Cairns 2024 Business Excellence Awards winners revealed
It’s been a tough year marred by natural disaster for many Cairns businesses, but despite adversity the cream of the Far North crop was crowned at the annual BEX awards on Friday.
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It’s been a tough year marred by natural disaster for many Cairns businesses, but despite adversity the cream of the Far North crop was crowned at the annual BEX awards on Friday.
Attended by more than 300 people, including 60 finalists across 10 categories, the Cairns Business Excellence Awards drew together a range of professions from a wide array of organisations.
The one thing they all have in common is contributing to Cairns’ economic, social, cultural and environmental prosperity.
Given the challenges posed by a major flood event that hit in December, Cairns Chamber of Commerce chief executive officer Patricia O’Neill was truly proud of what local businesses had achieved in 2024.
“It was a spectacular night and I feel very proud,” she said.
Ms O’Neill said one highlight was the hotly contested Emerging Leader Excellence Award that was won by O’Connor Law associate Casia Betros.
“It was a very highly contested category as we have so many young leaders and that gives us hope for the future of Cairns,” she said.
“We feel confident that the Cairns business community is in safe hands.”
Following the sale of IGA supermarket businesses at Edmonton and Manoora by Piccone brothers and John and Peter earlier this year, after 35 years of business the Piccone family was presented with the Legacy Award, which Ms O’Neill said was well deserved.
“It’s what they have done in terms of providing jobs and mentorship and the late Lou Piccone used to say ‘to come to your work with a smile on your face is the most important thing, if you don’t love what you’re doing change what you’re doing’,” she said.
Off the back of the Cairns Airport winning Airport of the Year at the Australian Aviation Awards for the second year in a row, the organisation was recognised locally on Friday night and presented with the Business Resilience Excellence Award.
“(The Airport of the Year award) does not go unnoticed, this is major artery within our community and the judges have recognised the extraordinary work they do,” Ms O’Neill said.
“It was a one in 100 year flood event and amazingly they managed to get the airport back open in a few hours.”
The Cairns Chamber of Commerce boss herald the event as a huge success that was attended by 430 people.
“I’m really proud of the fact that we have such a small team and we managed to pull off such a significant event for the people of Cairns,” she said.
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Originally published as Cairns 2024 Business Excellence Awards winners revealed
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