The countdown is on to the official launch of this year's Kent Excellence in Business Awards - better known as the KEiBAs.

A special invite-only launch event will take place next week - renowned for being the first major networking event of the year - for what is traditionally the county's most prestigious awards.

It will mark a little over a month before nominations for the 2019 awards close - with those keen to boost their business urged to ensure they put themselves forward in a bid to win a title which can prove a major boost to sales and reputation.

Now in its 11th year, the KEiBAs is an annual awards scheme staged and produced by the KM Media Group and Kent County Council to recognise and reward excellence in Kent’s businesses.

There are four areas of business excellence recognised through the KEiBA scheme:

• General business – business recognised for success qualified by the scale of their business
• Sector specific – business success in certain sectors that are central or of growing importance to Kent’s economy
• Business operations – recognising success in specific areas of business management or operations
• People – recognising an individual’s contribution to success in business and acknowledging young achievers

For full details of the awards and categories you can enter, visit www.keiba.co.uk for entry details.

The closing date for nominations is Friday, February 22.

After the judging panel has examined all the entries, finalists will then be unveiled during the Business Vision Live event at the Kent Event Centre on Wednesday, May 15.

For those who make the short-list, a glitzy awards night will then take place at the same venue on Thursday, June 20.