The Quesnel and District Chamber of Commerce is marching ahead with its annual Business Excellence Awards.
The annual gala which celebrates exceptional, local businesses is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 2 and Saturday, Oct. 3, 2020, however, will look a little different this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, said QDCC manager Kathy Somerville.
“The deadline for nominations is Sept. 12 and then it will go for one week of judging on (online survey website) Survey Monkey, and that will 70 per cent through our judges and the other 30 per cent input from the public, as well,” Somerville said.
Instead of the gala-style dinner and festivities, winner announcements will be made in waves on the QDCC’s Facebook page on Oct. 2 through live video-style posts.
“We can’t possibly meet, and if we have a second wave of COVID we’re definitely not able to meet, so the winners will be done virtually on Oct. 2,” she said. “We are just playing it safe and doing it the right way. We just have to carry on differently.”
On Oct. 3, there will be a rally parade through Quesnel’s downtown area complete with banners for the winners where they will receive their plaques.
“It will be a totally physically distanced parade,” she said. “The car dealerships in town are lending us new vehicles, all sanitized beforehand, and we’ll parade around through the downtown core.”
The winners’ parade will get under at 1 p.m. on Oct. 3.
“We’re trying to make this as spectacular as we can under the circumstances,” Somerville said.
Nomination forms are availble online at www.quesnelchamber.com and can be filled out on the website.
Award categories include:
• Business Person of the Year
• Business of the Year - Under 10 Employees
• Business of the Year - 10 or More Employees
• New Business of the Year
• Customer Service Award
• Home Based Business
• Community Inclusion Award
• Excellence in Tourism Award
• Social Leadership Award
• Environmental Excellence Award
Nominations require the nominee’s name, mailing address, phone number and e-mail address, along with a nominator’s name, e-mail address, phone number and reason for nomination. The nominator’s information can be kept confidential.
Somerville noted, however, the Business Excellence Awards are not only about the winners.
“Somebody took the time to nominate a business, which is incredible,” she said.
“Anyone who is nominated should be so proud, and we’re not going to make a category about COVID safety and who’s doing what because, in my mind, every one of those businesses in our community has gone over and beyond for safety and they need a big acknowledgement for that.”
For more information contact the QDCC at 250-992-7262 or at qchamber@quesnelbc.com.
greg.sabatino@wltribune.com
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