2026 Gippsland Business Awards Chat with Kate Jarvis

The transcription is a conversation between Melanie Cahani and Kate Jarvis from the Gippsland Business Awards. Kate talks about her role on the committee, the history and purpose of the awards, and how they have evolved over the 27 years. The awards were established to boost the reputation of Gippsland businesses and support the community during economic transitions. They discuss the nomination process, categories, and the significance of the awards for local businesses. Melanie and Kate reflect on the growth of the business sector in Gippsland and the importance of recognizing and celebrating local businesses. Get ready for the insider's guide to local business stories. Welcome to the Business Huddle, your weekly fast forward into Gippsland's most inspiring businesses. Real conversations, real challenges, real local legends. Let's look at the game plan and get started. And welcome back to the Business Huddle. I'm your host Melanie Cahani. Thank you for joining me today. Did you know that the Business Huddle is now on demand? Simply head over to the Gippsland FM website, check the program guide, scroll down to the Business Huddle and you can view all of our previous episodes there. So today we're talking about something that I think every Gippsland business owner should have on their radar right now because nominations are open for the 2026 Gippsland Business Awards. For over 27 years the GBA or Gippsland Business Awards have been celebrating the businesses that make this region tick and if you've ever thought about entering but talked yourself out of it, this conversation might just change your mind. My guest today is Kate Jarvis, a marketing and communications professional who sits on the GBA committee as treasurer and someone who genuinely understands what recognition like this can do for a business and its brand. But before we get stuck into our conversation with Kate, let's get into boss mode with Empire State of Mind, Jay-Z and Alicia Keys. And welcome back to the business huddle today. Today we're joined by Kate Jarvis from the Gippsland Business Awards. Kate, welcome to the huddle. I'm really glad to have you here. Thanks, Melanie. I'm really pleased I can be here. Kate, you're on the committee, you're the treasurer, and you come from a marketing and comms background. That's a pretty interesting combination of roles to bring to an awards program. How did you find your way onto the awards committee? Yeah, I think, you know, first of all, I'm someone who has immense pride in my community. I've always been quite community orientated and I come from quite a remote country, New South Wales. So, you know, moving to Gippsland and settling here sort of 12, 13 years ago, you know, I was very taken with Gippsland and see it as an area of real opportunity and vibrance. And I think joining the committee for me came at a time when I was also doing my MBA with Melbourne Uni and I was in an executive role. And so, you know, it sort of shoved along my interest in looking at a whole business, not just the discipline I was trained in. And so, you know, you put all that together and then, you know, the business awards committee was probably a place I felt I could offer the community a lot of value. Yeah, that's great. And how was the commute going to Melbourne all the time for your masters? Well, it was actually, it was interesting because some of it I was coming out of COVID and so the traffic could be okay. But look, I would jump on the train. I would get sort of two hours of study done, you know, on the train. So that made a lot of sense for me. I was actually travelling to Traralgon to Melbourne. So, yeah, it was interesting. That's a big trip for anyone. And I know a lot of Gippslandians do that trip and depending on whether the train's working correctly and on time, it sort of, it can get a little bit like that. So, Kate, the business awards have been running for, my research says, over 27 years now. That's a pretty serious track record there. But for someone who hasn't followed them very closely, can you tell us how they came to be and how they've grown? Yeah, so the business awards were established by a group of community members that were also business people who wanted to build the reputation of Gippsland businesses, build pride and business community, but also strengthen trust and credibility. And I think the time in which it was established context is really important. That was also at a time where we saw the privatisation of the energy sector. And so really stable, well-paid jobs kind of were, you know, disappearing. And local service businesses were hit second. So, you know, I think that where the business awards, you know, came from is also, you know, really important context. It was about us doing an identity repair, an economic transition, regional dignity, and also signalling a future beyond, you know, just the main industry we were known for at the time. So the business awards was actually quite a strategic system that was established back then. And now with 27 years under our belt, we're very much a trusted credibility and award for any business that's lucky to be a finalist or a winner. Yeah, it's strange to think that 27 years ago. We're in 2026 now. It was like just coming up to the year 2000, really. It doesn't feel like that long ago, but it really is. That's 27 years. Makes us feel old. Yeah. Yes, definitely feeling the age now. But I think that's really important. So that crossover from, you know, the energy industry and there needing to be, I guess, more business within the Valley and within Gippsland and surrounds to sort of support those people is a really important and, like you say, strategic move to get people more business minded or maybe thinking about opening businesses. And also for