Finalists announced for Great Lake Taupō Business Awards

MEDIA RELEASE

22 June 2011
Embargoed Friday 24 June 2011, 3.00am

Finalists announced for Great Lake Taupō Excellence and Business Person of the Year Categories 2011

Towncentre Taupo today announced the 24 finalists in the 2011 Excellence Categories and the 5 Business Person of the Year finalists for the Great Lake Taupō Business Awards.

“Our judges have successfully completed the first stage of mystery shopping the 140 nominated businesses and assessing the 31 individuals for the awards,” said Towncentre Taupo General Manager, Traceylee Hooton. “The nominated businesses were judged on a variety of criteria including customer service, presentation and layout, marketing & branding, and follow up service.”

The 31 individuals who were nominated for the Business Person of the Year award were assessed by a separate judging panel on their passion for Taupo, flair, innovation and commitment to outstanding business practices.

“The judges have now decided on the finalists for businesses in the Excellence Categories, and these businesses will be visited again over the next three weeks, before the judges make their final decisions,” explained Ms Hooton. “The Business Person of the Year finalists will be interviewed by a separate judging panel in July, allowing those judges to learn more about the finalists and make their decisions.”

Applications for the new Business Category open to businesses district wide have now closed and been submitted for judging to The Icehouse in Auckland. “Given this is the first year for these categories we are happy with the result in the number of businesses putting themselves forward and submitting written applications,” said Taupō Chamber of Commerce President, Rob Marshall. “We’ve had 19 entries in the Small Business of the Year category and 10 entries in the Medium/Large Business of the Year Category”. Finalists for the Business Categories will be announced by the 4th July.

Towncentre Taupō and the Chamber of Commerce announced today that New Zealand celebrity, Mike King, has been confirmed as MC for the gala Awards Dinner where the overall winners will be announced at the Great Lake Centre on 29 July 2011. Tickets for this event are now available from Towncentre Taupo Inc.

The finalists are:

Events Capital Best Hospitality Business More FM Best Independent Retail Business Taupo Times Best National / Franchise Retail Business
Bakers Delight Chefs Compliments Footloose
Eruption Cafe Clever Hands Hikoi
Piccolo Hi Fashion Hunting and Fishing
Plateau Bar & Restaurant NZ Corner Liqourland
Suncourt Sushi Scenic Cellars Unichem Mainstreet Pharmacy
Taste Cafe The Linen Room Wild South
ME Creative Best Service / Trade Business Hilton Lake Taupo Personality of the Year
A & T Glass Chris Johnston (Replete)
Grabb David Steele (DPA & Associates)
Huka Honda
Stihl Mark Aldridge (Taupō Rigging & Safety)
Vetplus Sue de Bievre (Plateau)
Yoga Tree Taupo Vicki Beker (BFA)

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