World Entrepreneur Of The Year: media center 2008 - Ernst & Young - South Africa

Need more information on the judges and finalists at Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2008, or maybe even the event itself? Download images, factsheets and more.

Event photographs

• View our gallery of photographs from the Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur Of The Year 2008 event here.

Press kit: World Entrepreneur Of The Year 2008

• Get information on the event, biographical details of the country winners and press contacts in the press kit (pdf, 2.3mb).

Diary

Read what's happening at World Entrepreneur Of The Year, as it happens.

Saturday 31 May 2008
The big day has arrived, and for the entrepreneurs the air is thick with anticipation. The judges have locked themselves away to finalize their decision while the entrepreneurs and their guests enjoy Monte Carlo. An international news conference this morning marked the launch of Global Entrepreneurship Week, a worldwide series of entrepreneurship events, founded by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and Make Your Mark, and globally sponsored by Ernst & Young. As the sun goes down tonight, the entrepreneurs, judges and Ernst & Young hosts will don their tuxedos and gowns for the black tie awards ceremony, fireworks will fill the sky over Monte Carlo, and Ernst & Young Chairman and CEO Jim Turley will announce the World Entrepreneur Of The Year 2008.

Friday 30 May 2008
Today is crunch time at the eighth annual World Entrepreneur Of The Year awards. Throughout the day, country winners will continue to meet with the judging panel one-on-one to answer their questions and hope to impress them enough to stand out from a crowd of truly exceptional entrepreneurs. About 60 broadcast and print journalists, including representatives from BBC World Services Radio, CNBC, Harvard Business Review and China Daily, have arrived on site. During the judging breaks, they are interviewing many of the country winners about their experiences as entrepreneurs, their businesses and the lessons they’ve learned on their journeys to market leadership. Tonight the judges and winners will meet informally during an exclusive reception designed to give the winners and judges a final opportunity to speak directly.

Thursday 29 May 2008
The eighth annual World Entrepreneur Of The Year celebration gets underway today, and Monte Carlo’s Hotel Hermitage is buzzing with energy and anticipation as entrepreneurs arrive from around the world. Over the past few weeks, the judging panel has reviewed hundreds of pages of documents on the country winners, learning about their backgrounds, their companies, their strategies and what makes them exceptional. Today the judges will meet each other and start to interview each finalist. Tonight’s welcome cocktail party on the terrace of the Hotel Paris will give the finalists and Ernst & Young hosts a chance to network while sipping champagne overlooking the Mediterranean.

Wednesday 28 May 2008
The principality of Monaco is decked out in style, set to welcome the Entrepreneur Of The Year winners from more than 40 countries who will vie for the ultimate accolade of World Entrepreneur Of The Year 2008. Ernst & Young flags line the streets of Monte Carlo, from the heliport, all along the harbour (where the Monaco Grand Prix took place just last week), around Casino Square and up to the Hotel Hermitage, where most of the proceedings will take place over the next four days. Behind the scenes, Ernst & Young teams are polishing the trophies, putting together registration packs, setting up the press room and finalizing last minute details in anticipation of tomorrow’s event kick-off.

Contact us

Contacts for the 2008 World Entrepreneur Of The Year event:

• Morten Hussmann 
  +44 7917 557 018
• Kevin Russell
  +44 7884 235 847
• Daniel Lawrence 
  +44 7810 181 683
• Melodie Deniz 
  +44 7810 630 576