Electra Business and Innovation Awards: New category called Top Shop with voting via text

Foxton New World won last year's Electra Business of the Year title.

There are some exciting twists to this year's Electra Business and Innovation Awards.

One includes the customer choice category which is being refreshed and will be called Top Shop instead.

Top Shop will be run as a separate campaign following the main entries. Businesses must register online to be in the running for the Top Shop award and then the public will decide who wins via a text to vote system.

Businesses can register between the June 21 to July 4 and then voting opens to the public between July 12 to 25.

There will be a Top Shop selected for both Kāpiti and Horowhenua business districts.

"Any business that has customers can enter," Business Kāpiti Horowhenua Inc chairman Brendan Duffy said.

"It's about the public voting for the business they feel has delivered the best customer experience."

The awards will still see the industry-based categories that were introduced last year:

● Manufacturing, production and processing.
● Hospitality, entertainment and tourism.
● Construction and trades.
● Retail.
● Professional and business services, or technology.
● Not for profit, community and public services.

Sub-categories:
● New/emerging.
● Small business.

Hall of Fame for both districts will continue as will the much-coveted Electra Business of the Year award.

The special award for innovation introduced last year will continue in addition to the introduction of a new special award for sustainability.

Duffy said the board felt strongly that sustainability should have a stronger focus this year.

"We introduced it as one of the areas we judged on in the industry categories for 2020, but it's such a crucial lens for all businesses to look through across all aspects of their practices that we felt the need to elevate it for 2021 and honour those businesses that are doing great things in this space.

"We are looking forward to hearing some great stories."

Awards programme managers Charlotte Tollervey and Natalie Rutene, of PomPom Events and Marketing, are looking forward to the season ahead.

"It was great to be a part of the awards journey last year as they transitioned into a very different model and made some significant changes," Tollervey said.

"It will be awesome to see those changes bed in this year and also to bring Top Shop to the public.

"We are excited to see how the public vote and get a real feel for the businesses that the Kāpiti and Horowhenua communities believe are deserving of recognition."

Why should I enter?

● The awards offers you a stage to promote your business to the Kāpiti and Horowhenua community.

● It's an ideal way to benchmark your business with others in your industry.

● Provides an opportunity that forces you to stop and really look at your business, review what you are doing and plan to move forward.

● You'll also have access to award winning judges. The judging team are second to none with head judge Suzanne Snively receiving her damehood last year. They are experts in their fields and ready to cast their eye over your business.

● The awards also offer an opportunity to network with other like-minded local businesses and form valuable connections.

● Marketing opportunity with their extensive promotional campaign.

Entries open the week of April 5, and all applications can be made via the easy-to-use online portal.

The awards night is on September 17.

To find out more go to bkh.org.nz for more.