On Saturday 17th August 2019, The Common was proud to host the annual Network NZ business awards. As the finalists arrived at The Common, the air was filled with excitement, anticipation and great vibes. The whole venue was used for the event, fairy lights were strung overhead, a stage was set up, and the bar was open! The guests entered and were greeted with drinks and a large table filled with delicious platters to network around as the venue continued to fill with attendees.
The Network NZ Business awards were MC’d by non-other than Colart Miles, who brought an incredible energy to the event. Colart kicked off the event and the awards began with great presentations from the keynote speaker Erika Harvey and guests, telling stories from their day to day lives and what they are currently working on and involved in.
Then came the moment everyone was waiting for, the main awards ceremony! This began with highlighting each award and what each one meant to Network NZ. Then the announcements began! Every winner of each category was so proud to have their names called and took to the stage, giving speeches and taking photos. The entrants had worked very hard to not only start their businesses, but also to get so far in the Network NZ Business Awards process! The award categories and winners were as follows:
• Best Start-Up – Natalie Richards – Prep
• Excellence in Marketing – Noriyo Epps – Bento Ninja
• Fastest Growth – Karen Yang – Syrene Skincare
• Most Innovative Business – Todd Welling – Overdose Digital
• Most Outstanding Established Business – Hamish Coulter – Ready To Eat
• Outstanding Solo Entrepreneur – Roslyn Ryan – Online Marketing Group
• Socially Conscious Excellence – Tracey Beard – Career Matters
• People’s Choice – Natalie Richards – Prep
Each of the category winners won 3 months of Ventell Mentoring Coaching and 6 months of Community Membership at The Common.
The overall winner was Noriyo Nakai who won the supreme award. That included $18k worth of prizes, including 12 months of corporate membership at The Common, and 3 months of intensive strategic planning with Ventell.
As shown in the prizes, Ventell and The Common were major sponsors of the event. Debra Chantry from Ventell was very proud of her client Natalie Richards who won two awards for her business, Prep, a vegan meal prep service.
After the excitement of the awards, the bar stayed open, the food was laid out and the drinks flowed. With the nerves having been settled after the ceremony, everyone was free to relax and enjoy the night. Attendees chose to enjoy the air hockey table and darts board while continuing to socialise with other attendees and talk about the event.
Event Space at The Common was proud to once again host the annual Network NZ Business Awards. The event went smoothly, all attendees enjoyed themselves, and we look forward to next year!