Chamber calling for award nominations

SUMMERSIDE – Oct. 18, 2022 – The 2022 edition of the Acadian and Francophone Chamber of Commerce of PEI’s Entrepreneurial Excellence Awards Competition will focus even more on sustainable development than last year’s edition did, announced Chamber spokesperson Pierre Gallant as he officially launched the competition Oct. 18 in Summerside. He therefore invited everyone to submit nominations of francophone or bilingual businesses, co-ops, organizations, or businesspeople.

Gallant explained that the Chamber has retained the same five award categories for the next edition of its competition as it had presented at its last Entrepreneurs’ Gala. However, the Chamber board members wanted to further emphasize the importance of sustainability in all award categories. « It is a theme that is very important in the business world today. We want to do our fair share to promote this concept. »

Those offering nominations will therefore be required to demonstrate, in one of the questions on the nomination form, how nominees address the environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainability within their company or organization. In addition, in the 2023 Business Excellence Award category (which essentially recognizes the business of the year), sustainability is the primary eligibility criterion, as it was last year.

The overall competition is designed to honour entrepreneurs, businesspeople, companies, organizations and co-operatives that have distinguished themselves through their excellence and high quality of their business products and/or services and for their contributions to the local and provincial economy.

CATEGORIES

People have until Nov. 18, 2022 – only one month – to submit nominations in the following categories

2023 Young Enterprising Person Award: The nominee must be 25 years of age or younger as of March 12, 2023, and have demonstrated significant entrepreneurial (or community) involvement and initiative, especially within the last year. Groups meeting the age criteria are also eligible.

2023 Social Economy Business Award: The nominated business, co-operative or organization, which must have an economic vocation of some type, must have distinguished itself by its achievements and successes, including its impact on its community, especially during the past year.

2023 Distinguished Employee Award: The nominee must be an employee of a business, co-operative or organization who has distinguished himself/herself through quality customer service or business accomplishments or leadership, especially in the past year.

2023 Business Excellence Award: The nominated business must have stood out and demonstrated excellence, especially in the past year, in one or more of the following categories: sustainability, innovation, quality of service, job creation and community impact.

2023 Business Hall of Fame Award: The nominee must have at least 25 years of entrepreneurial experience as this award is intended to honor an entrepreneur or businessperson who has distinguished themselves through their efforts and accomplishments throughout their career (life-time achievement). The nominee may be working or retired. The winner will be officially inducted into the PEI Acadian and Francophone Business Hall of Fame.

RULES

A panel of business professionals will evaluate the nominations and select finalists and winners. Finalists will be announced publicly at the Chamber’s Christmas party on Dec. 2. The winners will be announced at the 21st edition of the Entrepreneurs’ Gala, which will take place March 11, 2023. It is there that the award trophies will be presented to the winning individuals, businesses or co-operatives.

The nominated individual, business, organization or co-operative must be, or be ready to become, a member of the Acadian and Francophone Chamber of Commerce of PEI. At least one of the owners, co-owners or officers of the business, organization or co-operative must be able to speak French.

Nominees cannot have won an award in the same category in the last three editions of the Gala.

The judges reserve the right to reject incomplete nominations or nominations that do not meet the criteria. They may also choose not to award one or more of the awards if the nominations for that award are not sufficient or appropriate. It will normally accept a maximum of three nominations per category, but may make exceptions.

The nomination form (in French only) can be accessed from the web page https://bit.ly/3s4Lbzy.

The completed form should then be mailed to Selection Panel, RDÉE PEI Inc. 48 Mill Road, PO Box 7, Wellington, PE, C0B 2E0, or by email to raymond@rdeeipe.org by Nov. 18.

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PHOTO: Pierre Gallant, left, spokesperson for the Acadian and Francophone Chamber of Commerce of PEI, and Raymond J. Arsenault, event coordinator for the Chamber, officially launched the 2022 Entrepreneurial Excellence Awards Competition, which runs until Nov. 18.

For more information:
Raymond J. Arsenault
Event Coordinator
Acadian and Francophone Chamber of Commerce of PEI
1-902-960-1285
raymond@rdeeipe.org