the Young Workforce

  • Company Net
  • Bluebird Care
  • Steedman & Company Ltd
  • 20/20 Productions
  • Doig & Smith Ltd

Innovation in Business sponsored by Forth Ports

  • Cre8te Opportunities Ltd
  • Games without Frontiers
  • The Outcomes Partnership Ltd
  • 20/20 Productions

Rebecca Neish2A Queen Margaret University (QMU) student who became one of the first international tourism ambassadors at Edinburgh International Airport in 2015, has now landed a leading graduate position with Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce.

Rebecca Neish, 21, has been appointed as Training and Events Executive with Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce after graduating with a first class BA (Hons) Events Management from QMU in July.

Rebecca’s new role with Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce will include working as part of the operations team, where she is responsible for developing their existing portfolio of training and events and conducting quality standard checks to confirm members are being provided with the best opportunities to grow and develop their businesses. It is not only the members satisfaction that she manages, part of her responsibility is to liaise with the suppliers and support their needs and desires to collaboratively support the members development needs.

Whilst a student at QMU, Rebecca was one of only three university students to be appointed as part of the first Student Tourism Ambassador Role Scotland (STARS) team at Edinburgh International Airport, which is a partnership project between the University and the Airport. Rebecca talents were recognised during her time with the STARS project when she was promoted to the coordinator’s role. It was this position that she excelled as a people manager, gaining the skills set and experience which has helped secure her current job with the Chamber.

QMU’s STARS programme was designed to support the tourism sector in Edinburgh and has enabled a total of 50 students to find paid employment and develop employability and leadership skills. The programme has been endorsed by VisitScotland, Scotland’s national tourism organisation, and has now been expanded to include Virgin Trains East Coast and Edinburgh St James. The initiative was also recognised in 2016 with an award from the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce in the category of innovation.

Commenting on her new role with Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, experience as one of the first STARS, and QMU journey, Rebecca said: “The opportunity I was given through QMU’s STARS programme has directly supported me in my current role. I strongly believe I wouldn’t be in the role I’m in today without QMU investing in me, believing in my ability, supporting my growth and giving me the opportunity to learn practically.

“The experience I gained as a result of being the coordinator of the STARS programme, liaising with clients, performing evaluations and acting upon their outcomes has definitely given me the confidence to pursue my current role at the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce. The opportunity QMU gave me gave me the skills and experience to help start my career and owe the programme and QMU a lot.”

A short film of Rebecca talking about her experience as a QMU student is now available to watch on the University’s YouTube channel: https://goo.gl/CX89tX

This month, we’re inviting Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce members to share their #MyEdinChamber stories.

We pride ourselves on providing a platform for businesses to create high-quality connections – through our member database, or face to face at one of our many networking events. We love to see our members connect and collaborate.

One such example is the partnership formed between Business Fours and The Yard. We invited John McClarey of Business Fours, and Anna Robinson of The Yard to share their experience and their story.

1. Why did you both join the Chamber?

John: I joined the chamber having been a member at a previous job and found the events very beneficial. I rejoined to meet new local companies and connect with the Edinburgh business scene as well as avail of the mentoring service the Chamber provides. I try to get along to the events regularly and enjoy meeting and engaging with like-minded members seeking to grow their business.

Anna: The Yard joined the chamber so we could meet new people across the business sector within Edinburgh to raise awareness of our work as well as build links with new people to support our work. The events and the training courses that the chamber offer was also a good incentive to join.

2. How did this partnership begin?

John: I attended a speed networking event and met the Celine from the Yard at the event, we had a great chat over breakfast before the networking began and I was really impressed by the fantastic work the Yard are involved in. Celine suggested I came down to see the facilities, which I did and also invited me down to their fantastic Boundaries Edge course which I would highly recommend. I was hugely impressed by their work and the passion they have for enhancing the lives of not just the children who use their services but also providing a support network for parents to share experiences with other families with children with complex needs. We were delighted to support their work through Business Fours and hope we did a small bit to raise the profile of a wonderful organisation.

