< Previous50 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk CORPORATE HOSPITALITY F ollowing another successful event in 2024, Business Link Magazine is gearing up for the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2025, which will mark 10 years of the prestigious event! This year’s eagerly anticipated ceremony will make its grand return on Thursday 2nd October at the famous Trent Bridge Cricket Ground in Nottingham. Each year, the East Midlands Bricks Awards celebrates the successes of property and construction companies in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, and Northamptonshire. Recognising those behind the changing landscape of the East Midlands, the occasion highlights development projects, businesses, and people in commercial and public building across the region – from office, industrial and residential schemes, through to community projects such as leisure schemes and schools. It also toasts the work of architects, agencies, and those behind large schemes. Categories include: Contractor of the Year, Developer of the Year, Architects of the Year, Most Active Agent, Deal of the Year, Residential Development of the Year, Sustainable Development of the Year, Commercial Development of the Year, Excellence in Design, Responsible Business of the Year, and Overall Winner. Welcoming almost 150 professionals, nominating a company or project for the awards is a great way to boast of your successes, recognise your team’s efforts, and reach our audience of over 60,000 business readers, while also offering a chance to connect with respected business leaders. And better yet, it’s completely free to enter! In addition, new for this year, all entrants will have the opportunity to be featured on our dedicated entrants showcase page on the East Midlands Business Link website, providing space for marketing your achievements. If you have or know someone in the The East Midlands Bricks Awards returns for 10th year Taking place on Thursday 2nd October, the East Midlands Bricks Awards returns for its 10th year in 2025, shining a light on property and construction businesses. Overall Winner 2024 - Jo Plant, Jonathan Plant, Andy Sawyer, Richard Evans Sustainable Development of the Year 2024 - Clare Swaine, Ian Taylor, John McKay What: East Midlands Bricks Awards 2025 When: Thursday 2nd October 2025, 4:30pm – 7:30pm Where: The Derek Randall Suite, Trent Bridge Cricket Ground Dress code: Standard business attirewww.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 51 CORPORATE HOSPITALITY With a limited number of sponsorship opportunities remaining, please contact Angie Cooper at a.cooper@blmgroup.co.uk to learn more about sponsoring the event With thanks to our sponsors property and construction industry who deserves recognition, then nominate them or yourselves for the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2025. It’s free to do so and making the top three finalists in your category wins you free tickets to the event, where you’ll be in the running for one of our coveted awards. All finalists will have the chance to take home the Overall Winner award as well, which this year comes with a prize of a year of marketing/publicity worth £20,000, with the opportunity to split or gift the marketing to a charity of your choice. To find out more about the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2025 and make a nomination, please visit the East Midlands Business Link website — www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk. Last year saw an excellent turnout as property and construction professionals descended on Trent Bridge Cricket Ground to celebrate the industry, network, and congratulate award winners. The event saw Clegg Construction steal Contractor of the Year, Vistry Group East Midlands take home Developer of the Year, Matthew Montague Architects named Architects of the Year, Rigby & Co. snap up Most Active Agent, and Stepnell Ltd win Responsible Business of the Year. Deal of the Year, meanwhile, went to heb Surveyors for their deal at The Oaks, Mansfield, and G F Tomlinson secured Commercial Development of the Year for The Air and Space Institute, Newark. Sustainable Development of the Year went to Henry Brothers Construction Ltd for Alfreton Park School, and Distinctive Developments took home Residential Development of the Year and Excellence in Design for Woodwell and Meadow Barn, as well as the Overall Winner award. Richard Evans of Distinctive Developments shared: “We’re so grateful to the judges for recognising our hard work and commitment to quality design and craftsmanship. What a super event as well for networking and business connections, thank you Business Link.” Attendees also heard from keynote speaker Paul Southby – chair of Nottingham Partners, board member of Marketing Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, partner at Geldards LLP, chair of the Advisory Board to Nottingham Business School, chair of Broadway independent cinema, trustee of Clean Rivers Trust, and former High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire – who touched on devolution, constraints being faced by property and construction businesses, issues in regional confidence, and reasons to be optimistic about the East Midlands’ future. Nominations are now open for the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2025. To enter please visit www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk. Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on Thursday 2nd October in The Derek Randall Suite at Nottingham’s Trent Bridge Cricket Ground. 52 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk challenges, exploring opportunities, and exchanging ideas to drive the sector forward. For more information visit www.lincs-chamber.co.uk/ events/manufacturing-and-engineering- roundtable/ Alternative Ways to Provide Employee Benefits Beyond Salary Tuesday 20 May Online As National Insurance rates rise and the National Living Wage continues to evolve, businesses are facing new challenges in managing compensation while maintaining employee satisfaction and retention. Join this insightful webinar exploring creative, cost-effective alternatives to traditional salary-based benefits. For more information visit www.emc-dnl.co.uk/events/alternative- ways-to-provide-employee-benefits- beyond-salary_w5rbdf1wpp/ Brand Improvement Workshop Wednesday 14 May Dunston Innovation Centre, Chesterfield Is your branding brilliant, or could it be better? At this event you’ll gain insights into building an effective brand strategy, creating a compelling brand story and designing effective communication materials to help you achieve your business’s strategic goals. For more information visit www.d2n2growthhub.co.uk/events/bran d-improvement-workshop/ Manufacturing and Engineering Roundtable Wednesday 14 May The Bridge, Joseph Ruston Building, Lincoln This roundtable is designed for industry professionals to come together in an open discussion format, sharing events The Big Business Event 2025 Thursday 22 May Harlaxton Manor, Grantham 2025 will see the Big Business Event return once more to Harlaxton Manor. The event’s primary aim is to bring businesses together from across the area, providing a forum for networking opportunities. If you’re thinking of growing your existing business, starting a new venture or want to raise awareness © stock.adobe.com/Kannapat AI & Digital Marketing Conference & Exhibition Friday 6 June East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham This event is designed for businesses and charities seeking to take advantage of the opportunities offered by AI in reaching new audiences, winning and retaining customers and improving sales & marketing productivity. The conference offers delegates the opportunity to learn about the latest trends, real-life case studies and effective tactics to gain the best advantage for their businesses. For more information visit www.d2n2growthhub.co.uk/events/ai-digital-marketing- conference-exhibition/ © stock.adobe.com/krungchingpixswww.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 53 of your brand, The Big Business Event is a must-attend event for you. For more information visit www.thebigbusinessevent.co.uk/ Leicestershire Manufacturing Network Tuesday 10 June De Montfort University, Leicester The is network forms part of the umbrella East Midlands Manufacturing Network which is led by East Midlands Chamber. It unites local manufacturers, enabling members to harness the cross-industry, business, engineering and manufacturing knowledge necessary to evolve and expand. For more information visit https://bizgateway.org.uk/events/east- midlands-chamber-leicestershire-manufacturing-network/ Trading with the Island of Ireland Thursday 12 June Online Since the UK’s departure from the EU in 2021, the trade relationship with the island of Ireland has been continually evolving. From the initial UK/EU Trade and Cooperation agreement and the accompanying Northern Ireland Protocol to the Windsor framework and the UK’s revised Border Operating Model – companies have been grappling with ongoing changes (and challenges). How well have you managed the transition process – and are you fully prepared for the next steps? Join this session exploring this trade relationship in greater detail. For more information visit www.emc-dnl.co.uk/events/trading-with- the-island-of-ireland-template_6grrjqfhp3/ East Midlands Bricks Awards 2025 Thursday 2 October Trent Bridge Cricket Ground, Nottingham Returning for 2025, this year’s East Midlands Bricks Awards, organised by Business Link Magazine, mark 10 years of the prestigious event! Shining a light on the region’s property and construction industry, and offering an opportunity to network and celebrate with respected business leaders, this year’s eagerly anticipated ceremony will take place on Thursday 2nd October at the famous Trent Bridge Cricket Ground in Nottingham. A perfect occasion to recognise those behind the changing landscape of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire, to make a nomination please visit www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk Carbon Literacy Training for SMEs Friday 23 May Brookfield Campus, Leicester SMEs play a critical role in tackling climate change. Whether you’re just starting to explore sustainability or already taking steps to reduce your carbon footprint, this Carbon Literacy training event is designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills needed to make a tangible impact. The fully accredited, one-day in person course is tailored specifically for SMEs, providing a practical and engaging introduction to Carbon Literacy. The training will help you understand the carbon costs and impacts of everyday