Geelong venue hits the mark at awards

GEELONG event and conferencing business Higher Mark has again been lauded for its industry brilliance and achieved finalist status for the prestigious Australia Restaurant & Catering Australia (R&CA) Hostplus Awards for Excellence.

The GMHBA Stadium based team are in the running to secure the Victorian and Tasmania Venue Caterer of the Year title for a second year in a row.

The team are also coming off being awarded the 2022 National Caterer of the Year at the National Awards for Excellence in Brisbane last year.

Higher Mark is the largest event space in regional Victoria and offers 32 different sophisticated event spaces to deliver the perfect venue for all types of events, ranging from conferences, exhibitions, business meetings, to social functions and weddings.

The venue’s also boasts a selection of impressive menus and beverage options which champion seasoned produce and celebrate Geelong’s vibrant food, wine and beer scene.

Higher Mark senior manager of sales and operations, James Brown said being named a finalist for the awards was a great honour.

“These awards hold high esteem because they evaluate not just our business but also our staff and customer experience.

“Having judges experience our service and food firsthand gives them a true sense of what our customers go through and to be nominated alongside such talented peers is a source of pride for our team.

“We take great pride in being unmistakably Geelong.”

Mr Brown said the team are enjoying a very successful 2023 thus far, bouncing back from a difficult period during the pandemic.

“In 2022, staffing challenges were prominent due to the ongoing effects of COVID-19, however in 2023, despite industry-wide skills shortages, particularly in the kitchen, we focused on team development and achieved remarkable results.

“We successfully attracted young talent, particularly from local universities and we reduced reliance on agency staff.

“The strategy allowed us to elevate our service quality across all stages.

“It’s created a unique customer experience, not only a great representation of our venue but also our region.”

Other local award nominees include, Mavs Greek Restaurant (Family Dining VIC and TAS and Greek Restaurant), Pistol Pete’s Food N Blues (One Music Excellence Award), Sou’West Brewery (Family Dining (VIC and TAS) and Restaurant in a Pub/Club), Raas Leela, Lorne (Indian Restaurant Jashn Torquay (Indian Restaurant).

Winners will be announced this Monday, September 18 at Zinc in Federation Square, Melbourne.

For more, head to rca.asn.au