This year’s Moose Jaw Business Excellence (MJBEX) Awards will showcase another side of the community, as smaller businesses with fewer employees will be honoured during the event.
The MJBEX Awards is an annual celebration of the best businesses in the city. This year’s awards ceremony and banquet occurs Wednesday, April 10 at the Heritage Inn. The Moose Jaw & District Chamber of Commerce — which sponsors the awards — has announced there are 65 nominees in 12 categories.
There will be a different crowd celebrated during this year’s MJBEX program, said Rob Clark, CEO of the Chamber of Commerce. Last year the Chamber celebrated larger businesses; this year it is smaller companies.
“It’s great to recognize them and their contributions … ,” Clark said. “It will be another great evening.”
The Chamber of Commerce is putting the finishing touches on the awards evening, Clark said. All of the finalists are creating 15- to 30-second videos about their businesses. Those videos will be shown during the awards ceremony and attendees “will get to see the real people behind the scenes on a quick video prior to each category.”
Tickets for the awards banquet are selling well, he continued. The Chamber is on track to sell more than 400 tickets, which would be similar to the 460 sold last year.
Tickets for the MJBEX Awards can be purchased by calling 306-692-6414, or by visiting the Chamber office at 88 Saskatchewan Street East.
There is structure to the MJBEX Awards program since it has been around for 18 years, said Clark, who has been Chamber CEO for four years. Every year, they start preparing in September for the awards ceremony.
“It’s about a five- to six-month planning process,” he continued. “It heats up until the final day of the event. It’s a lot of work. (But) it’s quite rewarding because you get to meet a lot of new businesses. You get to understand what they do.”
To determine who wins awards, the Chamber selects seven people who are independent of the organization to judge those businesses that have been submitted. The Chamber puts together binders of all the entries and gives the books to the judges, who then score each entry based on established criteria.
“We keep everything away from Chamber staff and board members,” Clark said. “It’s not a popularity contest. It’s a true merit-based process.”
Moose Javians should attend the Moose Jaw Business Excellence Awards ceremony, particularly if they are community minded, Clark said. It will be an entertaining evening, with outtakes and bloopers from the business videos shown throughout the night.
The Hollywood-themed ceremony will feature a walk of fame, while the finalists will be interviewed on the red carpet before they walk into the room. Those in attendance can also vote for the People’s Choice Award on the floor, right up until it is awarded.
“It’s (going to be) a great, great evening … ,” added Clark. “It’s showcasing these businesses for all they’ve done for the community.”
