Local Business Awards
www.coastba.com.au
The awards that keep on giving MICHAEL WALLS VER a career spanning almost 40 years, events maestro Steve Loe has clocked up some impressive stats. As CEO of event management company Precedent Productions he has presided over 1,020 awards ceremonies, handed out 31,500 trophies and created in excess of 100 awards programs for different industries. He is probably best known as the guiding force behind the Local Business Awards program, held over 30 areas in Australia – including the Central Coast. While Steve has few peers in the business awards programs space, it’s his passion and simple recipe for success that makes his legacy so impressive. As the Central Coast prepares for the second year of the Local Business Awards, CCBA publisher Michael Walls spent time with Steve to explore the evolution and highlights of the Local Business Awards Program. CCBA: Steve, can you give our readers some background on the Precedent Local Business Awards, how and why they started? SL: Growing up in a small corner store from the age of 1 to 25, I saw firsthand how incredibly hard my parents worked without receiving any recognition for the business they had built or for their contribution to our community. For my family and I, the business was not just an income; our whole life revolved around it. After 28 years of trading, the family business was sold and a great legacy ended without any fanfare or acknowledgement. This is when the idea of a recognition program was born. And so, in the 1980s, I started the Small Business Awards in the Inner West of Sydney as a voluntary community program. In the years to follow, it grew to be a cocktail party, free of charge, where we would celebrate that year’s winners. Not long after, the first presentation evening our patrons paid to attend was held at a restaurant made to fit only about 100 people. We managed to squeeze 180 guests into the room that night – this was the moment I realised we had an ever-growing community of small business owners, all of whom wanting to be involved year after year. Soon, the program had grown to the extent to which a dedicated management team was required. This is when Precedent Productions was launched. It was clear the time had come to give small businesses the recognition they deserved on a better and bigger scale. From the Inner West, the awards has grown to now represent 26 areas in total around New South Wales, as well as our National program, the Australian Small Business Champions Awards. This year marks the 36th Birthday since the beginning of the original program and the best is yet to come. CCBA: The awards have been successful for a long time, even as the world embraced technology. Why do you think that is?
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THE COAST LOCAL BUSINESS AWARDS To enter the Central Coast Local Business Awards go to www.thebusinessawards.com.au. Entries close September 3. The gala presentation event will be held on Monday, November 30 at Mingara Recreation Club.
It’s special moments like these where I would take pause and admire our growth and commitment to making our businesses feel as special as possible with an unforgettable night.” – Steve Loe. Precedent Productions CEO Steve Loe at last year’s Central Coast Local Business Awards.
SL: We are proud to say the process of the awards has continued to develop and evolve along with each technology boom over the past 36 years. Our customers are the businesses who are part of the program; the public who vote for the businesses; the sponsors; who provide financial support and our media partners who promote the program and we recognise all of them must continue to benefit from our program as the world changes. All registered businesses have their own personal business profile page where from the comfort of their home or work can provide their business details, questionnaire answers and team photos. Online voting has been embraced by all, as well as the ability to purchase tickets for the events online. We have also evolved with Facebook and Instagram, ensuring we have a welcome presence online as well as making sure our customers can promote the awards easily on their own social media pages. And this year, we have introduced a personalised QR Code poster for each business in the awards. These initiatives are slowly replacing the paper nomination forms that once appeared in the local newspapers and were distributed to local businesses. At Precedent we are always looking for ways to reduce our environmental impact whilst still maintaining the easy processes our customers are used to. CCBA: Can you tell us about your most memorable gala event? SL: I am lucky to have so many memorable moments from my 36-year career. One that stands out was in 1994, having the opportunity to launch the singing group ‘Human Nature’ before they were a household name. The group performed at all our event nights that year and were an absolute hit. Around the same time was when we would transform The Sydney Fish Market auction room floors into a grand ballroom for a seafood industry night. From there, we’ve grown to host Champions evenings at the State Theatre and the Quodos Arena to name a few with over 2,000 guests in attendance each year and state of the art entertainment. It’s special moments like these where I would take pause and admire our growth and commitment to making our businesses feel as special as possible with an unforgettable night. CCBA: Creating events amidst COVID-19 is certainly incredibly challenging. How has your team managed? SL: We were a week out from hosting our famous annual Champions event at
CENTRAL COAST BUSINESS ACCESS AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2020
The Star in Sydney when the country was forced into lockdown, as well as having many plans in place for our 26 Local Business Awards nights. Whilst it has been an unbelievably challenging and confusing time for all, our main priority has been checking in on our small business owners to make sure they know we aren’t only an awards program, but a support network
Local Business Awards CEO Steve Loe congratulates last year’s winner Melissa Rothero.
here to help. Our team has worked tirelessly to re-organise each awards night so that our businesses can still have a night to feel special, which we feel is of utmost importance this year. Our awards evenings will commence from September 16th with 2-3 events happening around New South Wales each week, and whilst we’re still working around number restrictions and cramming a year’s work into five months, we are still managing to touch base with every business who is a Finalist and it brings us much joy to ensure them that our 2020 program is still going ahead. CCBA: How has the market responded this year with COVID-19? SL: Despite everything 2020 has brought us, we were delighted to be overwhelmed with such a positive response from our voters this year. It is clear the business client bases recognised they needed to show their support in any way they could, and as a result we were receiving 10,000 – 12,000 nominations per week at the height of the pandemic. Now,
with a record number of Finalists in each area, our tickets to the events are highly sought after with a waiting list for seats in each area. We are so touched by the way in which our small business community has rallied together through this time, and the only reason this year has been made possible for us is because of them and their unrivalled endurance. CCBA: Why do you do what you do? SL: My greatest joy in life has always been to give without expecting anything in return. What I do get back in a happy smile or an excited person or group on stage receiving their acknowledgement is truly the reason for all my satisfaction. My business, Precedent Productions is the source of my energy. It’s the reason I get up every morning and it’s my life. I find endless joy in including everyone in celebration, conceiving and creating atmospheres that transcend time and space and connecting people in warm recognition of each other and their milestones. CCBA: What’s planned for the Local Business Awards for the future? What’s the 10 year vision? Any major changes planned? SL: I have every confidence our program will continue to evolve, grow and provide the same benefits for each local community as they always have. Technology will always change and therefore so will the way we work, but the personal touch of Precedent Productions and our inbuilt understanding of small business and what it takes to survive I believe makes us irreplaceable. We aim to see more of our programs starting and growing within all corners of our nation, as well as continuing to appeal to our younger generations of entrepreneurs as an important and valuable community to be a part of. And, perhaps my personal 10 year vision is to be happily retired, but still a guest at our awards nights ready and eager to present trophies to the winners. CCBA: You’ve seen thousands of successful businesses, what are the top three qualities you think a successful business owner needs? SL: One; understand your customers and provide the best products and services for them. Two; your team is everything, they make the business, so look after them. Three; set your goals and focus on them and you will achieve. To enter the Coast Local Business Awards or for more information visit: www.thebusinessawards.com.au. CCBA is the official media partner for the awards and will produce special features to celebrate winners and finalists. Visit www.coastba.com.au
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