Torquay Business Awards deadline nears

THERE are less than two weeks left to enter this year’s Torquay Business Awards, presented by the Surf Coast Times, with the deadline set for July 31.

Now in its fourth year, the awards program, which is hosted by Commerce Torquay in partnership with the Rotary Club of Torquay, recognises the exceptional talent and resilience of businesses operating in the 3228 postcode, across 10 award categories.

Businesses of all sizes and from all industries are encouraged to enter and shine a light on their achievements and community impact over the past 12 months.

Commerce Torquay president Sarah Minter said the quality of this year’s entries had been “exceptional” and the committee was excited to see those still to be submitted.

“Through the entries, we have learned about businesses that we didn’t know about before in Torquay, and that’s one of the things that’s really interesting: [the awards] provide exposure to businesses who, perhaps, aren’t as well known locally, but are doing amazing work.

“Some of the things that they are highlighting, with their business success, sustainable factors and community focus, are lessons that a lot of other businesses might want to learn from.

“One of the key takeaways that we’re hoping for is that businesses will be able to celebrate what they’re doing really well, so that we can make it so that the actual business community in Torquay is more sustainable and an even stronger community than it already is.”

 

She said entering the awards should be a fun task, with the process taking no more than 30 minutes, and encouraged those who might be struggling to highlight their efforts to seek out the assistance of a friend or colleague.

“It’s hard for us to back ourselves the way that we should, whereas if you have a colleague or friend write [the entry], you probably find that they will sell you much more than you would do yourself,” she said, advising those who take up the tip to double check the entry before submitting.

Entrants are reminded their submissions can only be judged by what is on the page – but set aside the modesty and don’t fret about your grammar – while those who have been nominated for an award are reminded an entry is still required.

“Last year was an absolutely huge success and we’re really hoping that this is going to be bigger and better than ever,” Ms Minter said.

“If you entered last year and weren’t listed as a finalist, that was because we were just overwhelmed with the number of entries. We’d love to hear from you again.

“We’re not a traditional business awards, and you don’t need to be a traditional business to enter. We have the not-for-profit category, but we also have the events category, and we recognise that some events are run as fundraising efforts.”

The Event of the Year Award is one of four new award categories added to the program this year, and covers the full gamut of events held across the township, from sporting events, concerts and festivals, to fundraisers and markets.

For more information on the award categories, or to submit an entry before July 31, head to commercetorquay.com.au