Awards to celebrate staying power
Event focusing on success amid adversity
Resilience is the name of the game for this year’s Spark Business Stella Awards finalists. Last Wednesday the finalists were announced for the biennial awards celebrating businesses in the Taupō district.
Towncentre Taupō general manager Julie McLeod says it’s a tough time being in business, and the finalists have all demonstrated they have what it takes to keep going.
“The challenges have kept mounting, and businesses have ducked, dodged, upskilled, downsized, pivoted, or even oscillated through these trying times,” Julie says.
To align with this year’s theme, the categories and the awards programme format have been updated to have more focus on areas of achievement rather than business size or industry.
There are team awards for businesses that have worked together to stand tall in the face of adversity, and star performer awards for individuals who have shown themselves to be the shining lights at their company.
The categories this year aim to reflect the challenges faced by businesses, particularly with the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic.
The Stella business teams award recognises those that have overcome adversity and shown resilience.
The Taupō District Council Green Gang award is for businesses that are thinking outside the box to work more sustainably within their industries. Their teams come up with clever ways of reducing waste, recycling, repurposing, supporting other locals, educating the public and working with other like-minded businesses.
The Virtual Legend award salutes businesses that have upped their virtual game to trade online, create customer-friendly websites and regularly produce engaging content.
The CAMEX Stella Survivors award recognises those businesses
that are still here. The odds were against them, and not only did they survive, but they did it with grace and passion, as well as blood, sweat and tears.
The Love Taupō Customer Experience Masters award honours local businesses that always put their customer first, even in challenging circumstances.
They jump over every hurdle, and adapt and refine their systems in a fun and safe way.
The Westerman’s Dream Team prize is for teams that have managed to stick together in the face of adversity. They support each other and stay connected in genuine ways. These teams have come out the other side stronger and more formidable.
The More FM Community Angels award is for businesses that choose to support local charities and causes. From monetary donations to offering their services for free or giving their time, they’re actively making a positive impact on the community.
The Amplify Star Performers are four awards to recognise individuals or sole traders that shine in the face of adversity. The Eco Warrior award is for protecting the environment by making simple changes, the Team Titan award is for being a great teammate, the Solo Superstar award recognises sole traders who are superstars in all areas of their business, and the Customer Service Maestro award is for individuals who always put their customer first.
The 2022 Spark Business Stella Awards winners will be announced and a celebration will be held at an awards evening on Saturday, September 3, at the Great Lake Centre.
Finalists will be able to buy tickets soon, with celebrity master of ceremonies Jay-Jay Feeney on hand for entertainment and local legends The Blind Venetians helping provide an evening of dance-floor fun.