We are delighted to announce that this year’s Queen’s Awards Gala Dinner will be held on 29th September – and our guest speaker is the renowned political commentator John Sergeant.

The annual event, which is organised and hosted by the Institute of Export and sponsored jointly by Strong & Herd and Testplant, celebrates the accomplishments of those British businesses commended for their exporting achievements. It provides award recipients with an evening of celebration, entertainment and a host of networking opportunities with some truly exceptional companies, whose continuing successes have made them leaders in the field of exporting and international trade.

The setting this year is the historic Inner Temple, a venue in the heart of London’s legal quarter, which blends history and architecture with culinary expertise. A drinks reception at 6:30pm will be followed by a fine dining experience.

After dinner, guests will gain some fascinating insights from guest speaker John Sergeant. With a career spanning over 30 years, John watched history in the making as he stood in the Washington audience for Martin Luther King’s ‘I have a dream’ speech. He is best known as the BBC’s chief political correspondent, but it was his unexpected success on Strictly Come Dancing that won him the affection of the nation.

Every Queen’s Award winner has had to demonstrate that they were not only committed to trading overseas, but that it was an integral part of their business strategy. Their companies had to meet strict criteria in three key areas; overseas earnings’ growth, commercial success and strategy, in a tough selection process which saw them pitted against the crème de la crème of internationally trading businesses.

Lesley Batchelor OBE, the director general of the Institute of Export, said ‘The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are the most prestigious accolades in British business, and we will be taking this opportunity to celebrate the incredible successes of all the 2015 winners. We hope that their achievements will inspire other businesses to explore trading internationally and possibly even entering the Queen’s awards themselves in the future.’

Everyone is welcome to join us at this celebration of the growth of British international trade.

If the 2015 winners have inspired you to take your business to the next level, but you’re new to international trade, then take a look at our full range of online qualifications and business membership or contact us if you have any questions.