Business leaders celebrate 21 years of awards

Written on the 13 April 2016 by Gold Coast PR Company Consulting Hall

A Who's Who list of the Gold Coast business and political elite turned out in force to celebrate the 21st birthday of the Gold Coast Business Excellence Awards.

More than 70 of the Coast's leading power brokers turned up for the launch of the 2016 awards at the home of bus manufacturer Bustech, which is part of Transit Australia Group, the winner of the 2015 Gold Coast Business of the Year title.

Gold Coast Business Excellence Awards president Ian Cousins said the awards had grown significantly in size and importance during the past 21 years.

"The awards have grown to become the region's most comprehensive and prestigious awards scheme and they are continuing to grow,'' said Mr Cousins.

"For example, this year we are teaming up with Gold Coast Tourism to introduce a new service award for people in the tourism and hospitality industries.

"The Be My Guest Service Award will now become part of our program whereby each month between May and November we give the owners, managers and workers at Gold Coast businesses more than 75 awards.

"And each year the competition gets tougher and the quality of the entrants becomes even more impressive. These days our winners and our sponsors are household names in the Queensland business sector."

Mr Cousins said the awards had become an important part of the business calendar, so much so that they are now tied to the Gold Coast City Council's procurement policy.

The awards' major sponsors include City of Gold Coast; Suncorp Bank; Department of Industry, Innovation and Science; Regional Development Australia Gold Coast; Flight Centre Business Travel; Choice Homes; OntheNet; Griffith University; Gold Coast Airport; Gold Coast Tourism Corporation and Pindara Private Hospital.

The awards' media sponsors include the Gold Coast Bulletin, NBN Television, 92.5 Gold FM and 90.9 Sea FM.

The GCBEA's major supporters are KPMG, SMART McCann Worldgroup, Document Solutions Australia, Bloomtools, Consulting Hall, Jupiters Hotel and Casino, Regina King Photography, Bruce Lynton BMW, Land Rover and Jaguar, Bond University, Gold Coast Suns, and Dreamweavers.