Judges laud high standard of award entrants

The winners of this year’s Geelong Business Excellence Awards have been decided, and the judging panel has praised the very high standard put forward by entrants.

The Chief Judge, LBW Business + Wealth Advisors principal Simon Flowers, said there were no particular trends linking the businesses in contention for Business of the Year in 2024.

“We’ve got manufacturing, we’ve got tech companies, we’ve got restaurants, we’ve got marketing, we’ve got a winery, retail… you name it, we’ve got someone from that industry.

“Even those industries that some people think are dead in Geelong are still flourishing.

“It was very difficult this year. The judges said it was the best bunch of presentations they have ever seen, so it was super-close from that point of view.”

This year’s judging panel comprises Mr Flowers as Chief Judge, Huntercorp Investments director Robert Hunter as Deputy Chief Judge, 17 other judges, three guest judges and four review judges.

Each year, the required number of judges is decided early on, with meetings ahead of the opening of entries to discuss the judging process and any changes that need to be made from the previous year.

“Selection of the judges is basically a cross-section of business experts from the Geelong area, former winners of the awards, and some sponsor representatives,” Mr Flowers said.

“We try to get a cross-section of different skill sets within the judging panel as well – we don’t want 12 lawyers or 12 accountants, so we can give a cross-section of what the entrants need to cover.

“We have made it easier over the years to be a judge, but it still is a big commitment.”

He said the judges would each spend about 60 hours of time over a six-month period as part of their work on the awards.

Mr Flowers does about twice that amount each year, and 2024 marks his 10th year as Chief Judge.

“It’s a long time [in the role], but if I didn’t love it, I wouldn’t do it,” he said.

“I think the Geelong Business Excellence Awards is the biggest event in Geelong every year, and we’ve seen that through the number of people who enter.

“It’s a great opportunity for businesses to enter into something that’s going to provide them with great marketing abilities, great networking, and the opportunity to win an award.

“The other aspect is that the judges are in there having a look at your business, and providing some ideas and critiques of how you can improve it.

“Why wouldn’t you enter? It doesn’t make sense not to enter if you’re trying to improve your business.”