NEWS
TALKING UP TECH
TECH AWARDS FILMS TOP 110,000 FACEBOOK VIEWS
The Tees Business organisers of the
inaugural Tees Tech Awards have revealed that the event has achieved more than 110,000 Facebook views .
With Covid precautions being tightened , the awards were held virtually in August , four months after originally planned , with initial hopes of more than 300 attendees enjoying a sumptuous dinner in Wynyard Hall ’ s Grand Marquee a distant dream .
But the digital element to the Tech Awards proved to not only be highly appropriate but a masterstroke .
Nearly 2,000 – including finalists , winners and sponsors - watched the awards “ as live ” on YouTube , but it is the post-event views that are most impressive .
Filmed cuts of each award announcement were posted on Facebook in the two weeks following the event , with total views topping 110,000 , together with a further 2,000 LinkedIn video views .
The team behind Tees Business ’ s
sister publication Wear Business launched a Covid recovery issue after a short delay .
Resolution Media and Publishing , owned by Tees Business executive editors Dave Allan and Martin Walker , published the second issue of the business magazine seven months after its launch at Ramside Hall .
The impact of Covid meant they had to shelve the printed Wear magazine temporarily due to the publication ’ s infancy .
But they significantly increased their online presence during lockdown and since , with a series of weekly webchats going out on their Facebook page involving business leaders from around the Sunderland and Durham regions .
And they launched a weekly e-news which
On air – the Tees Tech Awards , hosted by John Foster , were filmed at Recognition PR ’ s purpose-built TV studio in premises in Darlington .
“ We ’ re chuffed to bits with the viewing figures for the Tech Awards ,” said Tees Business executive editor Dave Allan .
“ Of course , we ’ d all have loved to have been together in person for the Tees Tech Awards but , when Covid meant that was impossible , going virtual was the natural alternative .
“ Despite our confidence we could pull it off , there ’ s always a nagging doubt in the back of your mind , but these fantastic figures have removed any future doubt that virtual events can not only work and prove a real success for ourselves but , more importantly , for our sponsors .
“ The exposure our Tech Awards sponsors received in return for their support has gone way beyond what we promised them . Considering the concern we naturally had when lockdown caused the postponement of the original event , it ’ s an incredible outcome .”
Publishers launch bounceback business mag for Wear region
is now sent to more than 1,600 business subscribers every Thursday .
They eventually published the second issue of Wear Business in August – with the printed magazine being circulated to businesses in the Sunderland , Washington , Houghton-le- Spring , Durham , Chester-le-Street , Peterlee and Seaham areas .
Visit wear . business to read it online .
Our region is full of extremely innovative and interesting companies . In many ways digital and technology companies take this to another level .
There are some amazing stories to tell and it is therefore a collective and sustained failure that the majority of us don ’ t know about them , let alone celebrate their successes .
Everflow is one of the fastest growing companies in Europe and went from a standing start to £ 50m turnover inside three years . It is now spinning out a separate technology unit with a realistic eight-figure turnover target ( if you don ’ t know who they are , please have a Google ). Other companies worth looking into : Cleveland Engineering Systems based in Darlington – their customer list is incredible .
Paid based in Stockton – they could easily be one of our region ’ s largest successes .
Big Bite , based in Middlesbrough – their customer list it can talk about is incredible , the ones it can ’ t are stratospheric .
It is also worth a cursory glance at these two companies , both birthed right here in the Tees Valley :
Postmates – based in San Francisco and bought for £ 2.65bn !
TransferGo – based in London and has achieved £ 50m investment .
Times are changing and the Tees Tech Awards has begun the process of awareness-raising and celebration that the sector deserves .
But we must recognise that this is just the beginning and we should never be shy or bashful – quite simply your region needs you !
Why is knowledge and celebration of others ’ achievements important ? Probably far too simplistic , but three reasons : confidence , inspiration and feelgood .
They may well be intangible , but magic starts to happen when we all start believing .
I truly believe we have a region to be proud of and one that will be seen in the future to be punching above its weight .
David Dixon DigitalCity
The voice of business in the Tees region | 7