Night to celebrate all that's best in business

An organisation which has put Hastings on the map in the health industry was named winner of the HBS Hastings City Business Awards top honour.
Hastings Health Centre were announced the winners of the Supreme Award for Business of the Year and the Award for Excellence in Professional Services at a special function at the Hawke's Bay Opera House in Hastings last night.
The evening opened with a Phantom of the Opera performance by singers William Winitana and Ali Beal, as about 200 people gathered in the Opera House theatre.
It was a colourful introduction as people embraced the "Phantom" theme by wearing Venetian masks and ball attire, in preparation for the Masquerade Ball to follow the awards.
HBS chief executive Darryn Thomas began the speeches by talking about how "passionate" his business had been in supporting Hawke's Bay for over 125 years.
"We've been through the 1931 earthquake, two world wars, finance collapse and HBS is still going strong. It costs $2.5 million to run two [HBS] branches. That's money going into the Hawke's Bay economy," he said.
Other sponsors and winners mentioned the economic recession, but said they were keen to keep supporting the awards and remained optimistic about the city's retail potential.
Judges were impressed by several of the finalists but it was the Hastings Health Centre which had captured their attention.
"From their team presentation to their innovative and progressive planning, this business was incredible," said John Roil, one of this year's head judges.

The centre had created some impressive initiatives from customer feedback, such as a programme to address and reduce child abuse and family violence, and provision of a dietician offering advice as part of their overall customer care philosophy.
People felt the staff working there had an amazing culture, from the board of directors to the doctors to the administration staff, and everyone was included as part of the team.
Competition between the nominees was intense this year and all businesses were interviewed by a team of judges.
To enable a fair and impartial process, head judges Mr Roil, from Cottages NZ, and Phil Williams, from Esam Cushing, had the final say in the decision process, overviewing all finalists that made the cut.
"There are some really fantastic businesses in Hastings, doing some very smart and impressive things. It's not just about passion and commitment, but also about making a difference and setting national standards," Mr Roil said.
Each category winner received a trophy designed and crafted by Riks Terstappen, and significant advertising packages from the Hawke's Bay Today and Radio Network.
The overall winner also received a wine box courtesy of Farmgate Wines. The total prize packages exceed $30,000.