Waikato Business News | December 1, 2023

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20 E 24 FEATURE DECEMBER 2023 Award winners deliver excellence to Hamilton CBD This year’s Hamilton CBD Awards threw up a real challenge for the judges. The 2023 appraising panel was faced with a plethora of choice amid some 100 entries, businesses that have gone ‘above and beyond’ in adapting to our living, breathing inner city. Sponsored by Spark and organised annually by the Hamilton Central Business Association (HCBA), the awards were held last month at the idyllic Roose Common Park overlooking the Waikato River. They started in 2010, aiming each year to celebrate and recognise centrally based businesses that successfully draw people to the CBD while underscoring their ability to be agile, particularly with the challenges Covid wrought on the business community. It was in that post-Covid world that the ‘Love the Centre’ brand was launched, primarily as an inner-city campaign intended to breathe life back into a CBD in recovery. The initiative promoted public feedback and asked people what they enjoyed about the central city. It is largely because of that campaign that ‘Love the Centre’ now sits at the heart of the annual awards, and HCBA general manager for the past seven years, Vanessa Williams, is delighted with how the 2023 event turned out. She says it’s been a real pleasure to see so many businesses come on board: “Our local businesses are achieving a great many things, from set-up to expansion, and they should be recognised for this. Shouting about achievements is not a natural space for many people and I admire those who take the plunge to put themselves and their businesses out there to be judged.” Organisers and judges look not only for excellence across the various categories, but also consider how much each business impacts the vitality of the CBD and therefore how much its absence would be felt were it not there. A successful city centre relies on having space that is fit for purpose, Vanessa says, and it should accommodate businesses that give people what they want in terms of shopping, events, or the provision of professional services. Award entries are judged twice. A written entry is initially assessed by a panel of judges and then, depending on the type of business, each is either visited by a mystery shopper or required to submit a video. Categories are something of a movable feast, Vanessa says, with new ones added from time to time to keep abreast of changes. “It’s great to see so many businesses growing in confidence enough to enter the awards. They often say the process itself is good for them – it’s a time to take stock away from the busy day-to-day and reflect on what they’ve achieved.” A one-off change this year was the use of special bricks as trophies for the 2023 winners. They were excavated from the Victoria St site of Hamilton’s world-class theatre currently under construction, retrieved from the grounds as teams demolished the inner part of the old building. The awards evening itself is always a blast. While Spark sponsors the awards, the evening sponsors - Royal Lab, SBI Productions and Moving Media - work seamlessly to make it a gala occasion. SPONSORED BY BROUGHT TO YOU BY lovethecentre.co.nz/awards Our legal advice is as solid as a brick outhouse. Which might explain why we won this award. Fin cr st e cu o u th b th ti th fe W to M q Winning a Professional Services award isn’t an everyday occurrence for a law firm. But then again, we’re not your everyday lawyers. At iCLAW, we’ve boldly challenged the status quo and tossed aside the stuffy traditions of the legal world. Boring legal jargon? Not here. We’re everyday people who speak your language and provide practical advice for your business, personal wealth, and important life decisions. We’re on a mission to help you succeed, whatever that may look like for you. So, why not give us a call or pop into our vibrant CBD offices? Meet our friendly, approachable and fun-loving team and discover how we’ve made exceptional service and successful outcomes the foundation of our professional services. ES SC CR MU CR TA Level 2 / 286 Victoria Street, Hamilton iclaw.com Everyday people, but not your everyday lawyers.
