By battlefordsNOW

Chamber looking for support for BBEX anniversary event

Sep 13, 2018 | 1:00 PM

The Battlefords Chamber of Commerce is hoping the City of North Battleford will show its support for the upcoming BBEX awards, now celebrating its 25th anniversary

Members of the chamber made a presentation at council Monday requesting a $2,500 contribution from the city as sponsorship for the Battlefords Business Excellence Awards (BBEX) awards’ finalist reception for the event coming up Oct. 2 at the Gold Eagle Casino.

Chamber Executive Director Linda Machniak confirmed this was a one-time ask since the chamber’s budget was higher than normal this year to mark the milestone for the BBEX awards gala celebration.

She said the organizers are planning to have some special guests for the event. There will also be a new award presented to commemorate the anniversary.

“The committee has really been working hard to make sure this 25th anniversary event will be a special one,” Machniak said before the meeting. “We’re hoping the municipalities will partner and work with us in that regard.”

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She said the BBEX committee initially partnered with the city and town in the early years of the event, in the early to mid ’90s when the awards program was first started. At that time the municipalities committed to support the chamber and the business community to cover any losses in the program if there were any. She added fortunately the awards program didn’t experience any losses.

Machniak said the Town of Battleford previously approved contributing $750 to help sponsor the decorative ice sculpture for the event, so she hopes the city will also step up to show its support in some way.

“We gave some suggestions on perhaps how they might best partner with us, but we are certainly open to allow them to make a choice of their own,” she added.

She said the BBEX awards is also good for the city.

“We think the value the excellence program in business shows to the community is province-wide,” Machniak said, adding that some BBEX award recipients have gone on to be inducted into the Saskatchewan Business Hall of Fame.

“With the importance and the priority given to those businesses, it brings good light back to the Battlefords,” she said.

North Battleford council will be deciding on the sponsorship request at an upcoming meeting.

Angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow