Awards
Hospitality
This award recognizes the active role of the Nominee in the development of the local tourism/hospitality industry, as well as making Kingston a better place to visit. The nominee demonstrates innovative practices and marketing initiatives to draw visitors to Kingston.
Sponsored By:
Social Impact
This award recognizes a socially responsible organization and its employees that returns value to the community by supporting charities, educational and other community groups. The business demonstrates a commitment to corporate social responsibility that positively impact our community.
Sponsored By:
New Business of the Year
This award recognizes a new business that demonstrates proactive and innovation leadership within their business or industry. The business has shown commitment to ensure customer satisfaction and practice good corporate citizenship.
Sponsored By:
Young Entrepreneur
This award honours the contributions that young entrepreneurs make to the Kingston business community and the local economy. Nominees must be aged 18-40 and be the owner of a business located in the Greater Kingston area.
Sponsored By:
Skilled Trades
This award recognizes a new business that demonstrates proactive and innovation leadership within their business or industry. The business has shown commitment to ensure customer satisfaction and practice good corporate citizenship.
Sponsored By:
Customer Experience
This award recognizes a business that demonstrates outstanding dedication and achievement to service excellence and customer/guest satisfaction. The nominee demonstrates a consistent commitment to delivering products, services and/or information that satisfies its customers by exceeding their expectations and is a leader in providing exceptional customer service.
Sponsored By:
Arts & Culture
This award celebrates an individual, ensemble or organization's outstanding artistic achievements in a variety of creative, applied and fine art genres. They have made a significant contribution to Kingston's art and culture scene, while creating access and inclusion to arts and culture.
Sponsored By:
Employer of the Year
This award honours a business that has made a commitment to foster employee engagement, promotes work life balance, embraces diversity, and generally offers an exceptional workplace for their employees.
Sponsored By:
Business Person of the Year
This prestigious award recognizes a local business person who has demonstrated a continued passion for excellence and leadership. This individual has shown commitment to local economic development.
Sponsored By:
Awards Criteria
1 - Hospitality Award
Description
This award recognizes the active role of the nominee in the development of the local hospitality industry and providing services for diverse populations. The nominee demonstrates innovative practices and marketing initiatives in the Greater Kingston area.
Requirements
Eligibility Requirements:
- Nominee has an active business in Greater Kingston area for a minimum of three years.
- Nominee is in the hospitality sector.
- If nominated by a third party, nominee must approve and accept the nomination.
- Nominee must not have won in the same category in the past three years.
Criteria
| Criterion | Weight |
|---|---|
| Business Viability | 40.0% |
| Customer Service/Quality | 30.0% |
| Employee Relations/Retention | 15.0% |
| Community/Charitable Involvement | 15.0% |
3 - New Business of the Year Award
Description
This award recognizes a new business that demonstrates proactive and innovative leadership within their business or industry. The business has shown commitment to ensure customer satisfaction and practices good corporate citizenship.
Requirements
Eligibility Requirements:
- Nominee has had an active business in Greater Kingston area for a minimum of 18 months and no more than three years.
- Nominee is not an expansion of an existing business, a business name change or a new location of an existing firm.
- If nominated by a third party, nominee must approve and accept nomination.
- Nominee must not have won in the same category in the past three years.
Criteria
| Criterion | Weight |
|---|---|
| Business Viability | 45.0% |
| Customer Service/Quality | 35.0% |
| Community/Charitable Involvement | 20.0% |
4 - Young Entrepreneur Award
Description
This award honours the contributions that young entrepreneurs make to the Kingston business community and the local economy. Nominees must be aged 18 to 40 and be the owner of a business located in the Greater Kingston area.
Requirements
Eligibility Requirements:
- Nominee has had an active business in the Greater Kingston area for a minimum of 18 months and no more than three years.
- Nominee is under the age of 40.
- If nominated by a third party, nominee must approve and accept the nomination.
- Nominee must not have won in the same category in the past three years.
