With the challenges of the past 18 months, there haven't been many causes for celebration or chances for glitz and glamour.
Stuck at home in dull pyjamas and slippers for most of 2020 and 2021, we're all in desperate need of a night to dress up, pop the bubbly and have some fun.
And we're all in luck - the are bringing that and more.
Live at Brangwyn Hall in Swansea on Thursday, October 21, Swansea Bay's business community will be reunited at this year's highly-anticipated awards ceremony.
There's been remarkable resilience throughout the region which deserves recognition. 13 awards will be handed out to the entrepreneurs, companies and organisations making waves in their industries.
To find out more information and purchase your tickets, visit .
Back to host the once again, Frances Donovan is a journalist and presenter with more than 25 years experience of hosting live and recorded television and radio programmes.
She has regularly anchored sporting coverage of many major events across various channels and was the first female host of BBC Wales’ iconic rugby show, Scrum V.
Frances created and presented ‘Give a Dog a Home’ for BBC Wales, highlighting her passion to find good homes for rescue dogs, of which she has two herself. She ran has also co-anchored ITV Wales’ arts and entertainment programme The Wales Show where Ricky Gervais, Rhys Ifans, Catherine Zeta Jones and Stereophonics have numbered amongst her guests.
An experienced and popular host of live events, organisations such as the Welsh Government, the National Trust and Media Wales have asked her to anchor their award ceremonies or publicity events. Her recent hosting of WalesOnline and BusinessLive's Wales Women in Business Awards 2021 was praised by all and will no doubt be replicated at Swansea Bay's dedicated business celebration.
Frances is delighted to be hosting again, she said: “I never fail to be inspired by their creativity, innovation and refusal to be contained. Every finalist and winner at the Swansea Bay Business Awards is ‘grabbing the world by the throat and shouting’ - apologies Carla Lane for pinching your words! It’s a privilege and pleasure to host the awards...and it’s always one heck of a great party too!”
This year's finalists have overcome a lot this year, more than the usual struggles of being an entrepreneur and pioneer. Their resilience and commitment to Swansea Bay has been truly inspirational and it's great to see so many honoured at the special event.
We could go through the alphabet naming all of the exciting projects to be celebrated at the awards; there's AI devices, beer brands, care services, digital marketing, energy solutions...
You can finish the list yourself by reading all about the finalists and their success stories here.
Or find out on the night be getting tickets .
Head of Print for Midlands and Wales and the Editor of the South Wales Evening Post, Jonathan Roberts is looking forward to celebrating this resilience. He said:
"The Swansea Bay Business Awards have always celebrated the very best within the economic engine that drives our region. Of course, recent times have brought unprecedented challenges for business across the globe.
"So it is right that we once again come together at the Brangwyn Hall for a night of reflection and celebration. To remind ourselves that here in Swansea Bay we have the talent and the tenacity to move forward once more."
Here are this year's categories and their sponsors:
- Entrepreneur of the Year
- Young Business Person of the Year
- Innovation Award
- Business in the Community Award
- Customer Focus Award
- Tech Business of the Year
- Employer of the Year
- Family Business of the Year
- Start Up Business of the Year
- Small Business of the Year
- Medium-Large Business of the Year
- Business of the Year
- Lifetime Achievement Award
The Swansea Bay Business Awards 2021 will take place at Brangwyn Hall, Swansea on Thursday, October 21. To find out more information and purchase your tickets, visit