people to be looking at our region and seeing what we actually have to offer, which is a lot. Yeah. Yeah, it's not just here's your really high paying job in the energy sector. There's lots of other ways that you can, you know, make money outside of that and by having your own business. And I think Gippsland traditionally has been very underserved in most areas. It's almost like a forgotten cousin sometimes. So it can be close to Melbourne. I feel like Geelong gets a really good rap because it's, you know, down the road. But yeah, I think Gippsland has a lot to offer in that sense and maybe over the last 27 years we've seen that industry, like the business sector, grow, which is great. And I think, you know, that's great for these awards because you're actually demonstrating to people that, you know, you are worthy of an award that serves across the region. Yeah, we agree. Yeah. So walk us through how the awards actually work, the categories, the nomination process and what happens between someone putting their hand up now and during the nomination period and that big night in August. And just so that our listeners know, the nominations are now open. Yeah, exactly. I think the most important thing, as you say, is talking about those nominations, which, you know, we are at the start of awards season and right now anyone can nominate a business. There is no better way to give a nod to a business that you think is doing a great job than to nominate them. You would go onto our website to do that. So you can Google Gippsland Business Awards or gba.org.au. And it's quite simple process. There's three screens. If you're a business owner, you can also nominate yourself. That happens as well and that's totally fine. All of the businesses nominated will go through the same process effectively. So it doesn't matter so much where they're derived. But you have until the 8th of May to put in nominations at the moment. So that time frame is nearly... Closing quickly. Right. Early May at the moment. But I will say, you know, nominations are strong this year but, you know, we still encourage them to come in. Then what happens is the businesses that have been nominated have an opportunity to then make the submission. So that's the next step. If you don't make the submission, you don't go in the awards. So it's almost like the first process is, here you go, I really like your business. I'm going to nominate them and you guys will reach out to that business and say, you've been nominated. Would you like to take this further? Spot on. Yeah. That's spot on. Yeah. And so then there's a written submission, as I said. That entries close on the 22nd of May. So you've got about three weeks now if you've already been nominated and you do, in fact, get nominated in the next week to get that application in. We then go through a process of judging these submissions. Yeah. And that happens throughout June. The judging process happens. There's six independent judges that will look at nominations. We do phone interviews and then my favourite is we do mystery shopping. We will present as a customer or sometimes we get a little bit, you know, people sort of know us or you can smell it on us. Particularly retailers, they're great at that. Yeah. Why are they coming in here? They're in the mystery shopper so we might send others in. But that's a really cool part of the process is the judging. And then finalists are going to be announced on the 2nd of July this year. And then we go into the gala event in August, which is always the big event. The big one. In terms of the awards, so there are 12 awards. So you've got accommodation and tourism, hair, beauty, cosmetic services. Popular category. That's a really popular category. And, you know, can I say, if you are a finalist in that category, you have done so well. Definitely. Truly. Business and professional services. Yeah. Environmental and agribusiness. That one was slightly tweaked from last year. It was food and agribusiness but we just wanted to better reflect what's, you know, happening from a market point of view in Gippsland. Yeah. Healthcare services, food, wine, hospitality, engineering, manufacturing, construction, micro-business, new business, retail, trade, transport. So the whole gamut of Gippsland businesses is accounted for in those 12 award categories. It covers absolutely everything. We hope so. That was the plan. Yeah, you need to just get in there and have a look at the categories. Does the person who nominates have to select the category for the nominee? They do but, you know, we seldom see that people get that wrong. I mean, often it's the people nominating know the business well but if they do it's not too difficult for us to make sure that the business is in the correct category. And even when the person, the business, has gone through that process of doing their submission, if you still feel like they're in the wrong category, will you sort of shift them across? Obviously if a cleaning company goes into hair and beauty, you'll know, you'll pick that one up. Yeah, of course. Of course, we wouldn't let that happen to them. Yeah. Oh, perfect. You're listening to the Business Huddle on Gippsland FM and I'm talking to Kate Jarvis today from the Gippsland Business Awards. We're talking all things awards and nominations and nominations are about to close on 8 May. This is 2026 and I think you should really get together or nominate your favourite business before then because I think it's going to be a cracker this year. Kate, from your marketing perspective I guess, what do you think recognition like this actually does for a business? Like beyond the night itself, is there a tangible impact? Yeah, I mean winning an award creates third party trust and that's so hard to buy in marketing. Social proof, yeah. Right, it's so hard to buy and so