business activities, giving you the motivation and tools to drive meaningful change. For more information visit https://bizgateway.org.uk/events/carbon- literacy-training-for-smes/ © stock.adobe.com/LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS 54 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk Here’s Frazer’s collection of the weird and wonderful ‘news’ that came his way over the last few weeks. And finally The world of Frazer A £12m miscalculation The owner of a Lincolnshire business was left in shock upon receiving a letter from National Grid, mistakenly offering him millions of pounds in compensation after a power cut. The Stamford hair salon was offered over £12.4m when power was failed to be restored within 12 hours, instead of a later corrected amount of £95 — only a slight miscalculation! With National Grid apologising for the error, the owner of Asembo Hairdressers was quoted by the BBC joking that they must have mistaken the business for Heathrow Airport. While still grateful for the compensation, the owner added that he was “not as grateful as he would have been” if he had received the millions. A job-hunting red flag You may want to rethink what you wear the next time you conduct a job interview as new research that has made its way across Frazer’s desk reveals one of Gen Z job- hunters’ biggest interview red flags - if the hiring manager wears a suit. According to professor Julia Yates, an organisational psychologist at City St George’s University of London, younger candidates are becoming increasingly wary of overly formal workplace cultures, and a suited and booted interviewer could send the wrong message from the get-go. “Gen Z’s priority is authenticity,” she explained in a recent discussion with garment care brand Philips. “They want to work in places that feel real and human – and sometimes that starts with what people wear.” She added: “Wearing a suit in a relaxed environment might suggest the company doesn’t really understand modern work culture. It can give the impression that appearances matter more than flexibility or personality – and for Gen Z, that’s a red flag.” Streaming: a full-time job Working from home comes with a lot of freedom; a chance to create an environment where you feel most productive. This environment, however, may not be one that your employer would approve of! As many as 84% of Gen Z workers have admitted they stream shows and movies while working from home, and 48% have lied to their boss about it, according to a survey by streaming service Tubi. Meanwhile, 52% note they are hesitant to return to the office because they will lose their streaming. Though it could be easy to accuse these workers of stealing company time to watch TV, for many (54% according to the survey) streaming simply provides background noise. The problem appears to come when a show gets too engrossing, with 53% of those polled saying they have put off work to finish a series they are binge-watching. © stock.adobe.com/Ljupco Smokovski © stock.adobe.com/gearstdWhether it’s banner ads, headers, newsletters, podcasts or print campaigns from as little as £60 a month, please contact Angie Cooper T: 01472 310310 • E: a.cooper@blmgroup.co.uk www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.ukTOWER FIELD SERVICES Cat Tech Tower Field Services offers bespoke mechanical services to oil refinery and petrochemical plants all around the world. Our team has vast experience in overseeing and undertaking the installation of all types of Tower internals. Our Tower tray, packing and other internals installation services has deep roots, with several of the senior team at Cat Tech being involved in the founding of the Cana-Tex organisation. 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Ours crews have been trained by us, this allows us to staff a project with the proven skills necessary to produce customer satisfaction. It is our intention to demonstrate the benefit of utilising Cat Tech for all of your Tower work. The benefits of engaging Cat Tech are: l Experienced Tower specialists. l Proven track record. l Ability to supply spares and replacements. l Spade to Spade service. l Revamps or modifications to Towers / Internals. l Inspection of Tower internals. l Supervision of external/client labour force. l Detailed inspection reports. l Cleaning of tower internals. l Reactor tray field services. l Turnkey reactor tray field services. At Cat Tech, we continue to create new ways to make Tower work safer, faster and more productive. And that can make very good things happen for your business. Contact us for further information. Our well established sales team have a wealth of experience. We take pride on ensuring all enquires are dealt with quickly and efficiently. China: Cat Tech Services (Shanghai) Ltd., Room 1230 No.1, 58 Nong Huachi Road, Putuo District, Shanghai 20061 CN Phone: +(86) 2152 9175 08 Fax: +(86) 2152 9175 05 Singapore: Cat Tech Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., 17 Fan Yoong Road, Singapore 629794 Phone: +(65) 6264 6261 Fax: +(65) 6264 6401 South America: Please contact the UK office on +44 1724 871 747 Thailand: Cat Tech Services (Thailand) Ltd., 2/1 Soi Banbon Nuenpayom Road, Maptaphut Sub District, Muang Rayong District, Rayong Province 21150 TH Phone: +(66) 894 064 100 Fax: +(66) 638 692 382 MAKING YOUR PLANT WORK… SMARTER www.cat-tech.comNext >