Local trailblazers and businesses shaking, not stirring it up at 2023 Broome Business Excellence Awards night

It was a night of glitz and glamour for the Broome business community over the weekend to commemorate their hard work and dedication to the regional town during a tumultuous year. Rolling out the red carpet for a casino royale-themed ceremony, the Broome Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual Business Excellence Awards on Saturday, October 21 at the Broome Civic Centre. Switching to an elegant long-table dinner catered by Balinese restaurant DMK — The Kitchen, finely dressed guests were treated to an elegant night filled with shaken cocktails and celebrations. Duo Stephanie Davidson and Stephanie Mulcahy performed MC duties. Around 16 categories were acknowledged throughout the night, with Indigenous organisation Nyamba Buru Yawuru winning the coveted Business of the Year Award. NBY chief executive Nini Mills couldn’t contain her excitement about the result, saying she felt “so honoured” to receive the award. “It’s very important because our organisation, our remit, is so broad and so extensive — there’s so much of what we do which requires us to engage with so many different stakeholders,” she said. “So I think it sets an example, it acknowledges the work that we can do and we have been doing, and hopefully that enables positive relationships and strategic partnerships going forward. “The Yawuru elders and ancestors previously, they are the ones who have set the foundation for us so it’s an honour to continue their legacy and to be recognised for our ability to give that legacy justice.” H&M Tracey Construction owner Harold Tracey took out three awards on the night, including Business Person of the Year, Community Contribution and Best Business with 21+ Employees, with H&M director Matt Hall accepting the award on his behalf and delivering an emotional speech honouring Mr Tracey’s wife Maureen, who passed away earlier this year. Broome Weddings and Events was awarded New Business of the Year for its excellence in the industry in less than two years, and Maano Services was awarded Workplace Health and Safety Excellence for the year. For the first time this year, two Broome businesses were inducted into the 2023 Hall of Fame, with Air Kimberley and Willie Creek Pearls taking the position after successfully being recognised for their hard work for three consecutive years. BCCI chief executive Sharni Foulkes said it was a highlight to see deserving people and their reactions when they went up on stage. “We’ve seen laughs, we’ve seen tears, we’ve seen people do happy dances on their way up and an entire team of 22 people go up on the stage,” she said. “It’s really special to me to see that level of gratitude but also that level of support from our community and the level of recognition that some of these people truly deserve that often go under the radar.” 2023 BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARD RECIPIENTS: Business of the Year: Nyamba Buru Yawuru Business Person of the Year: Harold Tracey New Business of the Year: Broome Weddings and Events Workplace Health and Safety Excellence: Maano Services Judges Award for Sustainability and Environmental Practices: Little Local Tourism Excellence: Broome Time Resort Indigenous Excellence: Gumaranganjal, Roebuck Plains Station Team Culture and Employee Acknowledgement: Best IT and Business Solutions Community Contribution: H&M Tracey Construction Innovation Award: Pearl Shed Framing & Printing Special Mention Award: Yada Care Nurses & North Point Mechanical Business 21+ Full-Time Employees Award: H&M Tracey Construction Business 11-20 Full-Time Employees Award: Pearl Coast Distributors Business 7-10 Full-Time Employees Award: Little Local Business 3-6 Full-Time Employees Award: Broome Whale Watching Business 1-2 Full-Time Employees Award: Emma the Celebrant Community/Not for Profit Organisations Award: Broome Youth and Families Hub 2023 Hall of Fame: Willie Creek Pearls and Air Kimberley