Business champions acknowledged at Rockhampton’s night of nights
Posted on November 29th, 2022
Glistening with glamour and swarming with over 240 distinguished and eager guests, Kortes Resort in Rockhampton became a hub of excitement and celebration, as Capricorn Enterprise in conjunction with the Capricornia Chamber of Commerce proudly presented the 2022 Best in Business Awards.
Hosted by entertainer, reporter, and passionate Rockhampton local, Brad Villiers, the theme of the night was ‘Showcase Local’ with organisers delighted to deliver a 100% locally supplied event.
Kicking off and setting the tone for the evening was Yeppoon’s chart-topping singer-songwriter Kate Leahy, who graced guests with a stunning pre-dinner acoustic set, while the dynamic Side Hustle lit up the dancefloor during the After Party.
Breaking up formalities, the loveable characters ‘Diva and MC’ from Lock & Hock Productions sent the room into hysterics during their jaw-dropping comedy performance.
Celebrating local entities who have adapted, achieved, and created immense opportunities to forge a strong and resilient business community, eight independently judged Award categories were announced, along with the largely popular People’s Choice Award.
From local Sports Clubs to Bakeries, Hair Salons to Real Estate Agencies, a total of 83 nominations were received and considered, with an additional 53 businesses nominated for People’s Choice.
A Best Overall Business Award was also presented, with Artizan Gluten Free Bakery dusting the competition for this prestigious accolade after scooping up Awards for Best Small Business and Best Employee.
Capricorn Enterprise CEO Mary Carroll acknowledged the evening’s attendees and paid sincere tribute to the depth and strength of our local business community.
“The Best in Business Awards are rapidly becoming a benchmark for quality, success, and innovation, highlighting the hallmarks of the Rockhampton and Capricorn Coast business communities.”
“We thank all who attended the event, to those who took the time to nominate, to the Best in Business winners, and of course, our marvelous sponsors who help to make events like these possible,” Mary said.
“The Awards have been a great opportunity to join in celebration of our destination’s truly outstanding business talent and whether you headed home with an Award or not, every business is a champion!” Mary said.
Jet James Art Gallery in Yeppoon were victorious in the People’s Choice category, receiving the highest number of online votes over the short four-week period, while Rocky Sports Club took to the stage twice, triumphant in both the Best Large Business and Best Community Enterprise categories.
Capricornia Chamber of Commerce President, Phil Henry was thrilled to see the second annual Best in Business Awards come to life with so many key local businesses represented.
“The Awards that were presented are powerful affirmations, and the vision and leadership of this year’s nominees, finalists and winners will continue to carve out our region’s success into the future,” Phil said.
“We could not provide such a high calibre of Awards without our valued judges and sponsors, along with both the teams from Capricornia Chamber of Commerce and Capricorn Enterprise working collaboratively towards a shared goal of bettering this wonderful place we call home.”
Five tourism operators including Capricorn Caves, Discovery Parks – Rockhampton, Mount Morgan Historical Railway Museum, NRMA Capricorn Yeppoon Holiday Park and Villa Mar Colina were recognised with a Best of Queensland certificate, after receiving 100 points (a perfect result) in 2022. The Best of Queensland program identifies those experiences that bring the Queensland story to life and consistently deliver a high-quality visitor experience.
One of the six astute independent judges chosen for this year’s Awards Peter Peterson from Business Australia joined in peers in a rigorous and intense process to shortlist finalists, before proceeding to zoom interviews, scoring and winner selection.
“Some categories were extremely close and hotly contested, and we quickly uncovered the incredible passion and broad depth of business acumen this region offers,” Peter said. “All nominees, finalists and category winners should be extremely proud of their enduring achievements.”
The judging panel included:
- Tony Gambling, Director of Regional Development – Regional Development Australia
- Kim Harrington, Associate Vice President Rockhampton, and Central Highlands – CQUniversity
- Adrienne Rourke, Central Queensland Regional Manager – AusIndustry Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources
- Elize Hattin – Elize Hattin Business Coaching Group
- Craig Gibbs – Aquatic Pool and Spa
- Peter Peterson – Business Australia
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