One can feel the excitement mount!

JUDGING of the fourth One Oldham Business Awards has been completed and the three finalists for each of the 10 categories are being informed this week.

Each of the finalists — the names will appear in a four-page Chronicle Business special next Wednesday — will receive two tickets for the gala presentation dinner at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Oldham, on Friday, March 2.

Tickets for this fourth event have been in huge demand and more than 400 of the 460 places have been sold for several weeks.

Members of the Awards Steering Group have been at pains to hold back some of the tickets so that finalists can invite business partners, spouses, business colleagues and family members to the largest gathering of the Oldham business community that happens in the borough.

Steve Lowe, relationship director at event title sponsors NatWest, said: “This year has been particularly challenging.

“Demand is growing year on year for tickets and we could easily have had a sell-out event.

“We recognise that we have to leave some tickets for the finalists, because the evening is all about these people, the cream of the Oldham business community, but I have to say it hasn’t been easy balancing all the requests.”

Once again the Oldham Youth Zone Project, which is due to open next month, and Dr Kershaw’s Hospice, will be the main beneficiaries of the charitable side of the event.