TESTIMONIALS

On behalf of the Kaiteriteri Recreation Reserve, I just wanted to pass on a very BIG THANK YOU for organising not just a great night but the process that also brought it all life. (applications, interviews, event coordination etc etc). The event was hosted so well. The food was devine and the juice was delicious! We had so much fun getting photos together as a team and celebrating loudly in the far corner! I also liked the time to connect and chat with other businesses and colleagues. Even though we work closely as a team, we can forget to put time aside and just chat and be. I found this so valuable in my opinion, and I'm really grateful we jumped in this year and joined the fun!

"If you are on the fence about entering the Business Awards, I really encourage you to do so. This time last year we were in the same boat; totally overwhelmed with all that was required to enter as well as the ever growing day to day list. Once we knuckled down and started writing the story, the motivation grew. We were so proud of the final submission and it’s been great to share many parts of it with our staff, customers, suppliers and other stakeholders as well as family and friends. The awards night was so fun and extra special to share with many of our team... Winning the Medium business section on the night was the icing on the cake but even if we hadn’t won (and there were so many excellent finalists in our section) we were very pleased with our entry and telling our story. The increased profile has been fantastic as we displayed our award in the shop, but also the publicity through the Chamber exposure and on the radio and Nelson Weekly. We have secured new business in our Apparelmaster sector this year. Would we have seen this if we hadn’t entered? Who knows but I do know it shows we are a credible business to work with."

"Entering the awards gave us a valuable opportunity to pause and reflect on the work we’ve been doing, not just the outcomes, but the intentions and processes behind it. Winning was such a rewarding moment, especially getting to share that celebration with our team. It was a great reminder of the inspiring and ambitious work being done across our region, and we felt proud to be part of it.”

"Submitting your “grand vision” and summary of achievements to business leaders to be judged is daunting. And then getting your team to root for your business on awards night - scary! But having entered twice before winning, I can honestly say that it's been worth the effort every time. It has become a tradition for Keetrax, because awards night is that moment in the year that our team can wholeheartedly cheer for our business's success. Even suppliers and customers get excited around awards night. This really helps everybody align with the vision. And just entering alone results in so much exposure and improved credibility. And when we did win.. all those effects got amplified 100x."

"The response to our win has been outstanding, so many people reaching out to congratulate us and it has given us a whole other level of recognition and an affirming of the quality of our business which has been awesome. So happy to have been a part of the event and the process involved."

"Simply going through the process of applying was an incredibly valuable experience for our business. Solidifying our vision, goals and processes helped to provide real clarity for our team. Winning an award, just one year into running the business has given us the BOOST we need to continue to bring our vision to life."

"Thank you so much to NTCC Ali, the board and team for re-connecting businesses with grass root communities through the Community Impact category in the Business Awards.  This category recognises, not only the significance of profit and charity sectors working together, but also the founding vision of Multicultural Nelson Tasman coming to fruition - growing and nurturing ethnic migrants and resettled communities who are vital contributors to the wellbeing of our socio-economic fibre weaved together. From these strong, resilient ethnic communities emerge creative leaders capable of co-designing future regional growth, enterprising small businesses and artisans that enriches the region's vibrant diversity.  Thank you heaps NTCC, sponsors (Bowater Hyundai, Nelson Pine Industries, et.al), businesses, government and community support. You rock!!"

"The awards process was managed by a number of members of the team, which I think worked really well as people were able to contribute to different sections based on their specific roles and responsibilities. We were thankful to have won and the team really enjoyed the night given that most of those who attended were directly involved in the application process. This was one of the few chances to celebrate as a group and bring back the trophies for the team that didn't attend. Overall we were blown away. People do notice this award and it has in many ways had more cut through for us than others we have been involved in. Thankyou Chamber team!"

“Getting down on paper what’s been in our minds for the business has provided real clarity for our business goals, and we would encourage anyone thinking about entering to do it. Just make the time early and it will be a worthwhile exercise.”

“Highly recommend entering the Chamber Business Awards. A great chance to take a deep look at your business. The team are so friendly and helpful and put on a stunning Awards night. Winning the Datcom Innovation Award 2017 is very exciting for me at Heke Homemade Herbals. Thank you!!!”

“Thanks to you and your team for a great event – everyone was a winner! I hope I managed to encourage a few more entrants next year, particularly amongst the established businesses. I personally think it beneficial to enter each decade as businesses have evolved and new staff are on-board. Things flowed very well, crisp organisation and the venue size was a major part of that success.”

“The benefits to winning the supreme award have been ongoing for MyTax. It has given us increased credibility around the country, particularly when establishing new business relationships. The best thing to come out of the awards was the acknowledgement our staff received – even today our team is still proud that all their hard work was recognised in such an amazing way.”

“There’s no doubt the recognition we received from our industry peers and the local business community was immensely valuable, but the exercise of building and compiling our award entry in a collaborative process with our staff had the most enduring value for the continuing improvement of our business.”

“Entering the Chamber of Commerce business awards as a start-up business really helped us solidify our vision and reassess our goals. It was a huge process that has given us a resource that we still use today. The icing on the cake was taking away the award – which was such a boost after just one year in business.”