FilmLight wins the London Export Awards 2010
Award-winning digital film company, FilmLight Ltd, added another string to its trophy bow by taking home the prize for London’s Outstanding Exporter of the Year at the London Export Awards 2010 ceremony, held at the BAFTA headquarters on Wednesday 10 February.
The London-based company, which also triumphed at this year’s Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Sci-Tech awards, beat off stiff competition from a diverse range of companies all hoping to win the accolade of being the capital’s business with the X-port factor.
FilmLight produces advanced technology systems for post-production of feature films, TV programmes and commercials and has achieved significant export sales from its founding year onwards. Customers include Warner Bros, Sony Pictures Entertainment, BBC, with most of the top post-production houses in New York and Chicago being FilmLight customers. Strong sales in Asia have doubled, partly thanks to FilmLight’s heavy marketing to the Bollywood industry.
The winners were announced on Wednesday 10 February at an exclusive awards ceremony and networking lunch at BAFTA, 195 Piccadilly, London. Finalists, partners and stakeholders were invited to see the winners crowned. Lord Davies of Abersoch, Minister for Trade, Investment and Small Business gave a keynote speech and the ceremony was hosted by Chris Blackhurst, City Editor of the Evening Standard.
Gordon Brown, Prime Minister, said: "I want to congratulate the winners of the London Export Awards 2010 - and all the companies who entered - on their international trade achievements. Their initiative underlines the role exporters have to play in maintaining the return to economic growth seen in the last quarter of 2009. I hope their success will encourage even more London businesses - of all sizes - to follow their example.
"The importance of international trade to the regional and national economy cannot be overstated. Around one in four UK jobs are linked to overseas business, the percentage of turnover derived from exports by many London businesses exceeds 50%, and the capital's exports were worth an estimated £59bn in 2007."
There was an overwhelming response to the London Export Awards 2010, for which nominations closed on Friday 29 January. Organised by UK Trade and Investment, supported by the Mayor of London and sponsored by Barclays Bank Plc, with the Evening Standard as Media Partner, the London Export Awards supporters, sponsors and partners would like to say “thank you” to all entrants. The categories with the most entries were Creative; Financial, Business & Professional Services; and Technology, with an impressive amount of Advanced Engineering & Manufacturing entries. The awards were judged by a varied and impartial panel of business experts, including BBC Dragon James Caan (see judging panel below).
After much deliberation, this year’s winners and finalists are as follows:
Category Winners/Finalists
London’s Outstanding Exporter of the Year
London’s Creative Exporter of the Year
Winner: knomo
London’s Advanced Engineering & Manufacturing Exporter of the Year
Winner: Specialist Energy Group Plc
London’s Technology Exporter of the Year
Winners: Avanti Communications and FilmLight
London’s Life Sciences Exporter of the Year
Winner: Smart Cells
London’s Financial, Business and Professional Services Exporter of the Year
Winner: Rize Recruitment
London’s Young Exporter of the Year
Winner: myDestinationInfo.com
London’s Best Newcomer to Export of the Year
Winner: TestPlant
Judges
A judges' panel consisting of a range of business experts who have specialist knowledge of each category considered applications following the deadline. They are:
- Vivek Ramachandran, Head of Cash and Trade, Barclays Plc
- Chris Blackhurst, Evening Standard City Editor
- Anthony Browne, Mayoral Policy Director for Economic Development
- Martin Broughton, Chairman of British Airways
- Sir Andrew Likierman, Dean of the London Business School
- Susan Searle, Chief Executive Officer, Imperial Innovations
- James Caan, investor, entrepreneur and television personality
- Sir Terence Conran, designer, restaurateur and retailer
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