Livestreamed business awards a big hit
The pandemic may have forced the cancellation of the Monash Business Awards Gala Dinner two years in a row, but that wasn’t going to stop the MBA celebrating local businesses!
So on Friday 1 October the Monash Business Awards went online, with a livestreamed Gala Awards Presentation celebrating the finalists and winners of the 2020 and 2021 awards.
MC Candy Hertz helped to bring the awards to life in a professionally produced show – livestreamed from CMS Australasia studios in Wantirna.
Candy was joined online by Monash Business Awards sponsors – City Of Monash, Community Bank Pinewood, Sharrock Pitman Legal, Carbon Accountants Mount Waverley, KOR, Waverley BMW and Huntingdale Golf Club – who presented awards to the winners via a remote link-up.
The 23 finalists joined a virtual ‘Green Room’ and got into the spirit of the awards by dressing up in their best party gear and making themselves celebratory drinks and snacks.
The audience tuning in from home also got into the party mood, sending in photos via a text line, to show how they were celebrating the awards.
Entertainer Ivana Babbleoff, the Queen of the Red Carpet, joined MC Candy in the studio to provide some sparkle and joy to the awards.
Ivana showed the audience tuning in from their homes and offices how to celebrate the theme of the awards A Touch of Silver (in honour of the 25th anniversary of the awards) by making some fun decorative items from tin foil.
Her tin foil crown and turban were a big hit, with the audience sending in photos of their own tin foil creations and silver clothing inspired by Ivana. There were tin foil bowties, pocket squares, silver shoes, dresses and jewellery.
During a break between the award presentations, Ivana also broke into song – regaling the audience with her rendition of the Englebert Humperdinck classic Quando Quando Quando.
The highlight of the awards had to be the heat-warming looks of surprise and joy on the faces of all the Monash Business Award winners, their arms waving in the air in celebration, drinks being raised and lots of beaming faces.
The finale of the livestream was the presentation of the Monash Business of Year winner for 2020 – Blue Sky Services, and 2021 – SOM Blinds. Both businesses were very deserving winners and we loved seeing their excitement when they were announced as the winners.
For a full list of the Monash Business Award winners for 2020 and 2021, click here.
The awards ended on a high with the announcement of door prizes, a best dressed award and Ivana Babbleoff singing Celebration, as the finalists and winners were shown on the screen dancing along at home.
If you missed the excitement of the awards you can watch a recording of the event by clicking here.
Thanks to everyone in the Monash Business Awards committee who put months of preparation into the Gala Awards, and to the MBA Sponsors for their support of the livestream and the awards.
Interested in nominating your business for the Monash Business Awards? Then head to the nomination page on our website for more information. Nominations are open now.