New sponsors rally to support the Best of British Awards
 

The British Business Awards, led by the British Chamber of Commerce, are being held on November 6th, 2008, in Beijing to recognise innovation, enterprise and endeavour by both British and Chinese in the fields of business, education and corporate social responsibility.

The awards have attracted the attention of some of Britain's best known brands, such as BP (British Petroleum) and Standard Chartered Bank, who join UK Trade & Investment, the British Council, Jardine One Solutions and the 48Group Club as category sponsors. British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have also rallied behind the "Best of British" by sponsoring prizes. Long-standing After a highly competitive first round of judging, five finalists were chosen for each of the six awards from the field of over a hundred entries. Speaking at the finalists' reception, held at the Westin Chaoyang Hotel, Chris Baron, chairman of the judges, said: "It was not an easy task to choose a shortlist of candidates for each award category since all of the entrants have shown outstanding excellence and professionalism and are truly contributing to the spirit of friendship between China and the UK". BP has chosen to become a sponsor of the Entrepreneur of the Year Award to emphasise its positioning in recognising talented individuals who constantly endeavour towards innovation and commercial success. Commitment Dr. Gary Dirks, BP Group Vice President and President of BP China, commented: "The British Business Awards is an important initiative for UK businesses and individuals. It allows the sharing of real-life experiences in creativity, professionalism and commitment to progress. BP is proud to support BBA which enhances the competitiveness of the UK in this important market." Standard Chartered Bank has adopted the Corporate Social Responsibility Programme (CSR) of the Year award as part of its global sponsorship initiative. The CSR Award recognises the accomplishments of organisations that have shown leadership in creating a culture of corporate responsibility in China and have made a significant difference to those to whom they     dedicate their time and resources. Katherine Tsang, Executive Vice Chairman & CEO of Standard Chartered Bank (China) Limited, put the awards in context: "In today's global economy, the UK and China have forged a strategic partnership that is broader and deeper than ever before. "As responsible leading members of the international community, our combined efforts can make a real difference in addressing global challenges and creating a sustainable business environment. "Standard Chartered Bank is delighted to be a sponsor of the British Business Awards - driving corporate citizenship and creative capitalism to new heights." Pampered Meanwhile, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic Airways have signed up to reward the winners of BBA Awards as the official prize sponsors for the individual Award categories. With first and business-class round-trip tickets between China and the UK up for grabs, winners of the Entrepreneur, Alumnus and Young Icebreaker will walk away with both an award and a pampered round-trip ticket to the UK.