KAMLOOPS – Not only are we celebrating 120 years as the Kamloops Chamber this year, but we are also celebrating the 30th year of our Business Excellence Awards (BEA) program. As the premier business recognition event in Kamloops, we are thrilled to be announcing some changes to our program at our Business Excellence Awards Kick-Off event on May 11th. These changes will enhance the program’s process and allow the BEA’s to continue as the most prestigious business event in Kamloops.
Our May 11th event will also signify the opening of the award nominations for a seven-week period. If you know of a business in the Kamloops area that deserves to be recognized for their services, we encourage you to visit www.kamloopschamber.ca to nominate them today.
Nominations are open to any business or business person in the Kamloops area. Nominees do not have to be a member of the Kamloops Chamber. The Business Excellence Awards is a community event through which we strive to recognize any business in our city that is helping our city be the best place to live, work and play in the interior.
As a business owner or employee, we encourage you to ask your clients to nominate you! Our awards are a tremendous opportunity to not only be recognized for what you do, but also to market your business in a new way!
Once someone has nominated your business, we encourage you to:
Celebrate your nomination! Post on your website and social media that you have been nominated. Thank your clients for the nomination and send out a press release that you have been nominated!
Submit your nominee package by the June 30th deadline. This is where businesses often drop the ball. Remember this is a FREE marketing tool! It only takes a few minutes of your time and can have HUGE impact!
Submission Tip: Carefully read the criteria for the award and make sure you address each of those points in your submission. That is what the judges are looking for.
Your business, and those you enjoy doing business with, deserve to be recognized for business excellence. Do not miss out on this opportunity.
Nominations will be open until June 30th and can be submitted online at www.kamloopschamber.ca.
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Venture Kamloops, the economic development arm of the City of Kamloops, recently released their Annual Report. Last year was a positive one for economic growth in Kamloops and the work to assist businesses. A number of tremendously successful projects were implemented, many as a result of working in collaboration with business and industry partners and include:
- LABOUR MARKET STUDY: Together with community partners, Venture Kamloops commissioned a study to provide quantifiable labour market data of the region, forecasting as far as 2025.
- REPORT BUILDER: The improvement of the functionality and offering of the free Report Builder was completed to provide more detailed reports, specific data points, and program summaries.
- VENTURE ADVISORS: This award winning program leverages the knowledge of local business leaders to mentor and support entrepreneurs. Eight entrepreneurs were selected to make presentations last year. The organization acknowledges that 2016 is on pace to see continued growth and the building of productive partnerships.
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You probably wouldn’t have guessed that one of Canada’s fastest growing companies is headquartered on Kamloops’ North Shore. They are a national provider of business voice and internet services.
Over its 9 years of operation, iTel Networks has sustained explosive growth and they’ve outgrown their building. “We’re on the hunt for a new headquarters in Kamloops,” says Danny Rink, iTel’s Founder and Chief Operating Officer. The company is forecasting hiring over 200 employees over the next two years, most of them in Kamloops.
“Kamloops is a great place to grow a company,” says Rink. “We have access to great people and we’re surrounded by beautiful landscapes. It makes for an incredible lifestyle that’s more affordable than major cities.”
To look at all of iTel’s current job openings, please visit: itel.com/careers
– Deb McClelland is the executive director of the Kamloops Chamber of Commerce. She can be reached email at deb@kamloopschamber.ca.