Port residents are being urged to get behind their favourite business and vote for them in the Examiner’s 2018 Annual Business Awards.
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The long-standing awards are designed to recognise excellence in business and customer service across Port Stephens.
The Examiner’s Raymond Terrace office and website were flooded with more than 7000 votes during last year’s awards.
After a tough judging process, 40 winners were found in the 40 awards categories ranging from accommodation, bakery and real estate to new business.
Tackleworld Port Stephens, based in Nelson Bay, not only won the boating, fishing or camping category in 2017 but it was also judged to be the overall winner of last year’s awards.
The overall winner announcement in 2017:
Voting for the 2018 awards opened on Thursday, August 16.
Customers are encouraged to fill out an official voting form for their favourite business and submit them to the Examiner's Raymond Terrace office no later than 5pm on Friday, September 21.
Voting forms are available in the Examiner, or from the Examiner’s Raymond Terrace office. Drop in or phone (02) 4983 8400.
Votes can also be submitted HERE through the Examiner’s website or fill out this form:
Voting forms can be dropped into boxes at:
- Muree Golf Club, Raymond Terrace
- Spinning Wheel Hotel, Raymond Terrace
- Medowie Sports and Business Centre, Medowie
- Forever Hair and Beauty, Medowie
- Nelson Bay Bowling Club, Nelson Bay
- Wests Nelson Bay Diggers, Nelson Bay
- Soldiers Point Bowling Club, Soldiers Point
- Nelson Bay Golf Club, Nelson Bay
Once voting closes and the votes are counted the five finalists in each category will be notified. Finalists are decided by the number of votes they receive from the public. The top five businesses voted for the most in each of the 40 categories are deemed to be the finalists.
The awards night this year will be held at Shoal Bay Country Club on Wednesday, October 31.
Businesses will be told about ticketing for the awards night when they are notified that they are a finalist.
About 400 business owners, their partners, family and staff members turned out to Wests Nelson Bay Diggers for the 2017 awards night presentation, which had a theme of under the sea.
It is not only the businesses that win, but one lucky voter does too. By filling out the details on the voting form, you will go in the draw to win a prize, which is drawn at the awards night. This year, the prize is a $1000 shopping spree at Salamander Bay Square.
Only one vote per person, per category will be counted.
Also read: A thoughtful footnote to awards night
I am a business owner, what do I do for the Annual Business Awards?
If you are a Port Stephens business owner or manager and want to put yourself and staff in the running for the Examiner’s awards you need to let your customers know that they can vote for you.
Hang up a ‘vote for us’ sign in your store, put some voting forms on the counter and/or personally ask customers to vote for you. Let them know which category they can vote for you in, especially if there is more than one that you would go under.
For example if you run a restaurant, let customers know whether to vote for you in the Australian or international cuisine category (category 33 or 34).
Yes, you can pre-fill voting forms with your business name and category selected and photocopy them to make it easier for your customers to vote. Photocopies of the voting form will be accepted.
However, just remember that only one vote per person, per category will be counted. So, you need to encourage as many customers as possible to vote for your business.
Finalists in each of the 40 categories (listed below) are determined by the amount of votes the business receives. The five businesses that receive the most amount of votes in their category are the finalists.
You can also collect votes on behalf of your customers but you MUST drop them into the Examiner no later than 5pm on Friday, September 21.
I am a voter, what do I do?
To vote for a business in the awards all you need to do fill out an official voting form and submit it to one of the voting boxes. Or alternatively, fill in an online form on the Examiner’s website.
Forms are available in the Examiner newspaper, or can be picked up from the Raymond Terrace office. Businesses may also have some forms on the counter for you to fill out.
Photocopies of the form will be accepted. A handy tip: check to see if a business is asking customers to vote in a certain category.
The more votes a business receives in the one category, the higher its chances of becoming a finalist.
Just remember though, only one vote per person, per category will be counted. So, encourage your friends and family to vote, too.
The award categories
- Accommodation
- Accountant
- Animal Services
- Automotive Services
- Bakery
- Beauty Therapy
- Boating, Camping or Fishing
- Building, Construction or Renovation
- Butcher
- Cafe
- Children's Services
- Club
- Dance Studio
- Fashion or Footwear - Ladies
- Fashion or Footwear- Mens
- Financial Services
- Fitness
- Florist/Nursery
- Fresh Produce or Market
- Furniture/Home Decor
- Gift Store
- Hair Salon
- Hardware
- Health & Medical
- Hotel or Bottleshop
- Jeweller
- Learning, Training or Recruitment
- Legal Services
- Newsagency
- Pharmacy
- Real Estate - Sales
- Real Estate - Property Management
- Restaurant - Australian Cuisine
- Restaurant - International Cuisine
- Shopping Complex/Precinct
- Takeaway Food
- Technology Industry
- Tourist Attraction
- Specalised Services
- New Business