Business awards pushed back

FINALISTS in this year’s Bendigo Business Excellence Awards will have to wait a little longer to see if they’ve finished on top, after the gala awards evening at the All Seasons Hotel was postponed.

Originally scheduled for Friday, 6 August, the event will now be held on AFL Grand Final public holiday eve, which is Thursday, 23 September.

Be.Bendigo CEO Dennis Bice said with the original event date only weeks away, density quotients were not expected to be “where we need them to be to really deliver the celebration worthy of the finalists and the supporters of the event.”

“The Be.Bendigo Board and staff feel it is extremely important to hold the gala awards event in person, and at a capacity that provides access to as many businesses as possible to be in attendance safely,” he said.

“The interest in the event and the strong ticket sales so far highlight the desire of our business community to get together and have something to celebrate.

“It’s extremely important that we do everything in our power to facilitate this and encourage people to reconnect.”

This year’s awards are heavily focused on sustainability, innovation and social awareness, with categories including Young and Professional, Sustainable and Environmental, Manufacturing and Innovation, Regional Women’s Business Award and Social Change Maker.

The Hospitality Excellence trophy will also be hotly contested after Bendigo’s announcement as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy in 2019.

The most recent edition of the BBEAs took place in 2019, after being called off in 2020.