THE Georgetown Chamber of Commence and Industry (GCCI) last Friday launched its Annual Business Awards 2011, with a cocktail reception at the Georgetown Club in the city, where Prime Minister Samuel Hinds was special guest. Others joining the executives and members of the GCCI in celebration were members of the Regional Private Sector Commission and the business community, as well as business representatives from Suriname, among others.
Chairing the programme was Ms. Coleen Patterson, Councillor of the GCCI, while Mrs. Jennifer Cipriani –Nelson, Vice President of the Chamber, gave an outline of the awards scheme, announcing that the Chamber’s Awards, now in its tenth year, has introduced two new categories, the Chamber Award and the President’s [GCCI] Award, taking the number of awards to eleven.
The awards were formally launched by President, Mr. Komal Ramnauth who called on members to place a high premium on training for their employees.
Said Ramnauth, “Whether you have products or services, treat training of your employees with utmost importance… training can never be over-emphasized, for they (employees) are our ambassadors and front-liners, when it comes to customer relationships and customer loyalty.”
Training employees he said, is the only way to ensure the provision and maintenance of high quality products and services to the public, and at the same time, to be considered for one of the awards in the categories mentioned at the launch. He also stressed that employer/employee relations and employer and consumer service relations are integral to the growth and security of businesses.
Referring to the Chamber’s motto:  “Serving Guyana through Commerce and Industry,” Ramnauth said it behoves businesses to strive for excellence in whatever they do, since that it is what the awards are all about.  He urged all businesses to take advantage of the opportunity to uplift forms and make nominations for the awards. Forms are available at the GCCI offices in Waterloo Street, Georgetown, and the deadline for submission is November 4, 2011.
In her welcome and brief remarks, Ms. Patterson outlined that even though the awards scheme has been in existence over the last ten years, it is the Chamber’s first attempt at launching it publicly.
She expressed confidence that the awards launched on Friday will give due recognition to worthy businesses, which can be used as role models for the progress and development of people, country, the business sector and the community where we live.
Meanwhile, GCCI Vice President, Jennifer Cipriani-Nelson gave a detailed outline of the awards, first mentioning the nine in place prior to Friday’s launch, then highlighting the two new awards.  The awards are as follows:

* Business of the Year (Small to Medium Scale) for businesses with under 50 employees
* Business of the Year (Large) with 50 or more employees
* The Young Business Executive – open to any individual under the age of 35 on December 9, 2011; who best demonstrates ambition, skills, vision; and tangible business success
* The Public Service Award for Excellence:  Presented to a department of the country’s Public Service, which has most effectively facilitated the work of the business community, by exhibiting the highest standard of service.
* The Corporate Citizenship Award; to be given to the company that best recognises professional leadership and good corporate governance, and should impact in areas of ethical leadership and corporate stewardship.
* Lifetime Achievement Award: This award seeks to recognize the business person whose success in business and the community presents opportunity for
learning, for future generations. Open to any individual engaged in business in Guyana for 25 years or more.
* The GCCI Long Service Award:  For the person who has shown dedication and commitment to the Chamber. This nominee will be named by the Chamber itself.
* The Most Promising New Business:  This award goes to the business that has been in operation for less than three years, that has positioned itself for success in the areas of international growth, customer satisfaction, internal process efficiency, employee relations and development and corporate relationship.  It measures and takes into account financial growth, customer satisfaction, and employee satisfaction, among other things.
* Award for Innovation:   Intended for the business that had a breakthrough in technology, processes, marketing campaign, consumer research and development, and that has impacted positively on the quality of product and services, customer satisfaction, process efficiency, employee satisfaction, and company and product image.
* The Chamber Award
* The President’s Award