FEATURE
Tech it all in – all the winners from the 2023 Tees Tech Awards .
TECH FOR GOOD
Established digital awards are thriving
A
posthumous award for an unsung pioneer of the region ’ s digital boom , a surprise prize for the night ’ s guest speaker and a second Business Leader of the Year award were among the highlights at the fourth annual Tees Tech Awards .
Twelve awards were presented during a night of joy and emotion at the Kirkleatham Walled Garden Pavilion , with more than 300 people in the audience eager to hear who the winners were .
Organised by Tees Business – the team behind This Is Tees Valley – in association with DigitalCity and Middlesbrough Digital , the Tees Tech Awards help to shine a light on and celebrate the Tees region ’ s thriving digital and tech sector .
For Fitfactory Technology , the fourth annual awards ceremony was a night to remember after clinching the coveted Company of the Year title .
Group CEO Jason Pritchard said : “ I ’ m very shocked and very happy . We ’ ve had amazing growth , the team I ’ ve got around me are amazing , and we are constantly striving for innovation and development .
“ We ’ ve had a phenomenal year . We ’ ve built some great relationships in America and are now about to sign a mega deal for the company which will see us accelerate hugely in the North-East and in Teesside especially .”
The husband of one of Teesside ’ s true
Legacy – Graeme Webster ( left ), with Scott Watson of DigitalCity , after his late wife Janice was the posthumous winner of the Unsung Hero category at the 2023 Tees Tech Awards .
digital pioneers said it was “ marvellous ” to learn that an award for unsung tech heroes will be named after her .
Graeme Webster was speaking after being told his late wife Janice was the posthumous winner of the Unsung Hero category at the Tees Tech Awards 2023 .
And he said it was “ marvellous – quite marvellous ” – that organisers Tees Business had decided that the Unsung Hero award will from now on carry Janice ’ s name .
When Graeme , to a standing ovation , collected Janice ’ s award in her memory , it was an emotion-charged moment on a memorable night at the Kirkleatham Walled Garden , where 12 awards were given out to recognise the sheer breadth and depth of Teesside tech talent .
But Janice , who sadly died shortly after last year ’ s awards , had been a digital driving force for decades .
An emotional Graeme said : “ Janice was a great North-Easterner . Even though she was born in the East Midlands , she spent most of her life , 55 years of it , in Teesside and dedicated every minute of it to Teesside . She was a great lady and I miss her a lot .
“ The VR centre she established in Teesside tested the software for the planetarium in New York – they couldn ’ t do it anywhere else in the world .
“ Everything she did on Teesside was about building on Teesside – build , build , build . When we came here the place was basically on its uppers – now we are the tops .
“ The people that have been through her courses and been through her hands are now really at the top of the tree in terms of animation , television and lots of things .
“ Modern things that 50 , 40 , 30 years ago were in the future are here now , but she was there at the start , making it happen .”
There are a range of sponsorship opportunities for businesses who want to get involved with the Tees Tech Awards , ranging from category sponsorships to smaller packages catering for all budgets . Find out more at teesbusiness . co . uk / teestechawards – or call 01642 450255 .
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