Anna: As John has already mentioned, Celine Sinclair, Chief Executive at The Yard, met John at a speed networking event hosted by the chamber. It was fantastic that John came to visit The Yard and also attend the ‘Competitive Edge’ course which is a course run by Boundaries Edge at The Yard and is a free course offered to people across the business sector. After John attended the course we were delighted to be chosen as one of the beneficiaries for the inaugural Business Fours tournament, which enabled us to raise funds and awareness about our work.

3. What role has the Chamber played in this collaboration?

John: The Chamber provided the platform which facilitated the initial meeting and it’s a testament to the variation in delegates of their events. From their the chamber has supported the partnership through their promotional channels something our business finds very important.

Anna: As John has said the Chamber facilitated the initial meeting and it’s great to be able to meet a wide variety of delegates at your events. It has also been great to get additional PR from the Chamber who promoted the Business Fours tournament and the partnership with The Yard.

4. What value have you received as a result of this collaboration?

John: We hope we have added value to the work of the Yard and will continue to support them moving forward. We benefited from having mutual clients and hopefully the Yard have made some worthwhile contacts from our events as well as the money raised through our fundraising efforts.

Anna: The Yard has receive financial support from the event, which will go to supporting our wide range of services for disabled children and young people. The Business Fours event was a great platform for us as it enabled us to meet new contacts who we hope will support us in the future. We have already had some sign ups to our next Boundaries Edge course in September as a result!

5. What do you love most about your membership?

John: It’s a toss up between the networking events and access to such a wide variety of clients and the mentoring scheme, both have been hugely beneficial to our business since we launched.

Anna: The opportunities that the Chamber membership gives The Yard to raise our profile as a charity in Edinburgh is what we love most about the membership. This includes the networking events, talks as well as the opportunity to speak at the Women in Business event earlier this year. The wide variety of businesses and events that the Chamber run makes it beneficial to be a member.


Over the month of July, Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce are exploring stories of success that our members have had through their membership with us. We’re inviting all members of the Edinburgh Chamber, small and large, to share their news of partnerships, business wins, and collaborations.

Share your story on social media using the hashtag #MyEdinChamber, or email our Marketing team to be in to win fantastic prizes from fellow members Ten Hill Place courtesy of Surgeon’s Hall, and G&V Hotel.

For more details, get in touch with Emma Reid or Daniel Tipping in the Marketing & Communications team.

This month, we’re inviting Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce members to share their #MyEdinChamber stories.

We pride ourselves on providing a platform for businesses to thrive – through our networking events, at our training courses, by collaborating with other members, or taking advantage of the plethora of other perks that come with a membership with Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce.

We love hearing the ways that members have found value in their membership, and below, Nancy Lynner details some of the top ways that membership has benefitted her business…

The Lucky Seven – Reasons and Rewards – Membership in the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce

1) My one-person office for EPA Internships in Europe is so solitary– attending one of the many monthly Chamber event options introduces me to companies I had never heard of.

2) In my first year of Edinburgh Chamber membership I have had several successful internship placements for my students with supervisors I never would have met otherwise.

3) Fellow members have also given me referrals which have resulted in more business for the firm I work for.

4) My boss, the owner of EPA Internships in Europe, says he is so glad I joined, and he wishes he had thought of it sooner.

5) Participating in Chamber meetings, and having those events to look forward to, cultivates a social business aspect to my work week that improves my productivity.

6) The Chamber has so many events with varied schedules, pricing, and topics– I feel there are many opportunities still awaiting me.

7) Finally, the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce has taken on two of my EPA-Edinburgh interns, and those students flourished as they observed, first hand, the terrific opportunities for businesses in Edinburgh.

Thank you, Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce!


Over the month of July, Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce are exploring stories of success that our members have had through their membership with us. We’re inviting all members of the Edinburgh Chamber, small and large, to share their news of partnerships, business wins, and collaborations.

Share your story on social media using the hashtag #MyEdinChamber, or email our Marketing team to be in to win fantastic prizes from fellow members Ten Hill Place courtesy of Surgeon’s Hall, and G&V Hotel.

For more details, get in touch with Emma Reid or Daniel Tipping in the Marketing & Communications team.

This month, we’re inviting Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce members to share their #MyEdinChamber stories.

We pride ourselves on providing a platform for businesses to create high-quality connections – through our member database, or face to face at one of our many networking events. We love to see our members connect and collaborate.

