The 2018 BNZ Star Performer winner for Style & Beauty, Sonya Hemopo, at the previous Spark Business Stella Awards. Photo / Supplied
The 2018 BNZ Star Performer winner for Style & Beauty, Sonya Hemopo, at the previous Spark Business Stella Awards. Photo / Supplied
In the two years since the Covid-19 pandemic reached New Zealand, Taupō businesses have shown incredible resilience.
From lockdowns, to the loss of international tourists, they have been pushed to the limit and now they have the opportunity to let their hair down and celebrate how far they have come.
Entries are now open for the 2022 Spark Business Stella Awards, organised by Towncentre Taupō, celebrating the businesses in the Taupō region and the resilience they have shown over the past two years.
Towncentre Taupō general manager Julie McLeod says this year's awards have a new look, to recognise the tough times businesses have been through.
"We changed the format from what used to be a customer experience awards programme to the new format because we knew businesses went through really difficult times over the last two years," she says.
"There are some incredible stories of the changes businesses went through and we wanted to highlight and share all those stories and all the little wins that happened along the way."
Four of the BNZ Star Performer winners from 2018, Carla Hruszczak - Hospitality (left), Laura Schwenk - Service & Trade, Jamie Elliott - Retail, and Samantha Lenz - Professional Services. Photo / Supplied
To align with this year's theme, the categories and the awards programme format have been updated to encompass a light-hearted and easily digestible approach. The categories have more focus on areas of achievement rather than business size or industry, to encourage anyone to throw their name in the hat.
There will be team awards for businesses that have worked together to stand tall in the face of adversity, and star performer awards for individuals who have shown themselves to be the shining lights of the company.
Entry for the awards programme is open to businesses operating in the Taupō district, including Tūrangi and Mangakino areas.
"Businesses have shown incredible resilience. Some went through months and months of no trading, or they were able to trade but Covid was going through their team so they had to separate and cover each other for all types of crazy work schedules," Julie says.
"They had to reinvent themselves in some cases, start trading in ways they never have before."
The awards will be an opportunity to step back, relax and reflect on what has been achieved.
"Everyone is tired from the last two years, but there is so much good stuff that happened, that we really need to take time out for a moment and celebrate the achievements everyone has made to keep businesses going, keep trading and looking to the future."
A doughnut wall helped keep guests entertained at the 2018 Stella Awards. Photo / Supplied
Entrants in the team awards will nominate themselves while individuals can nominate themselves or may be nominated by a business manager or team leader, she says.
"I would encourage them to just go for it. There's nothing to be lost. If you put your name in the hat and you're not selected as a finalist, no one else will know, so why not have a go? If you can take the time to enter, you should because you just never know.
"On the other hand, if you are selected, it's incredible kudos among your own team, the business community and the wider community as well. From a business perspective, being a finalist has great promotional opportunities.
"Once we have all the entries in, we can start telling those stories, so people know what these businesses have been through."
