{"id":68236,"date":"2020-04-16T04:58:48","date_gmt":"2020-04-15T17:58:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/ballarat\/?p=68236"},"modified":"2020-04-14T17:08:31","modified_gmt":"2020-04-14T06:08:31","slug":"business-awards-set-to-evolve","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/ballarat\/news\/business-awards-set-to-evolve\/","title":{"rendered":"Business awards set to evolve"},"content":{"rendered":"

REFLECTING the current economic conditions and challenges presented by COVID-19, the region\u2019s annual Business Excellence Awards will be replaced by a series of events focusing on survival.<\/p>\n

Titled the Federation Business School Commerce Ballarat Connect Evolve Recover 2020, the six-month long campaign includes workshops and educational opportunities, promotion of local business, acknowledgement of loss, and celebrations of innovation and survival.<\/p>\n

Rather than the formal gala dinner<\/a> normally associated with the business awards, Connect Evolve Recover 2020 will culminate in relaxed party in October.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was clear very early that this was not a year that businesses would be in a position to put themselves forward for an award or would have the time to invest into that process,\u201d said Commerce Ballarat CEO Jodie Gillett. \u201cThey are busy fighting for their existence.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe felt that what was needed was a program of support for the business community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Most of the planned events will be free, and along with the education program there\u2019ll be a TV ad campaign known as Ballarat\u2019s Biggest Shout Out, with past business excellence award winners giving a shout out to their industry or sector.<\/p>\n

Ballarat\u2019s Biggest Shout Out will also encourage people to head online and tell positive stories about their experiences with the region\u2019s businesses.<\/p>\n

Importantly, the Connect Evolve Recover 2020 program is set to be flexible with scope to react to the unpredictable current landscape that businesses find themselves in.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s something we can wrap around them, with promotion talking about telling their stories, keeping people thinking about our businesses, whether they\u2019re open or closed or struggling or whatever situation they are in,\u201d Ms Gillett said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut also providing a whole program of development opportunities that has the flexibility to flow and change according to what\u2019s happening, because none of us really know what\u2019s going to happen next week or the week after.\u201d<\/p>\n

Connect Evolve Recover 2020 is not just a celebration of survival and innovation during the pandemic.<\/p>\n

Ms Gillet said it was also important to acknowledge that some businesses wouldn\u2019t make it through the economic impacts of the lockdown, forced closures and preventative isolation.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know that there\u2019s businesses that won\u2019t survive this, and that\u2019s just devastating but we are trying desperately hard to ensure that that number is as low as possible,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Like many, Commerce Ballarat was bracing for heavy impacts resulting from COVID-19, planning for at least 50 per cent of the more than 400 members not able to pay their fees in 2020.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why a handful of the Connect Evolve Recover 2020 events will be paid, although most will be free.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur organisation is also fighting for its existence,\u201d she said. \u201cWe have a goal not to leave anyone behind this year. In order to do that we\u2019ve got to find some sources of revenue.\u201d<\/p>\n

The first events of Connect Evolve Recover 2020 are set to start next week with two workshops already confirmed.<\/p>\n

The first, a 30-minuate web session, will be run by long-time Commerce collaborator Mike Boyle from Banjar Group. On Tuesday, 21 April he\u2019ll be presenting his one-page business self-assessment and planning tool.<\/p>\n

The second, a week later, will be run by Federation Business School and look at marking in hibernation.<\/p>\n

For more information on Connect Evolve Recover 2020 and all Commerce Ballarat activity, visit commerceballarat.com.au<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

REFLECTING the current economic conditions and challenges presented by COVID-19, the region\u2019s annual Business Excellence Awards will be replaced by a series of events focusing on survival. Titled the Federation Business School Commerce Ballarat Connect Evolve Recover 2020, the six-month long campaign includes workshops and educational opportunities, promotion of local business, acknowledgement of loss, and […]<\/p>\n

Read More…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":141,"featured_media":68238,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-68236","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nBusiness awards set to evolve - Ballarat Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/ballarat\/news\/business-awards-set-to-evolve\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Business awards set to evolve - Ballarat Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"REFLECTING the current economic conditions and challenges presented by COVID-19, the region\u2019s annual Business Excellence Awards will be replaced by a series of events focusing on survival. 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