A defining time in the history of business in the Mid-West region will be marked on November 19th next when Limerick Chamber’s much anticipated Regional Business Awards resume after a one-year COVID enforced hiatus.
The awards are now officially open for nominations, which can be made on Limerick Chamber’s website www.limerickchamber.ie and, according to President of sponsors LIT Vincent Cunnane, have never been more timely as they acknowledge businesses not just for their ongoing commercial success but their resilience during COVID.
“I don’t think there’s ever been a time when it has been more important to recognise the efforts and achievements of Mid-West organisations, given what people have experienced in this past 18 months.
LIT, soon to be Technological University of the Shannon Midlands Midwest, TUS, representing our new beginning, are delighted to be the main sponsor of the Limerick Chamber Regional Business Awards again this year. These awards acknowledge businesses that have not just survived but have adapted and thrived during the challenging times of the last two years. We have seen inspirational levels of resilience and ingenuity from organisations across the region.
“These awards recognise and reward business excellence, innovation, best practices and outstanding business performance. As LIT and AIT become a Technological University on 1st of Oct, we, like many organisations, have gone through a renewal, some of those changes have been involuntary such as the wearing of face masks and social distancing, but many, have been driven by us because of our shared vision of impactful collaboration, excellence in education, research and our spirit of innovation, entrepreneurship and community. We encourage all organisations to enter these awards this year. Celebrate your successes, share your story with your peers, acknowledge the loyalty of your customers and recognise your employees for their hard work and commitment. These awards are a great platform for businesses in the region. Best wishes to all the entrants.”
Said Limerick Chamber CEO Dee Ryan “I think we can be very proud of the resilience shown by our local business community over the past 18 months, I think it’s said an awful lot about the people of this region.”
In keeping with the theme of change, this year’s awards will take on a different format, with November’s event set to be a lunch-time affair and dispensing, for 2021, with the normal doubling up of the awards with the Chamber ‘President’s Dinner’.
In all, nine awards will be up for grabs, from the overall Limerick Chamber Business of the Year Award to a worthy overall winner, Best Business Pandemic Pivot Award, which will recognise the company that best altered course to successfully navigate the pandemic. Other awards include: Best Emerging Business, Best SME Business Contribution to the Region, Best Large Business Contribution to the Region, Best CSR: Contribution to the Region, Best Retail & Hospitality, Best Not or Profit and Best Employer.
This year’s judging panel is Chaired by Laura Conn, Deputy CEO of CPL, assisted by panel members Liam Woulfe, CEO of Grasslands Agro; Sean Lally, MD and Co-owner of Hotel Woodstock, Ennis; Paul Shelley, Business Adviser and Non-Executive Director and Tomas Sercovich, CEO, Business in the Community Ireland, with further judges to be added.
Continuing, Limerick Chamber CEO Dee Ryan said that the awards this year will be extra special. “There is always a huge build up of excitement around our awards, which are the most important business awards programme across our region. But it’s fair to say that this year they will have even deeper meaning. It’s been such a traumatic time for people in business, a period of immense and sudden change. That so many have adapted so well is testament to the people in those businesses and, indeed, the solidarity shown across the region.
“Our awards are going to be more modest this year than in the past, but I don’t think for a minute that this will in anyway diminish from the sense of achievement of those shortlisted, the winners themselves and, indeed, everyone in business in Limerick that has survived to tell the COVID tale.
“We are so looking forward to the event and ask now for people to get nominating. If you feel a business deserves to be shortlisted, please enter. Nominees do not have to be members and we have a really experienced judging panel who will have their work cut out for them, but they are really looking forward to the task. All we want now is for that job to be made as difficult as possible by virtue of a large number of entries being submitted.”
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