One such example is the partnership formed between Edinburgh Trams and the Edinburgh Dog & Cat Home. We invited Dean Anderson of Edinburgh Trams, and Nicola Gunn of the Edinburgh Dog & Cat Home to share their experience and their story.

ECDH1. Why did you both join the Chamber?

Nicola: We joined the Chamber as part of our new fundraising strategy was to increase our corporate network, building awareness and support for our work in the Edinburgh business community. As the Chamber is a well-respected organisation we thought it was an ideal place to start.

Dean: We joined the Chamber as part of the development of Transport for Edinburgh in 2013. We found the Chamber to be a well-respected organisation with high level members who are keen to network and discuss opportunities to collaborate, and the Chamber is key to us in developing these relationships.

2. How did this partnership begin?

Nicola: Edinburgh Trams got in touch to advise us that we had been put forward as one of several charities for staff vote to select their first ever charity of the year partnership. We were delighted to receive the majority vote and the partnership started from there!

Dean: We were keen to work with a local charity but wanted the staff to pick which charity that would be. Out of all the charities in Edinburgh and the Lothians, our staff nominated and overwhelming voted for the EDCH.

3. What role has the Chamber played in this collaboration?

Nicola: Our CEO Howard Bridges met Edinburgh Trams HR Manager Sue Bucher at a Chamber Dining Club networking meeting, Sue subsequently put us forward as one of the charities for the charity of the year staff vote.

Dean: We first met at a networking event through the Chamber which was coincidently a matter of days before our staff voted for them as their Local Charity of the Year. Having already made the connection, we got off to a quick start.

4. What value have you received as a result of this collaboration?

Nicola: The charity of the year partnership with the Trams is such a valuable relationship for Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home. Not only are we receiving support from the business and its amazing employees but we are also able to raise awareness of our work with the Trams customer base too – people we may never have reached otherwise. Our mission is to rescue, reunite and rehome stray lost and abandoned dogs and cats across Edinburgh and the Lothians and this partnership is key to helping us do just that.

Dean: Not only have we raised money for a great cause but it’s also provided a way for our staff to become involved in our business activities and take part in events such as the charity cycle. It’s always nice to have a break from transport and talk about our next activity for EDCH.

5. What do you love most about your membership?

Nicola: Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce offers a wide variety of networking and training opportunities which means that you are never stuck going to the same old event again and again. The huge member directory means you are always guaranteed to meet new contacts at each event which is ideal when you are looking to expand your network like us. We also love that since joining we have really got to know some of the Chamber team, they genuinely care about and look after their members.

Dean: Making connections goes without saying. We’ve attended many networking events over the years which are not only interesting but a great way to meet people in business. Our connections have led to some fantastic work not only with EDCH but other members too. We’ve also hugely benefited from training arranged through the Chamber. Our Customer Experience team enjoyed it so much we went on to work independently with the training provider.


Over the month of July, Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce are exploring stories of success that our members have had through their membership with us. We’re inviting all members of the Edinburgh Chamber, small and large, to share their news of partnerships, business wins, and collaborations.

Share your story on social media using the hashtag #MyEdinChamber, or email our Marketing team to be in to win fantastic prizes from fellow members Ten Hill Place courtesy of Surgeon’s Hall, and G&V Hotel.

For more details, get in touch with Emma Reid or Daniel Tipping in the Marketing & Communications team.

New alliances open up new opportunities for Edinburgh companies

Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce has participated in one of the first network-wide overseas trade missions to China, led by a delegation of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce.

Chief Executive, Liz McAreavey joined senior representatives and business people from Aberdeen, Ayrshire, Dundee & Angus, Glasgow, and West Lothian. The mission explored new trading opportunities and links with business, education and government organisations.

As part of the programme, Scottish Chambers of Commerce (SCC) announced the official opening of a new International Trade Office in the city of Yantai. The formal opening ceremony was hosted by the Vice Mayor of Yantai city, Madame Zhang Bo, together with senior officials from Yantai Municipal Government.

As part of the event, both parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding for trade engagement and partnership, designed to achieve an effective channel for exchange of business between Scotland and Yantai.