Criteria
| Criterion | Weight |
|---|---|
| Leadership and Business Acumen | 50.0% |
| Customer Service/Quality | 30.0% |
| Community/Charitable Involvement | 20.0% |
5 - Skilled Trades Award
Description
This award recognizes a company in the skilled trades sector that demonstrates outstanding leadership and acts as an ambassador to increase the sustainability and promotion of skilled trades, fostering an inclusive environment and addressing equity in the industry. The business promotes careers and skilled trades education to diverse audiences.
Requirements
Eligibility Requirements:
- Nominee has an active business in Greater Kingston area for a minimum of three years.
- Nominee is in the skilled trades sector.
- If nominated by a third party, nominee must approve and accept the nomination.
- Nominee must not have won in the same category in the past three years.
Criteria
| Criterion | Weight |
|---|---|
| Supporting Skilled Trades | 40.0% |
| Customer Service/Quality | 35.0% |
| Community/Charitable Involvement | 25.0% |
6 - Customer Experience Award
Description
This award recognizes a business that demonstrates outstanding dedication and achievement to service excellence, customer/guest satisfaction and embracing diversity. The nominee demonstrates a consistent commitment to delivering products, services and/or information that satisfies its customers by exceeding their expectations and is a leader in providing exceptional customer service.
Requirements
Eligibility Requirements:
- Nominee has had an active business in the Greater Kingston area for a minimum of three years.
- The nominee can provide up to 10 testimonials from customers dated within the last two years.
- Businesses entering this award should be able to demonstrate their commitment to customer service.
- If nominated by a third party, nominee must approve and accept the nomination.
- Nominee must not have won in the same category in the past three years.
Criteria
| Criterion | Weight |
|---|---|
| Service Standards | 35.0% |
| Training/Development | 35.0% |
| Business Acumen | 15.0% |
| Testimonials/Examples | 15.0% |
7 - Arts & Culture Award
Description
This award celebrates an individual, ensemble or organization's outstanding artistic achievements in a variety of creative, applied, and fine art genres. They have made a significant contribution to Kingston's art and culture scene, while creating access and inclusion to arts and culture.
Requirements
Eligibility Requirements:
- Nominee has had an active business in the Greater Kingston area for a minimum of three years.
- Nominee is a Kingston-based artist, creative, arts group, arts organization, or arts-related business.
- If nominated by a third party, nominee must approve and accept the nomination.
- Nominee must not have won in the same category in the past three years.
Criteria
| Criterion | Weight |
|---|---|
| Commitment and Quality | 30.0% |
| Creativity and Innovation | 30.0% |
| Sustainability and Impact | 30.0% |
| Profile | 10.0% |
8 - Employer of the Year
Description
This award honours a business that has made a commitment to foster employee engagement, promotes work life balance, is committed to building a team with a variety of backgrounds, skills and views, and generally offers an exceptional workplace for their employees.
Requirements
Eligibility Requirements:
- Nominee has had an active business in the Greater Kingston area for a minimum of three years.
- If nominated by a third party, nominee must approve and accept the nomination.
- Nominee must not have won in the same category in the past three years.
Criteria
| Criterion | Weight |
|---|---|
| Workplace Culture/Environment | 50.0% |
| Employee Relations/Retention | 30.0% |
| Employee Recognition/Development | 20.0% |
9 - Business Person of the Year
Description
This prestigious award recognizes a local business person who has demonstrated a continued passion for excellence/leadership and creates and implements programs/activities to foster an inclusive work environment. This individual has shown commitment to local economic development.
Requirements
Eligibility Requirements:
- Nominee has had an active business in the Greater Kingston area for a minimum of three years.
- Nominee is the owner/manager of the business.
- If nominated by a third party, nominee must approve and accept the nomination.
- Nominee must not have won in the same category in the past three years.
Criteria
| Criterion | Weight |
|---|---|
| Leadership/Business Acumen | 60.0% |
| Community/Charitable Involvement | 40.0% |
