GPA Awards 2008 Nominations End 31st May

Inspiring Africans Into True Leadership

London Friday 23rd May 2008 GPA Awards Professional & Business Nominations ends Saturday 31st May 2008. With just under ten days to go the organisers are encouraging potential nominees and nominators to finalise nominations on or before this date to avoid disappointment. Nominations are especially encouraged from women and young people as well as for the business categories of Entrepreneur, Business Innovator and Business Class to be recognised at the awards night on Saturday 5th July at the Royal Lancaster Hotel Bayswater London.

Over the years, the GPA awards have emerged as an unparalleled annual calendar event for Ghanaians and African professionals in the United Kingdom. It is regarded not only as a prestigious and “cutting-edge” event cutting across the divide, but also a platform highly sort after by Ghana’s UK professionals and entrepreneurs. The GPA through its programmes, is engineering a paradigm shift for, Leadership, innovation, dedication and excellence in its community and Africa at large. www.gpaawards.com

Criteria & Eligibility

To be eligible you should be any UK Ghanaian professional, organisation or business considered by your peers to have achieved excellence in your field as well as contributed significantly to your community in any shape or form can enter. International participants can enter for the GPA International category but may not normally reside in the UK. People of African heritage can also enter for the African Excellence awards. Closing dates for nominations is 31st May 2008. Interested parties can either log on the GPA website and fill an online nominations form or email the GPA office for forms. Former winners cannot be entered for the same category unless there is been significant change in status quo or entering for a different category. This year, the organisers are encouraging participation from more young people and women.

Email:nominate@gpaawards.com

Learn more...

See What 2007 Winners Said about Awards

The GPA Awards since its inception have offered a platform not only for rewarding and promoting the cream of the Business & professional community but also has been significant in promoting international trade through networking between Professionals, Businesses and High Profile decision makers both in the UK and in Ghana. Previous award recipients have secured multimillion contracts with international organisations and mainstream business.

"After five years of hosting the GPA event, and calling out the names of nearly a hundred winners, it was indeed a privilege to be given an award myself in the category of media and communication - especially in Ghana's Golden Jubilee Year. If you have any doubt about the value of participation in the GPA Awards, just take a look at the names of previous winners: Ribeiro, Konotey-Ahulu, Asafu-Adjaye, Annan, Kwei-Armah - truly a Who's Who of Ghanaian movers and shakers, which carries weight not just here, in the African and wider communities, but also in Mother Ghana, which we are all seeking to represent".

- HB. Colourful Radio

“It has raised my profile, enhanced my confidence of pressing on to be an "Entrepreneur" against all odds and will recommend nomination especially for women in businesses”

A.A. Founder Director Cross Dialect Ltd www.crossdialect.com

GPA Conference™ 2008

Following the unparalleled Success of GPA Conference 07, the organisers will once again stage the conference with the theme: ‘Promoting a Paradigm Shift- Leadership & Business in Africa’. The conference will be on the same day with registration commencing at 9:00am and finishing at 3:30pm. This is by invite only but delegates without invites can pay to attend.

Special Guests earmarked for this years awards & Conference include Former UN Secretary General Mr Kofi Annan, Sir Sam Jonah, President of Jonah Capital and Equinox Explorations, HE Mr Annan Cato, Ghana’s High Commissioner to the UK, Mo Ibrahim, founder of The Mo Ibrahim Foundation and the Prize For Achievement In African Leadership, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Liberian Premier and First African Female President, Professor Wangari Maathai, Nobel Prize laureate, environmentalist, civil society and Women’s right activist, Hon. Oboshie Sai Kofi, Ghana’s Minister for Information & Information and National Orientation, Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, CEO Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation, Isaac Osei, former Ghana High commissioner to the UK & CEO of Ghana Cocoa Board, Dawn Butler MP for Brent, Nkosana Moyo, CEO Actis Africa, Gifty Afenyi Dadzie, Special Adviser to the Government of Ghana and many More. Learn more...

Objectives

? To educate, challenge, Inform; influence & change as well as develop mindsets towards positive /good leadership

? To seek innovative ways to effectively harness and leverage the immense but largely untapped and under-utilised Diasporian resources to implement leadership/capacity building initiatives in Africa.

? To find synergy with other leadership initiatives in Africa and developmental organisations to promote positive leadership.

? To raise the profile of Africa’s negative leadership profile by showing positive examples leading to growth & development.

? Discuss ways of greater involvement by Diasporian Africans to contribute to developmental initiatives by International Organisations, Africa wide initiatives and other NGO’s.

Who should attend?

Audience 1

? Non-resident professionals of African origin; “Overseas Africans “Diasporian Africans

? Entrepreneurs & Business People of /African Origin

? African Professionals/businesses with personal interest in African Political & Business leadership;

? People with a professional interest in the development of Africa;

? People with an interest in the non-resident professional African community

? Different African Diaspora organisations with positive promotional & developmental Agenda.

Audience 2

? Leading Industry Experts with Interest in Africa

? Voluntary Organisations with interests in Africa

? International Development Organisations (ODI/DFID)

? Africa Commission

? West African Business Associations

? Confederation Of British Industry (CBI)

? UK Trade & Investment and Partner organisations

? Investment Banks

? International Investment Institutions (Word Bank IMF)

? Regional Enterprise Agencies

? African and International Media

? Mainstream Media

Venue: Royal Lancaster Hotel Bayswater, London, W2 2TY

Saturday 5th July 2008

Registration: 9:00 -10:00 am

Close: 16:30 pm

Awards Starts at 7.30pm Prompt.

For Tickets & Booking On line For Awards & Conference check www.gpaawards.com Limited Corporate & VIP tickets available email: info@gpaawards.com

About GPA Awards

The Award wining GPA Awards is a Professional Development organisation Targeting Ghana’s UK professionals & Business people for positive contribution. Through dynamic projects and Leadership Development Programmes, they contribute to harnessing business and professional skills leading to capacity building and growth. From impacting and initiating the UK community with excellence, the GPA offers a platform for identifying positive role models for aspiring young people of the African Diaspora. The awards have been instrumental in identifying Diaspora investors, leaders and professionals for building sustainable capacity and investment links back in their country of origin.

Through promoting excellence, the awards have gained mainstream UK support. Led by Founder and Executive director, Emelia Bartels the awards continue to grow from strength to strength. Now in its eight year, The GPA awards have emerged as an unparalleled calendar event for the African community.

Website: http://www.gpaawards.com

For Nominations & Conference contact

Ruth Amarquaye

Nominations & Conference coordinator

email: ruth@gpaawards.com

phone: +44(0)870 446 4472

Mobile: +44(0)7958 545 653 For Sponsorship Contact

Joanne Bartels

Events Coordinator

email:joanne@gpaawards.net

phone: +44(0)870 446 4472

Mobile:+44 (0)7947 860 953

GPA Awards is the trading name of GPA Awards Ltd Registered in England Registration Number 555520