During the trade visit, Edinburgh Chamber participated in a series of productive meetings with senior business people, highly influential politicians including Vice Governor Wang Shujian, and local government officials as well as national ‘think tanks’ bodies in Beijing, Yantai and Jinan in the Shandong Province

Chief Executive, Liz McAreavey commented: “The Chinese economy continues to grow at a faster pace than western economies and the rate of growth within new cities such as Yantai and Jinan opens up the potential for Edinburgh businesses to promote and sell its goods and services which Chinese businesses and consumers want and need. That demand, together with a more recent policy of ‘opening up’ to new trading partners and overseas alliances by the Chinese, presents a myriad of opportunities for our local businesses to capitalise on.

“The aim of our mission was to strengthen relationships and increase engagement with existing and new contacts in sectors where there are direct B2B or knowledge-sharing opportunities for Edinburgh companies. Yantai is a city of 7 million and SCC’s base in Yantai will enable us to plan a comprehensive approach to exploiting the many opportunities in Yantai and further afield for our members and non-members.”

Shandong Province represents the third largest economy in China with a population of over 97 million and a GDP in excess of 6.3 trillion yuan (£0.7 trillion). It is China’s best wine growing region accounting for over 25% of all wine production. Yantai is the biggest trading port in North China and in 2016, the city imported over $19 billion (£14.7 billion) of goods and services.

Chief Executive, Liz McAreavey also visited the city of Jinan, which is home to one of the first national high-tech business incubators and since its foundation in 2002, it has incubated more than 1,000 small and medium sized science and technology enterprises. It focuses on cultivating fast-growing sectors such as biomedicine, ecommerce, energy, environmental protection and new materials.

Key sectors for Edinburgh Chamber based companies to meet key economic needs in the Chinese target cities include: electronic information, robotics and artificial intelligence, bioscience, R &D and smart technologies, food and drink and even football management.

The accelerated growth of consumers in Shandong province also opens opportunities in consumer goods, recreation and tourism services, financial and professional services and education.

Chief Executive, SCC, Liz Cameron said: “We now have a deeper understanding of how we can achieve the best exchange for business, where the opportunities exist for Scottish organisations and how we can best pursue these.

“We have also identified a number of potential opportunities for inward investment into Scotland and will be working with Scottish Government and SDI as well as other trade organisations to explore these and leverage the momentum of change within China.

SCC intends to return to Shandong Province later this year to conclude discussions on further Memorandums of Understanding and explore new ways to foster co-operation between the two countries.

Awards_logo_for_Index_pageA host of Edinburgh businesses celebrated success at the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce Business Awards held last night at the Sheraton Hotel.

Winners include:

  • Business mobile solution company, 4G Scotland was named Best Performing Business (1-10)
  • Independent Financial advisors, Mearns and Company was named Best Performing Business (11-50)
  • Rabbie’s Small Group Tours was named Best Performing Business (51+)
  • Lothian Buses secured the Sustainable Development Award
  • Sigma Seven, which specialises in the use of mobile technology to get the most from organisations data, maps and enterprise systems, was recognised in the International Trade category
  • Scottish Media Academy won the Innovation in Business Award
  • Edinburgh International Film Festival secured the Creative Marketing Award (with a budget of only £600!!)
  • Rebecca Mackenzie Smith from HeeHaw Marketing was named Young Business Person of the Year
  • Janice Dickson, managing director of Ian Dickson Travel Services was recognised with the Lifetime Achievement Award

David Birrell, Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive said: “We were extremely impressed by the calibre of entries. There was more competition than ever before. The winners truly shone as fantastic businesses doing great things. They are all businesses of real value, contributing to employment and the economic prosperity of the capital city and Scotland as a whole.”

Ian Craig, Chief Executive of Lothian Buses, winner of the Sustainable Business Award said: “We are delighted to be named the Sustainable Business of the Year at the Edinburgh Chamber Business Awards.  The past year has seen passenger numbers hit a record 25 year high and our commitment to sustainability continues as we go forward onto the next stage of our journey as public transport in Edinburgh evolves.”

 

Three of the City’s business leaders and ambitious rising stars addressed guests at the celebration dinner:

  • Councillor Frank Ross, Convenor Economy Committee, City of Edinburgh Council
  • Dr Jamie Coleman, managing director of technology incubator Tech Cube
  • Fraser Doherty, founder of SuperJam