Red letter day for Grampian Awards for Business Enterprise

Rachel Elnaugh, one of Britain’s highest profile female entrepreneurs has been announced as the key note speaker for the Grampian Awards for Business Enterprise 2006.  The Awards, which recognise business achievement in the north east of Scotland for companies of all sizes and are sponsored by The Royal Bank of Scotland and Business Gateway (in association with Scottish Enterprise Grampian). The annual awards are organised by Enterprise North East Trust (Enterprise) and the 2006 awards ceremony will be held on Thursday 8 June at Ardoe House Hotel by Aberdeen.

Rachel entered the world of business as an office junior but it didn’t take long for her dynamism and enterprising spirit to shine through.  In 1989, at the age of 24, Rachel founded ‘gift experiences’ company Red Letter Days.  The business went from strength to strength and became a market leading company with a turnover of £18 million.  Rachel was responsible for introducing the gift experience to the UK, the market is now estimated to be worth in excess of £200m per annum.

Rachel comments, “It has been a fascinating year, although I have experienced setbacks I am now looking to the future and am on the threshold of launching The Life Changers.  This is a company designed to advise and mentor budding entrepreneurs who want to escape the rat race and set up their own business to suit their lifestyle requirements.”

In addition to this she provides advice and mentoring to small businesses and has also spoken in front of audiences at venues including the renowned Harvard Business School and the London Innovation Forum.

Chris Travis, Chief Executive of Enterprise comments, “We expect that more than 400 people from across the north east will attend the Grampian Awards for Business Enterprise awards ceremony, tickets are already selling fast and tables have almost sold out.  Many people will recognise Rachel from her appearances on the BBC’s cult business television show, Dragon’s Den when she was the only woman on the panel of Dragons.  Rachel Elnaugh is extremely enterprising; to have founded her own business at the age of 24 and have grown it into a market leading company with a turnover of £18 million is testament to her entrepreneurial spirit.  Rachel’s real life business experiences will definitely be of interest to the entrepreneurs of the north east, we hope that she will be able to pass on some of the lessons that she has learned during her time in business.”

Tickets are now available for the Grampian Awards for Business Enterprise black tie event on 8 June at Ardoe House Hotel at a cost of £80 per guest (plus VAT) or £800 (plus VAT) for a table of ten.  The event begins with a champagne reception at 7pm, with carriages at 12.30 am.  Tickets for the event can be booked by calling 01467 672535, or emailing events@enetrust.com.  Tickets are expected to be in demand as the event has been a sell out each year since its inception.

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For further information contact:
Lyndsay Aitken
Tricker PR
9 Victoria Street
Aberdeen
Telephone  01224 646491
Direct Line 01224 654086
Mobile  07780 680751
Email  laitken@trickerpr.com

Note to editors:

1. Richard Reed was originally announced as the speaker for this event but is now no longer able to attend.