THE Bradford Means Business Awards were officially launched at the National Science and Media Museum, with a sleek new magazine and website also getting their first airing.

The event, on Thursday, revealed how the awards are looking to relocate to Bradford this July in City Park, and how the marketing department of Newsquest, ReachLocal, the Telegraph & Argus and its sister papers is rebranding as LocaliQ.

Commercial sales director at LocaliQ, Steve Lowe, explained that the awards could be improved, after feedback that the awards were not held in the heart of Bradford and some of the categories did not encompass all that Bradford businesses have to offer.

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Therefore, plans have been put in place for a marquee and red carpet event this summer in City Park, as well as a number of new awards, such as Bradford’s Best Export Business.

Mr Lowe and LocaliQ’s head of digital, Gary Humphrey, revealed this is set to cost around £15,000 more than the current set up, but LocaliQ’s booming success and business contacts are helping to fund this target.

LocaliQ brings all local marketing under one umbrella, streamlining the process. Businesses are coming forward in their droves to sign up, with a range of innovative techniques such as geo-fencing helping to bring in customers.

LocaliQ’s aim is to have companies putting a pound in and getting more than a pound out. It can monitor traffic through Facebook, SEO and sponsored content to pinpoint each company’s target audience.

In one extraordinary success story, one property developer was paying over £1,700 per lead, so asked LocaliQ to help reduce costs.

After running the numbers and coming on board, LocaliQ were able to reduce that amount to just £111 per lead.

The company’s reach is only set to expand with the launch of its new Bradford Means Business website and quarterly magazine, both of which were made available to the public on Thursday.

The National Science and Media Museum event on Thursday evening was attended by 114 business leaders from across the district.

Bradford Council Leader Susan Hinchcliffe was also present to give a speech and she said: “The launch of this business venture is vital because a healthy economy needs a quality media organisation.

“There are about 17,000 businesses in the district and you can see the dynamism in our business sector.

“I know of a woman in her early 20s who only set up her business here last year and she now employs over 100 people.

“I hope everyone here considers sponsoring or entering the Bradford Means Business awards because we want people being employed in good jobs and some good stories to report.

“We need to get this sector flourishing alongside our economy and transport. If the proposed HS2 rail project takes shape, for example, it will transform the North of England.”