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BEA 2017 AWA R D C A T E G O R I E S F O R 2 0 1 7
THE BIG NIGHT
ATHENA AWARD: The ATHENA Award program celebrates the potential of all women as valued members and leaders of the community and recognizes those who support them. The ATHENA Award honours individuals who strive toward the highest levels of professional accomplishment. Individuals, who excel in their chosen field, have devoted time and energy to their community in a meaningful way, and who open paths so that others may follow.
Behind the scenes BY K A R E N PAT O N- EVA N S
By the time 1,000 guests stroll the red carpet at Caesars Windsor on April 19 and enter the banquet hall for the Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce 27th Annual Business Excellence Awards, nearly a year’s worth of dedicated effort will have gone into making the extravaganza happen. “We had our first event in 1991,” recalls Jonathan Roung, chair of the 2017 BEA and senior financial adviser and retirement specialist, CIBC Imperial Service. He says the awards gala has become “Windsor’s premier business event.” The benchmark was set high for the BEA’s 25th anniversary. Roung says, “Last year’s event topped the 25th and 2017 will be another phenomenal year. The momentum is still going.” He hints, “A lot of exciting things are going on to keep it fresh, new and entertaining to everyone in attendance.” “The event is in April of every year and we usually begin convening in May to get the wheels in motion. We assemble a committee of about a dozen or so local professionals from various career paths,” Roung says. Each committee member is assigned to specific components to the show “so we can ensure things are happening in the appropriate order.” Leading up to this year’s BEA, “we had a record number of nominations for 11 award categories over 175,” says Marianne Burke, the Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce’s director of events. Business Excellence Awards include categories of Small, MidSize and Large Companies, Entrepreneur, Professional, Young Pro-
Vito Maggio accepts the Entrepreneur of the Year Award during the Business Excellence Awards at Caesars Windsor in 2014. There will be lots of hours of work going into this year’s event Wednesday, April 19. - TYL E R B ROW NBR ID G E / T H E WI N D S OR S TAR F I LE PH OTO
fessional, Tourism & Hospitality, New Business, Innovation, and Pillars of Our Community plus the ATHENA Award. This year the ATHENA Award recipient is Patti France, president of St. Clair College. Rosati Group is being honoured with the Believe Windsor Essex Award. “It’s the Who’s Who list of Windsor,” Roung says. “It would be terribly surprising if anyone were to walk into the BEA event and not recognize at least a handful of the finalists and the other guests in attendance.” The BEA committee communicates with the nominees and then the finalists, walking them through the process. “Each committee member acts as a liaison between the finalists so they have all the information needed,” Roung explains. Other tasks handled by the committee include marketing and social media, program design, event décor, script and speaking points development, multimedia and the award design. The committee also collaborates with Caesars Windsor which, among other things, caters the gourmet dinner and desserts. Although planning and executing the awards show is “a timeconsuming task that takes a lot of commitment,” Roung finds “it’s tremendously rewarding to see it all come together.” A past judge and enthusiastic guest, “I’ve got some great memories,” he says. “This event is open to absolutely anybody. It’s a great place for business and community members to
gather and socialize.” Whiles the guests enjoy the evening, show producer Mike Lesperance will be synchronizing everything behind the scenes and out in front. With monthly and then weekly meetings of the BEA committees, Media Street Productions Inc.’s creation of videos of the finalists to play at the BEA, lighting, sound and video rehearsals at Caesars Windsor, CogecoTV’s taping of the awards event, and all the other elements that go into the live show, “it’s a pretty multi-pronged endeavour. My job as producer is to pull it all together,” says Lesperance, president and owner of Windsor-based Corbett Productions. “The videos are well-produced. They tell great stories of the companies, both finalists and winners,” Lesperance says. Like the guests in attendance, and later, CogecoTV viewers, he will be paying close attention to learn how the finalists have found success. “The chamber does a great job with the Business Excellence Awards. It is a longstanding event,” Lesperance says. “We couldn’t do this event without Caesars Windsor,” Lesperance says of the support they provide to BEA. He observes, “Windsor-Essex County is a great place to do business and is a place that is very supportive of business.” Lesperance hopes the BEA event helps even more people appreciate that. SEE SCENES ON H5
