Awards honour firms surviving with style
Category in annual contest split into three after proving popular
Survival was enough of an achievement for many Taupō businesses during the Covid disruptions of recent times, but some did it with style. The survivor category of the Stella Awards — Taupō’s annual business awards — was so popular it was split into three sections.
At a swanky awards evening held at the Great Lake Centre on September 3, ACT2 Visual and Performing Arts School won the Camex Civil Stella Service Survival award.
The judges said despite “devastating cancellations and restrictions” on rehearsals and audience numbers, ACT2 decided it wasn’t giving up without a fight.
“Using online tools for teaching, auditioning, rehearsing and livestreaming shows to audiences, their dedication paid off with a performance of Oliver in February 2022.
“Kids were taught to act to-camera as opposed to an on-stage audience, which has now become a new class at schools,” judges said.
Taupo Sailing Adventures won the Camex Civil Stella Tourism Survivor award, while Get Set Event Hire won the Camex Civil Stella Business Survivor award.
Michael Quintern from MyNoke and his staff won the Amplify Eco Warrior award for diverting all kinds of organic waste from landfill and turning it into a valuable soil conditioner using worms.