Celebrating, acknowledging, and encouraging business excellence.
The aim of the 2024 Federation University Commerce Ballarat Business Excellence Awards is to showcase, celebrate and support our local businesses in all that they have achieved, and contribute to our city. Take it a step further by nominating others that you believe are worthy of recognition and reward.
The Federation University Commerce Ballarat Business Excellence Awards provides an excellent opportunity for self-assessment, promotion, marketing and networking. Through the process, applicants gain a fresh insight into their operations and are better able to judge their potential for growth and development. In completing their applications, owners and operators can take the time to step back from and assess their operations in a manner usually reserved for the time when problems arise.
In addition, finalists and winners will receive extensive brand awareness, promotion and gain invaluable advice from industry professionals. These businesses can display their certificates and trophies for all existing and potential clients to see and use this recognition as part of future advertising campaigns.
The Federation University Commerce Ballarat Business Excellence Award Gala Dinner is one of the most eagerly anticipated business events on the Ballarat business calendar. Held in August each year, as part of B31 August Business Festival, the Gala Dinner is the culmination of months of excitement and expectation during which businesses have gone through the nomination, application and judging process.
The Process
Businesses are encouraged to nominate themselves or another, all nominees will be mailed an application booklet and additional information. Application information sessions and one on one mentoring sessions are arranged by Commerce Ballarat throughout the process.
After applications close, a judging panel, consisting of experienced independent business representatives drawn from diverse backgrounds, are surveyed on conflicts of interest, divided into pairs and assigned their category/ies. The judges then assess all written applications in the category/ies they had been assigned, and determine the category finalists.
The judges will conduct site visits of the finalists in each category, the winners will be announced at the Gala Dinner at the end of August.
Key Dates
- Nominations Open/Launch Party Tuesday 26 March
- Nominations Close Wednesday 10 April
- Applications Open Tuesday 16 April
- Earlybird Entries Closes Tuesday 4 June
- Application Close Wednesday 12 June
- Finalist Event Thursday 25 July
- Gala Awards Night Thursday 29 August
2024 Judging Panel
Chair
Dr Dianne Gibney Director, Ballarat Family Vets & Senior Associate, Eureka Veterinary Hospital
Judges
Professor Bridget Aitchison Campus Dean (Ballarat), Australian Catholic University
Tony Chew Director, Ripon Nth Pty Ltd
Jenny Berry Regional Manager, Australian Industry Group
Annie De Jong CEO, Ballarat Cemeteries
Andrea Cameron Office Manager, Vitrafy Life Sciences
Sean Cameron Executive Director & Co-Founder, Vitrafy Life Sciences
Dominic Dunne Director, Mahar Accounting
Peter Flynn Director, W.M.Flynn
Dannielle James Director, James Vac Solutions
Ange Connor Director, Inspire HQ
Dr Jessie Harman Director, Harman & Associates
Kay Jackson Director, Simplex Insurance Solutions
Leigh Edward CEO, Ferndale Foods Australia
Andrew Harman Director, Harman & Associates
Adrian Doyle Director, Adrian K Doyle & Assoc Pty Ltd
Naming Rights Sponsor:
Naming Rights
Category Sponsors: