Nominations are now open for the Penticton and Wine Country Chamber of Commerce's 38th Business Excellence Awards.
From Summerland to Osoyoos, and of course, celebrating businesses in Penticton, everyone is welcome and invited to submit the names of the businesses they feel deserve to be recognized in the annual awards.
The unveiling of this year's theme 鈥� a Cabaret of Achievements 鈥� was held alongside the announcement of nominations opening up on July 8, with the return of the gala's main sponsor, Total Restoration, for the sixth year.
"It's inspired by the spirit of Moulin Rouge, and this year's gala will celebrate the bold, brilliant, and diverse achievements of our local business, businesses and community leaders," said Tracy Van Raes, Total Restoration's marketing and community relations manager. "From innovation to impact, the evening will spotlight the people and the organizations that have taken the stage and performed with excellence."
Tickets for the award show gala go on sale on Aug. 15, with the show itself taking place on Oct. 25 at the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre.
The awards are open to any business, and being a member of the chamber is not a requirement to make a nomination or to be a nominee.
The nominations are also open to businesses, organizations, and individuals from beyond just Penticton's boundaries.
"We want to encapsulate the South Okanagan because, especially when we do our advocacy work, so many businesses rely on others in their neighbouring communities," said Chamber president Michael Magnusson. "When you look at the economy, they're so interwoven together, it would be it would be disheartening if we only looked at Penticton businesses, so we have expanded it because we know that if you're doing a fantastic job in Oliver you're benefiting Penticton in some way, and if you're doing a great job in Penticton, you're benefiting Kaleden or OK Falls in some way."
Judging will be performed in a multi-step process by a committee once nominations close on Aug. 8.
The committee will be made up of up to 15 members, and those members will be partitioned out to a maximum of two categories, with individual categories having their own matrix for scoring.
In a year already racked with uncertainty, depending on the category, how a business has responded to the impacts from factors that stretch far beyond Penticton's shores is something that will be considered.
"Whether it's geopolitical, socioeconomic, there are so many things going on right now, and have been really for the past few years, that the threat of tariffs and the implementation of tariffs is just one other layer," said Magnusson. "We may not see every industry having to overcome trade barriers, but we do see some people that have been innovative, that have expanded their trading partners, that have found new ways to get their product out to market and to new markets."
To nominate a business, go to awards.penticton.org.
