Gold Coast Business Excellence Awards winners recognised, future of Gold Coast pondered

The city’s powerhouse businesses have got together to celebrate - and solve what the Gold Coast will need to do to cope when it hits a million people. Read what they came up with.

Dr Michael Smith (Medical Rescue), Adam Twemlow (KPMG) and Dr Glenn McKay (Medical Rescue). Photo: Gemma Ferguson

The Gold Coast is an exciting, innovative and fun place to live and work. No one knows this better than the business owners and local professionals who attended the 12th annual Gold Coast Business Excellence Awards winners lunch on Friday.

On the 11th floor of the Corporate Centre One, overlooking the city they all love, the best in business celebrated their achievements.

KPMG hosted representatives from Gold Coast Motor Museum (emerging and micro business winner), City Venue Management (family business winner), Wild Earth (retail, wholesale and distribution winner), SEE Group (construction and trades winner), Orbitz Elevators (professions and services winner), Medical Rescue (health and wellbeing winner), Powertec Telecommunications (IT and digital business winner), Dnata Catering (manufacturing winner), GESS Education (education, training and employment winner), Ecosure (Mayor’s innovation winner), Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary (tourism, hospitality and events), and Pico Play (encouragement winner).

Gold Coast Business Excellence Awards: winners lunch

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Keynote speaker Kate Meyrick of Urbis explored the future of our city according to the event theme of ‘towards one million’.

She pointed to other major hubs across the globe, providing inspiration for the Gold Coast as it gears up to hit the “magic number”.

Ms Meyrick said the Gold Coast had improved in six key areas, according to the latest Census data: people, planet, performance, positivity, place and transport.

“If we don’t put more transport infrastructure into this city, we’re going to get more congestion, slower journeys to work and school, reduced productivity, more frustration and less equity,” she said.

“With one million people, we’ll have one million people’s worth of transport network to rely on.

“So, it is fundamental for us.”

Gold Coast longtime tourism supremo and mover-and-shaker Paul Donovan, who was inducted to the Business Hall of Fame last year, joined Ms Meyrick for a Q&A.

Hall of Fame inductee Paul Donovan. Photo: Gemma Ferguson

He said more attention is needed from the state government to ensure the M1 can handle increased traffic.

Meanwhile KPMG’s Adam Twemlow said a high-speed train, similar to those in Japan, would help ease congestion between the Gold Coast and Brisbane.

Medical Rescue’s Dr Glenn McKay and Dr Michael Smith were celebrating their new title of Business of the Year.

“The awards have always been a favourable event of ours every year (so) taking out the big award was very unexpected given the competition we were up against,” Dr Smith said.

“It gives us the reassurance we’re doing really well.

“We can compliment our staff all day, every day - but when you get an award like this, they realise it’s not just their bosses who think they’re doing a great job.”

Gold Coast Business Excellence Award deputy president Richard Holt said the

private winners’ lunch had become a popular tradition for the awards.

“On the night of the gala awards, there is a lot going on and a lot of excitement, so

it’s difficult for the winners to touch base with each other,” he said.

“The winners’ lunch allows members to meet and congratulate fellow winners, and

gives a few members of the awards committee a chance to say congratulations as well.”

The 2023 awards are set to be launched next month, with the entries for the May

Awards being due on May 2.