independent award credentials, they build trust and we certainly know from an academic point of view that that can help you achieve a higher purchase intent and I think the other thing from our perspective is and we hope this is the outcome for the business is that winning an award or being a finalist, which I think still has a very similar impact, is that you sort of position your business from being, I suppose, unknown in some cases to proven. Yeah. We also see that the business awards, if you're in the mix and you're through that process, through the range of events and activities, that there's a lot of earned media that businesses achieve, which can really boost their publicity and even Gippsland Business Awards channels alone over the course of the year, I checked this this morning, we see about 150 to 200K in views, likes and shares alone on our social channels. Great and I think it's really well covered in regional print publications, obviously radio. Yeah, I think maybe the people who get the top prize are really put out there, but again, it doesn't mean that you can't create your own media opportunity too. Oh, isn't that the truth. One of the things that was really cool last year is we had Gawk come on board as a sponsor. So Gawk, all the billboards. Right, so the marketers call it out of home advertising but for your everyday punter, I would say it's the billboards you drive past on the highway. So thanks to Gawk, we were able to put our winners up on billboards around Gippsland as well. Absolutely. So we're always looking at ways to promote businesses that have taken out a goal after the awards night. Yeah, and having bought outdoor advertising before, it's not cheap. So wow, great sponsor and partnership there and obviously people don't realise it, but outdoor advertising is huge. It's just that look. I mean, we all know when we drive into Melbourne where sometimes I get distracted by it, it's really clever. Well, that is good advertising if it's distracted you. Yeah, it's so good. Probably not while I'm driving though, but never mind. So what's the strongest, or sorry, I should say what do the strongest nominations actually have in common? So if a business owner is sitting there wondering whether their entry is going to stack up, I imagine there's a lot of that doubt within a lot of business owners' heads. People in Gippsland are a bit like, oh, you know, just do what I do. What would you tell them to sort of focus on? I would say our strongest submissions are those where the business has genuinely sat down and really put thought into their written application. So I touched on this earlier about the judging process, but that written application is scored by independent judges a minimum of four times. Yeah, wow. And that's before we've even spoken to you and done the phone interview. So I think it's important that you get the ideas or the reflection down on paper and do a good job of that. One thing I think we see often from small to medium businesses is excellence in technical capability, but often less of a focus on being able to articulate what their goal or strategy is. And if you're a smaller business, you know in your head what you want to do, but you probably haven't spent the time putting it down on paper and then connecting up how you went or where you're going and why you're going there and what do you think the outcomes will be. So I would say your written application and really pay attention to the question about your goals short-term and long-term. Yeah, I think maybe it is a really good reflection opportunity for businesses to actually think because a lot of small maybe medium businesses, they don't have a business plan. They're just going to work and making money and giving the best customer service they can. They probably haven't thought about where am I going to take my cafe in three years or how am I going to grow my standing in the community or how can I help others, those sorts of things. They probably don't think of that. So it's probably a really good exercise in business in general to just stop and think about those sorts of things. And I imagine if an application is getting looked at by four sets of eyes, the judges aren't really doing much in June, are they? They're just looking at applications because I imagine there's hundreds, thousands? Hundreds. Hundreds of applications to look through and everybody needs to be looked at. Yeah, exactly right. And I think your application will shine if you've put the real meat on the bone. I would also say too, we love it when businesses, there's a part of the submission about reflection and it's not about being a business that made the most money or everything shiny and glossy because that's not how business works. Sometimes there are things that might have been in your strategy where it didn't go to plan and you might have failed fast and moved on and being able to talk about that in your application, there are opportunities to do that, is very cool. Yeah, yeah. What about numbers and things like that? Like what you were saying, like it's probably not how fast you've grown your business. Obviously if you're a new business, like that's great to sort of have those benchmarks and you've hit them, but maybe that's just not everything. Yeah, it's not. And I think that's where the Gibson Business Awards can be a little bit different to some awards, which by the way, we recommend and encourage you get around all awards that Gippsland has to offer, but even if you go on to state and national awards because this is about building you and your business and in Gippsland, we're focused on Gippsland, but we say get around them. But our awards really is about looking at your whole business. It's not a popularity contest. It's not about just what your customer is saying. It's looking at how you're travelling