Waikato Chamber of Commerce’s business awards ceremony at Ninja Valley last month was quick, slick and loud but missing something, senior writer Mary Anne Gill reports.
Marketing finalists with award sponsor Kiwibank, from left: Brett Morris (Rabobank), Nicola Harrop (Gallagher Animal Management), Eddie Stocks (Kiwibank), Shane Forrest (Hobbiton Movie Set), Greta Shirley (Waitomo Group). Photo: Stephen Barker.
Halfway through the announcement of the finalists in Waikato Chamber of Commerce’s business awards, MC Heather Connolly summed up what most in the crowd at Ninja Valley were saying. “I feel like dancing, this music is great,” she said.
The DJ started off with Kids from MGMT but that step into the 2000s was a minor glitch. Reading the room, a raid of last century’s playlist was in order and out came Dragon, Queen, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton, Bonnie Tyler, Bon Jovi, Backstreet Boys and Tom Petty for the invite-only crowd.
Up the finalists walked to get their certificates – the music propelling them towards the stage – even when Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now was playing.
The Waikato Chamber of Commerce team delivered another successful event this time at Ninja Valley. Photo: Stephen Barker.
The names were read out by Connolly “in no particular order, only Rebecca’s,” a reference to the chamber’s Marketing and Events manager Rebecca Aston.
But if you were a betting person, you would be putting your money on Waitomo Group to take home something at the swish gala dinner in Claudelands Events Centre next month.
The company, founded in Te Kūiti in 1947 and now New Zealand’s largest independent fuel supplier, made five of 10 finals on offer prompting Connolly to say it was just as well they brought plenty of staff along to pick up the certificates.
Laugh of the night came when Kiwibank’s commercial growth manager Eddie Stocks handed over the Marketing Award certificate to Rabobank’s Brett Morris.
The event was held at Ninja Valley who took out the People and Culture award last year and are finalists in the Community Contribution section this year.
Having a spider tower, 3D adventure playground, foam stunt pit, slam dunk, pro tramps and rope courses as a backdrop made for a surreal night.
Now if the DJ had only been able to find some Ninja music from last century, that would have wrapped up proceedings in a truly electronic way.
A record 88 entries – up from 76 last year – were received which gave the panel of 32 judges plenty of work to do in narrowing down the finalists.
“As judges it’s a privilege to have the opportunity to find out more about each entrant and what makes that business special,” said Connolly.
See: Business awards finalists named
Waikato Chamber of Commerce chief executive Don Good welcomes the invite-only crowd to the finalists’ announcement at Ninja Valley. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
