Big changes ahead for city’s Business Excellence Awards

ORGANISERS behind Toowoomba’s Business Excellence Awards have flagged big changes ahead of the black tie event at the end of the year.

ORGANISERS behind Toowoomba's Business Excellence Awards have flagged big changes ahead of the black tie event at the end of the year.

Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce CEO Todd Rohl said the business community's night of nights would move from a gala dinner to an Oscars-style rowed-seating event at the Empire Theatre on December 12.

Mr Rohl said the changes, which included extra functions before and after the event, would embrace the challenges presented by COVID-19.

"There will be many different things - we'll be doing an Oscar-style format for the event, and we'll do pre-award and post-award events, and we'll do it in a way that celebrates small businesses by trying to involve many more than (at previous events)," he said at the event launch yesterday.

"We should acknowledge the difficult times that small businesses have had this year, and we'll be doing this as part of these awards.

"What is most important is we stop and celebrate that we've survived, changed and that life will go on and we'll find a new way to do business."

Awards will be split into 14 different categories, with one winner taking out of the coveted Business of the Year prize.

Looking forward to the reimagined Business Excellence Awards are (from left) Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce CEO Todd Rohl with Focus HR directors Alistair Green and Naomi Wilson. Picture: Kevin Farmer

The awards also has a new primary sponsor, with Focus HR signing a three-year deal for naming rights.

Founding director Naomi Wilson said she had been thrilled to see the Toowoomba business community's strength and solidarity during an extremely difficult period.

"We get to celebrate overcoming a really tough year and give back to the community the whole time we've been in business," she said.

"In the early days, there was a lot of risk of a knee-jerk reaction from businesses.

BEA 2020 launch

"They were scared and worried about what to do or whether they could keep their staff.

"So early on the focus was on keeping people calm and thinking rationally, and keeping their people as part of their team.

"The learning or the positive that has come from it is the Toowoomba community has banded together."

Mr Rohl said the nomination process had been simplified as well, with businesses only needing to submit a short written application as well as take part in a site visit from judges and a video.