from a strategy point of view. Where have you met the outcomes you were looking to? Profitability is a very small part of it. What about diversity, inclusion? What are your employees saying as well as what your customers are saying? So it is a whole business review and that's the process we want you to go through because we think that that's the process you need to really ensure sustainability in the future, which is what we want. Exactly, exactly. That's great. And nominations are open now, just the nomination part. So who should be entering, I guess, that probably isn't and what's the excuse that you hear most often that you wish you could talk people out of? Yeah, okay. Look, any and all businesses we would say enter, we tend to find our categories are pretty strong. So there's not really one I would call out specifically. I've talked about the breadth. There I jump on the website, you can see. We cover pretty much every sector in Gippsland. Or we can put you in one. Yeah, let us know if we put you in one. But let us know if you think we don't, by the way. We're always happy for some feedback. But in terms of businesses, the objections I hear about entering, to be honest, there's two. One, I won't win or I didn't win. And two, I don't have time. And I would say this to you, if you don't mind me being direct, I would just say you're not going to win if you're not in the mix. That's for sure. And the winners, you know, you want to win if you're in a strong category. That's the race to win. So I would say get in there. I mean, we had Tequa Plumbing talk to us about that it took them years to actually take out the gong. And they took out Business of the Year when they did it. So good on them. Yeah. They used this as a process. Yes. So they used this as a bit of a process of continual reflection. And then there are other businesses, sure, that might take it out year one. But you can use it as a learning process as you go through the reflection and the networking for the year. Yeah. Now, the other objection I mentioned there was about people saying I don't have time. It's kind of my favourite. It's the classic I'm working in my business and I'm, you know, and not on it. And not on it, yeah. You know, and I get you're busy. And trust me, as a working mum, I get it. Yeah. But, you know, I would just encourage you to find the time. The exercise is about looking at your business, your performance, your strategy. And that, to me, is the best use of your time. Yeah, I think business owners as well, like, there's a level of ambition and high achiever in a business owner. It's a scary thing to, you know, step out by yourself and especially if you've got a family, like, I'm going to make this work and support my family. This is just another thing, I guess, that just comes with running a business and making the time to build that business or even just build the reputation around that business. Kate, we are going to stop now because we have to jump over to the news. You're listening to The Business Huddle on Gippsland FM and today we are talking to Kate Jarvis, committee member for the Gippsland Business Awards. And we will be back right after the news. Don't go away. And welcome back to The Business Huddle on Gippsland FM. We are talking all things Gippsland Business Awards in today's show and I'm joined by Kate Jarvis from the Gippsland Business Awards Committee who's been giving us some really solid information on why we should nominate, why we should submit a nomination and the benefits, I guess, that you can get out of either coming home with one of these awards or being a finalist or even just the process that it takes to put your hand up and go, yes, I'm going to do this. The thinking behind it, I think, is really important there. Kate, the awards cover a really broad cross-selection, I guess, of Gippsland businesses. How does the committee make sure that the program genuinely reflects the diversity of businesses across the region, not just those sort of bigger names? Yeah, I think that's something we've always been really concerned with is making sure that we've got space for the myriad of businesses and markets we have in Gippsland. But also that we evolve and go with the time. So I think the awards themselves we've talked about in the earlier part of this chat, I'm not sure that there is a business that can't find a category that they fit into. So that's the first bit. I think we've even updated categories this year to make sure that we better reflect some of the businesses we have, particularly around healthcare services, which is now really strong in our region. It's a big sector. It's huge and it's been growing. So we've pulled out wellness and personal care services to then healthcare services. So that's the provision for your physios, your medical practices and dentists. Right. Then we've even got another category for beauty as well and hair and cosmetics. To answer your question about bigger, smaller businesses, one category we introduced last year was the micro business just so that we recognise different scale of business. Yes. We've also been looking at things around our judging criteria to make sure that in nearly 30 years of being that we're really thinking about things like, and more so as we should be, diversity and inclusion and what does that look like in your business and are we putting weight toward that in the judging? Probably one of my best examples of us sort of trying to really adapt and respond to the businesses that Gippsland has to offer and reflecting that through the awards is last year we found a business that was nominated called Outlook Industries. Oh, he's my neighbour. Right. And if you are listening and you've not heard of Outlook Industries, can I just say that was the coolest find for us. They are effectively a small business in