Past winners, sponsors and those keen to enter gathered at a special Oxfordshire Business Awards celebration.

The event at the newly-opened High Table restaurant, part of the Eastgate Hotel in Oxford, was attended by scores of movers and shakers looking to launch the 2008 awards and celebrate the achievements of this year's winners.

And competition is set to be even more fierce as finalists and winners from this year pledged to enter again.

Jacquie Bugeja, of Oxfordshire Registration Services, which picked up the Customer and Staff Care award in 2006, said: "It has been good for staff morale. We were the first county council department to win it.

"I don't think county council services are perceived as businesses, but we were awarded a Chartermark this year, so it has been a good 2007.

"There is a commercial side to our business because we deal with 2,500 weddings a year and the wedding business is worth £6.3m to the local economy.

"To win a business award means we can sell our brand. More than 25 per cent of our business comes to Oxfordshire from other locations."

Entry for the 2008 awards is straightforward with those interested able to do everything online.

Simply visit our website: www.oxfordshirebusinessawards.co.uk and choose which category you would like to enter.

Then fill in a short form and submit it. A judge will be in touch with you directly to complete a more detailed form and may arrange a visit to assess you further.

The judging will take place in May with the top three businesses and individuals in each category invited to attend the gala dinner at the Four Pillars Hotel, Sandford, in June. Full details are on the website.

Good luck to everyone - next year your business could be celebrating winning a coveted Oxfordshire Business Awards trophy.