Emirates Businesswomen Award launches intensive marketing campaign

Supported by a special task force, the campaign aims to deliver the message through a wide spectrum of activities over the next few months to encourage applications from women, who over the years have made a mark either as businesswomen or as professionals.

"The first two years of the Emirates Businesswomen Award saw some excellent entries, both in terms of quality and quantity," said Dr. Ahmed Al Banna, Chairman of the Dubai Quality Group. "But we know that there are many women out there who are eligible for the Award, but are either not aware of the impact they have created, or are unsure of the criteria or the steps required to apply for the Award. The Emirates Businesswomen Award is a celebration of the contribution that UAE women - national and expatriate - have made to the growth of the country's economy, and our goal, through this campaign, is to reach out to as many of these women as possible."

Over the next three months, hundreds of women will be invited to enter for the Award through personal letters or through a series of workshops that DQG and Shell have organised with women's groups whose members include national and expatriate professionals and businesswomen.

In addition, the workshops will be taken as a roadshow to locations where many private sector organizations are centred, including the Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone Authority, Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority, Dubai Municipality, Internet City, Dubai Media City, Knowledge Village, as well as to leading government organisations.

In a second burst of the marketing initiative, the team will be reaching out to the public and private corporate sector.

The organizers have also further developed the website dedicated to the Award. It features full information on the judging criteria and candidates can enter direct from the website, www.ebwa.net.

Hussain Al Mahmoudi, External Affairs Manager, Shell Markets Middle East, said: "We have received tremendous feedback from the business community following the past two Awards, and we decided that the time was right to take the EBWA up to the next level."

He added: "It is an established fact that the number of women in the UAE's business and professional environment has grown dramatically over the past decade, and we want their achievements to be recognised, to be applauded. We are confident that the 2005 Award will be yet another step upwards since its creation, and our marketing team is pulling out all the stops to ensure that we reach out extensively to our audience - the woman who is making a difference."

The Emirates Businesswomen Award brings public and private sectors together under the patronage of HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman, Emirates Group and President, Dubai Department of Civil Aviation. The Award honours women in two categories - Business Owner and Investor and Professional.