BEA 2017 WAS CREATED BY CONTENT WORKS, POSTMEDIA’S COMMERCIAL CONTENT STUDIO
BELIEVE WINDSOR ESSEX AWARD: The Believe Windsor Essex Award recognizes an individual or business that has demonstrated a significant and sustained commitment to positive business development, economic growth and diversity within our region. This award is chosen by the Business Excellence Awards Committee and approved by the Board of Directors. ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR: An owner or founder who formed at least one venture, primarily responsible for the recent (last two years) performance of a privately held business that is at least three years old, who has made an outstanding contribution to their local economy, and the entrepreneurial spirit. Nominees will demonstrate company growth including sales, profitability, growth prospects, risk taking, employment creation and acceptance in the market. In addition, they will show commitment to research and development and the development of technological advances in the company’s industry sector. INNOVATION AWARD: Recognizes a business that has significantly improved the esthetics and functionality of the operating environment through the development and implementation of an innovative product, process, technology or service within the past four years. The nominees should also demonstrate that the use or innovation has been commercialized and is in the marketplace today. PILLARS OF OUR COMMUNITY AWARD: This award recognizes a registered not-for-profit organization, philanthropic organization, or person that has made an outstanding contribution to the social, cultural or economic well-being of the Greater Windsor-Essex Area. This nominee positively impacted the community, and demonstrated best business practices. In addition their business mission/ objective/goals of the organization reflect a community need which has a clearly defined strategic plan. PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR: An individual professional, who is self-employed or employed in a company or organization. The person has demonstrated excellence in his or her field of business in the recent past, and has demonstrated leadership and posi-
tively impacted the community. Examples include CEOs, lawyers, accountants, doctors, bankers, consultants, etc. Non-profit leaders are eligible for this award. YOUNG PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR: Recognizes a standout young professional/ entrepreneur who is ‘on the rise’. Nominees will be 35 years of age and under and will demonstrate a proven commitment to our community through outstanding scholarship and achievements and exemplary leadership and community involvement. The recipient must demonstrate innovative thinking, exemplary leadership qualities, commitment to making a difference, ability to engage and inspire others, and must act as a positive role model to his/her peers and colleagues. In addition, the recipient will demonstrate significant growth potential as a future leader in the Windsor-Essex community. SMALL COMPANY OF YEAR (up to 25 FTE employees); MIDSIZE COMPANY OF THE YEAR (26-99 FTE employees); LARGE COMPANY OF THE YEAR (over 100 FTE employees): Nominees will demonstrate their strategic goals and how they accomplished them. In addition, they will show success in company growth including sales, profitability, growth prospects, employment creation and acceptance in the market. They will also illustrate their commitment to research and development, and the development of technological advances in the company’s industry sector. NEW BUSINESS OF THE YEAR: A new business or an owner / manager of a business venture that is at least one year old but less than three, or an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to their local economy, and the entrepreneurial spirit. Nominees will demonstrate company growth including sales, profitability, growth prospects, employment creation and acceptance in the market. In addition, they will show commitment to research and development and the development of technological advances in the company’s industry sector. TOURISM & HOSPITALITY AWARD: Recognizes a business that has demonstrated excellence in the areas of hospitality and tourism, and has played a vital role in the growth of their sector. The business should demonstrate the critical success factors that have played a role in their success including employee relations, economic development/investment, business growth, and contributions to the community. This local business goes above and beyond providing extraordinary customer service and recognizes the importance of hospitality in the area as well as serving the community. Examples include wineries, restaurants, hotels, tourist attractions, golf courses, etc.