EVENTS
We Won A Special Commendation at the Signature Awards 2025
Sam Crowe
Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer
04 March 2025
Friday night found Dom and me in our best suits at the Hilton Manchester, trying to look like we belonged among some seriously impressive business leaders at the 2025 Signature Awards.
The Signature Awards celebrates the best business achievements across the region, and this year was extra special – Manchester's first time hosting the ceremony.
Think of it as the Oscars for business, but with better networking and slightly less dramatic acceptance speeches.
We went in expecting to politely applaud someone else's victory (the odds were never in our favour, let's be honest). Instead, we found ourselves being called up on stage for something we'd never heard of: a Special Commendation.
Cue two very confused but delighted founders trying not to trip over each other on the way to the stage.
Turns out this recognition was for everything we've been quietly building over the past year:
- Taking risks on new approaches when the safe option would have been easier
- Actually delivering what we promise (revolutionary concept, apparently)
- Building genuine relationships instead of just collecting LinkedIn connections
- Contributing to Manchester's tech scene rather than just taking from it
This Isn't Just About Us
While Dom and I were the ones awkwardly holding the trophy on stage, this recognition belongs to everyone who's been part of the BigByte story.
Every client who took a chance on us. Every team member who's gone the extra mile. Every mentor who's given us advice (and every one who's told us we're mad – you were probably right).
This trophy is going in the office, but the real achievement is the team we've built and the relationships we've formed. That's the stuff that actually matters.
What This Actually Means
Beyond the nice photos and the ego boost, this recognition tells us a few important things:
We're onto something. When industry peers notice what you're doing, it's usually because you're doing something right (or at least interestingly wrong).
Manchester's paying attention. Being recognised in our home city matters. We're not just another tech company – we're part of the community.
The approach works. Our bet on short cycles, rapid delivery, and actually caring about outcomes isn't just theory – it's creating real impact people can see.
We're still just getting started. This award isn't a finish line, it's a checkpoint. The best is yet to come.
The trophy now sits proudly in our office (under Sam's watchful guard – good luck getting near it, Dom! 😄), but the real prize is the momentum to keep building something worth being proud of.
Here's to whatever comes next! 🏆