Fast Track 100 conference and awards event
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The 2013 event marked the 16th anniversary of the Fast Track 100 league table and was held at Sir Richard Branson's family home in Oxfordshire on 15 May.
The conference featured speakers Peter Williams, co-founder and CEO of Jack Wills, Richard Joseph, co-founder and managing director of Joseph Joseph, and Paul Lindley, co-founder and CEO of Ella's Kitchen. A panel of Fast Track 100 stars including Sir Robin Saxby, former chairman of ARM and Richard Reed, co-founder of innocent, were then interviewed by the business editor of The Sunday Times. The afternoon concluded with an hour's Q&A session led by Sir Richard Branson.
The awards dinner in the evening honoured all companies on the latest league table, who each received an award certificate.
The sponsors presented a number of special awards for excellence:
- Outstanding achievement award, sponsored by Barclays
Winner: Pulse Films
Runners up: Fever-Tree and The Gym - Best management team award, sponsored by RSM Tenon
Winner: AES International
Runners up: GRITIT and Jamie's Italian - Best brand award, sponsored by The Sunday Times
Winner: Hunter Boot
Runners up: GO Outdoors and Wiggle - Innovation award, sponsored by Virgin
Winner: Trunki
Runners up: Joseph Joseph and World Of Books - Fastest-growing company award, sponsored by Virgin
Winner: The Genuine Gemstone Company
See the press release for more details.
For a list of all previous Fast Track 100 award winners click here.
After-dinner charity auction
Each year Fast Track runs a charity auction for Virgin Unite offering Fast Track 100 entrepreneurs and their partners the opportunity to accompany Richard Branson on a South Africa wake-up trip to the Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship, and his luxury game reserve at Ulusaba.Each year, two or three entrepreneurs have bid up to £110,000 each, resulting in a total of over £2m raised. For more information about Virgin Unite and the charity auction click here.
Fast Track 100 regional dinners & roundtable discussions
Fast Track organises a variety of extra activities for Fast Track 100 companies who have been on current and past league tables, such as:Entrepreneurs' regional dinners each March in London, Birmingham and Manchester, with speakers such as Sinclair Beecham, co-founder of Pret A Manger and Anthony Preston, founder of Pets at Home.
