BEAR with our judges in the Evening Press Business Awards 2000 as they whittle down the huge list of entrants to just 24 finalists.

All could take one of eight titles, plus the overall prize in what is the most prestigious business award of its kind.

Each will feature in our own presentation video to be screened at the awards' glittering presentation dinner at The Merchant Adventurer's Hall on Thursday, November 30.

Sponsors are Barclays Bank (Small Business of the Year), North Yorkshire Training and Enterprise Council (Progress Through People Award), Compris (Best Innovative Use of New Technology), Yorkshire Water (Best Environmental Company), York and North Yorkshire Export Forum (Exporter of the Year), Torch Telecom (Growth Business of the Year), Garbutt & Elliott (Business Personality of the Year) and DE Ford insurance brokers (New Business of the Year).

BBC Radio York broadcaster Colin Hazelden will host the black-tie awards. He joins Harry Gration, of BBC Look North, who will be guest speaker.

Today we feature two more examples of the high standards of entries, all of which can be viewed on our website, www.thisisyork.co.uk.

Fiona Sidwell left her job as successful northern area development manager of Nurdin and Peacock to start up York-based Exclusive Events two years ago, and you would have thought corporate life would hold no surprises for her.

But you would be wrong. In fact surprises are Fiona's trademark, making even a day at the races - that staple of the corporate hospitality world - something special and original.

That element of surprise could be found at the black-tie Daisy Ball she organised last month at York Racecourse, raising more than £10,000 for the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust, or at the trick-or-treat ball in Kilnwick Percy, East Yorkshire, or at a 60th birthday Bus Pass party in London.

But her clients would not be in the least surprised if Fiona became Business Personality of the Year in the Evening Press Business Awards.

Meanwhile demand is growing, since Fiona is called on at her pretty office in Bootham Terrace to demonstrate her flexibility by organising anything from intimate gatherings of eight people to large groups of 800 between now and 2003.

She says: "The most important part of starting a new business, apart from having loads of self-belief, is to have an excellent product with a client base to match. Thankfully, I had both, as well as a sound catering background and good event-organising skills."