DECEMBER 2023 FEATURE 25 Celebrating those who give something back The Lawrenson Group is no stranger among the winners at the Hamilton CBD Awards, but their runner-up placing in the Public Good category this year was a first. They’ve won awards in the event before, says founder John Lawrenson, but this year’s placement in the Public Good category is recognition for something he has been doing quietly for years – giving back where he can. Each year he links with Barnardos to provide toys for children who don’t get much of a Christmas, and with Paws 4 Life to help feed unwanted animals that end up in shelters. Anyone bringing in a Christmas gift when dining at one of his restaurants will find the value of that gift matched by a donation to their bill, and those bringing cans of pet food into his bars can swap them for drinks. “We generally raise between $10,000 to $15,000 a year,” he says. “It’s something we have done for so long that our customers look out for it now. I was once told … ‘if you ever have the ability to make a difference you have an obligation to do so’. I think that’s important.” The Cake Detective took out the top slot in the Public Good category, which is unsurprising given the not-for profit’s aim to bring joy to children facing serious illness or other life challenges by gifting them a birthday cake. Founder Laura Casey says: “We at The Cake Detective Charitable Trust are elated with our win. This victory holds profound significance for us, especially considering it was our inaugural entry into the awards.” Crucial to the Cake Detective’s success are its links with referral agencies who identify the recipients, and its partnership with Sweetpea Parties. “The CBD award in the Public Good category is not just a recognition of our work; it’s a celebration of the collective goodwill generated by businesses and individuals coming together to make a meaningful impact.” Highly commended in the Public Good category was Rainbow Kids Childcare, the organisation responsible for creating the annual Anzac Day display of ‘poppies’ in Garden Place. They launched it four years ago, believing the significance of Anzac Day should extend to displays beyond those at the Cenotaph. Their initial ‘poppies in the field’ grew and now incorporates the education of children on Anzac Day – starting in the classroom and later with the ‘planting of poppies’ in Garden Place. Lou Gibson says they are thrilled at the overwhelmingly positive response from the public and the respect always shown towards the display. “Remarkably, over the course of four years, there has been no damage incurred.” There was a three-way split win in the 2023 Customer Service category, something organiser Vanessa Williams says resulted from the judges finding no single point of difference between all three. The title was shared between Texas Radio, Precious Metals and True Store. Texas Radio has entered the awards every year since its inception and amassed seven wins to date. Customer service is something the outlet prides itself on, says Marcus Potroz. “We love helping people … we get a genuine kick out of making somebody smile. Winning for us helps us gain a stronger sense of purpose. It confirms we are on the right path and encourages us to go forward.” Precious Metals & Diamonds also knows its stuff when it comes to good customer service. Fiona Platje says they are no stranger to awards and placed as runner-up in the same category last year. “It we were to win any award, this is the one to win,” she says. “In our view, it’s all about creating the right sort of environment, the right aesthetic, and having a great interaction with our customers. We are there to resolve their needs. It’s all about relationships at the end of the day.” True Store won the category last year and is delighted to be up there again this time around. Andrea Downey says it goes hand-in-hand with the business of selling beautiful fashion in Hamilton and caring about their customers. “It’s really who we are as a team … we are all passionate about what we do, and we all love people. It makes it really easy and helps build those great relationships with our customers.” 2023 CBD AWARD WINNER FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE For us it was never about trying to compete with the big players of our industry. Instead we wanted to create a shining little corner store with passion, innovation, experience and exceptional customer service. We wanted our customers to remember us, to talk about us. We wanted them to be greeted at the door by friendly faces and whether they were arriving for the first time, or we were welcoming them back, we wanted them to feel like they were home. We wanted them to stay awhile, to soak up the sounds of Motown or feel soothed by the quiet rhythm of the Jazz. We wanted to be known as that little Corner Store, a small family business, with a lot of soul. We wanted to go on a journey with our customers. We wanted to have conversations with them and what's more, we wanted our staff to remember those conversations. We wanted to source that special gift, the edgy concert bag, the sparkling Swarovski Tennis bracelet, or that dazzling custom design engagement ring (created by our very own in house jewellers). Our plan was simple, we wanted to wrap small things in little boxes, with big experiences. We never wanted to compete. WE WANTED TO STAND OUT!!! Active. Creative. Local. Precious Metals & Diamonds. Phone 07-957 0137 Email centreplace@preciousmetals.co.nz Centre Place Shopping Centre, 501 Victoria St, Hamilton ESCAPE ROOMS SCAVENGER HUNTS CRYPTIC PUB CRAWLS MURDER MYSTERY NIGHTS CRYPTIC GAME NIGHTS TAILORED PACKAGES CONTACT US EVENTS@CONFINEMENT.CO.NZ 07 838 0058 The Meteor Theatre Winner of Best Activity CBD Awards 2023 Festive Family Fun at Trees at the Meteor December 13th - 21st
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Waikato Business News | December 1, 2023

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