Wagga residents have until Friday 24 June to nominate their favourite local businesses across 14 categories. Photo: Wagga Business Chamber.
The Wagga Business Chamber is gearing up for its annual awards night, celebrating the best and brightest in Wagga’s business world for the 38th time.
After last year’s Golden Crow Awards had to be presented virtually, the iconic event is back and better than ever with new award categories and new ways to nominate your favourite businesses.
Kicked off in 1984, the Awards identify and acknowledge organisations and individuals showing excellence in growth and entrepreneurship, as well as revenue and occupational success.
Wagga Business Chamber manager Serena Hardwick said she had seen many success stories arising from businesses simply from being nominated.
“Entering the Awards is such a rewarding experience in itself,” she said.
“It provides an opportunity for businesses to reflect on their achievements, evaluate their progress over the year and gain heaps of local and regional exposure.”
She said the Awards could provide a gateway for those with big dreams for their business, like Gavin King and his team at prefabricated homes business Prefabulous; winners of the local Outstanding Start-Up category last year.
Winners across all 16 categories are automatically entered to represent Wagga Wagga at regional award ceremonies.
“They ended up winning their category at the Riverina Murray Regional business awards and went on to be finalists in the NSW state business awards,” Serena explained.
Serena said the Prefabulous team went on to partner with a national university with the aim of becoming carbon neutral and even featured on TV program Grand Designs.
This is also the first year the Chamber has opened up a nomination process for the general public. Waggarians can nominate their favourite individual or business online and can remain anonymous if they wish.
Serena also described the Award’s brand new category being introduced this year – Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion.
Entrants must demonstrate their commitment over the past 12 months to address the needs of all employees and customers and a diverse community, including seniors, people from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds and people with disability.
“It focuses on businesses and people who go that extra mile to make sure all of their customers and staff are comfortable and safe,” she explained.
Craft Brew & BBQ head of marketing Lee Hesketh said her family business had benefited significantly from their win last year.
“We were chuffed about it – our customers had gone and voted off their own back, but we did promote our nomination a bit along with all the other nominees,” Lee said.
Despite battling COVID lockdowns throughout their first year of operation, Lee, along with Mark and Craig Hesketh and sister-in-law Karen took out the People’s Choice Award last year.
Members of the public elect the People’s Choice Award winner through an online portal hosted by Triple M.
“You get your name, brand and what you’re doing out to the public in a really effective way. I think a lot of people and businesses would do well to get around it,” Lee said.
Lee Hesketh (centre) and the NRMA Wagga team celebrating their People’s Choice Award win in 2020. Photo: Wagga Business Chamber.
Lee also works part-time at the Wagga branch of NRMA Insurance, which was nominated in the same category last year and won the People’s Choice Award in 2020.
“There is nothing worse than when you can’t get something in your hometown because there are no local businesses that cater to a particular need, so celebrating and supporting local businesses is so important,” Lee said.
Serena wants Waggarians to know how easy it is to get involved.
“It’s free to enter, you don’t have to be a member of the business chamber to do so and local people will view your business differently if you have that win or that nomination behind you,” she said.
Other categories are:
- Employer of Choice
- Outstanding Employee
- Outstanding Business Leader
- Outstanding Young Business Leader
- Outstanding Community Organisation
- Outstanding Start-Up
- Excellence in Innovation
- Excellence in Sustainability
- Excellence in Micro Business
- Excellence in Small Business
- Excellence in Business
- Excellence in Workplace Health and Safety
- Excellence in Business Ethics
Applications for the Golden Crow Awards close 24 June. Finalists will be announced on 27 July. To learn more about the award categories, nominate a business or individual or apply, click here.
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