Yunar that design rovers for the Australian Defence Force. Oh, yeah. That happened in our region. Yes. Pretty impressive. It's pretty impressive and it really is something that we felt was standalone and an example of incredible innovation. Yes. And so what we ended up doing was we gave them a separate award last year and recognised them for outstanding innovation. You created a category for him? We created a category just for them because they were sitting in, I think it was the manufacturing and construction. Yes. And it just didn't quite feel right for the type of business that it was. So we do make those decisions to make sure that we are elevating and promoting the businesses that we see that are really deserving of it, but also to make sure the awards reflect, as I said, our region. Yes, definitely. I do want to get Luke on the business huddle. He's a busy man. He's always scurrying off here and there. So I'll get him on one day and pick his brain. I think that's a great idea. Yes. He's a fascinating character and yes, shout out. Shout out. Shout out. So Kay, I guess you and I have both got experience in marketing, so I have to ask this. How well do you think Gippsland businesses use awards recognition once they've got it? Do you really think they're making the most of it? Tough one. Yes. Actually, to be honest, I think it varies. I'm seeing some businesses that do a great job and I'll give you a couple of examples of that, but there are also, you've got to remember, we've got businesses where they're fantastic on whatever they're doing from a technical point of view, but the expertise in their business around marketing might not be there. Yes. So it's a little bit tricky for them to see how they use it. An award like Gippsland Business Awards can be a multi-year marketing asset, right? Yes. So it can be something you use for credibility on your website, in your email signatures, on tender documents, at your sales counters, on your social media, in your recruitment to encourage staff into your business in the region. Yes. But for me, some recent examples of businesses that are doing well, so if you're looking for a reference point, Boat Harbour Jetty B&B, those guys to me, and this came through in their application, they were a winner last year, very strategic. They know that if they put Albert on the map, that they are one of the logical accommodation choices for that particular family or person coming to stay in the region. Incredible. So, right, clever. Yes. They knew that then winning an award is what makes them the accommodation choice. Yes. And so that's what they use to elevate the credibility, so along their ratings, when they search, that they're the award winning B&B in the region. And they often talk about the other businesses in Port Albert, and they try and together create the pie, and I love that. They're trying to drag tourism to their town. To their town, yes. Smart. And together, they're very strong, the businesses there in Port Albert. Tech or Plumbing is another one. So I sort of touched on them before, but really worth shouting out and a good reference point for people wondering, how will I leverage this? How do you find your local plumber? You Google it, right? Yeah. So social media and online is so important for a business like Tech or Plumbing, and so those guys we've seen be super strong in using their social channels to increase consideration of their brand, and they're always tagging us in things. They're active in the events, they're active on the night, and really leveraging that business of the year title. I knew that they had won last year. That's what a great job everybody was doing. Yeah. I instantly knew that they'd won business of the year last year. I was like, oh, tech what? Yeah. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. They're good, and I think, yeah, just I love the Port Albert idea. Like, lifting the town as well. Like, what a strategy. Did they just fall across that? Or, you know, you just know people, and I guess that's the brilliance of living in a small town and maybe supporting each other, especially within business. Yeah, it's brilliant. You're listening to the Business Huddle on Gippsland FM, and I'm talking all things Gippsland Business Awards with Kate Jarvis, who's a community member today. So, Kate, there's a school of thought that says that entering awards is really just a marketing exercise in itself within this school of thought, because the process forces you, I guess, to articulate your own value proposition, and I'm sorry for using those value proposition words. It just forces you to think about, you know, why you're valuable. Do you think that that, like, holds true as well? I think we sort of touched on this a little bit before the news there about, you know, trying to think about what the value is that your business brings and maybe stopping and thinking about that within itself. But, yeah, do you think, you know, people are forced to really think about their value proposition? Yeah, I think it's a great question, and I agree with you, right? For anyone thinking about, or for marketers, we love a good value proposition. And, you know, we love to know exactly what we do that makes us money today, money tomorrow. But for you to be able to articulate your value proposition really well, you kind of need to go back to the start a little bit, and that's where I talked about earlier about what an awards process can do, and there's lots of other ways you can do this as well. It's not just an awards process, but this is certainly one way where you're looking at your whole business. You're reflecting on it, and then you're thinking about what your goals are and where you're going. And if you can do that, then you're able to do that bit I just talked about, articulating really well what your value is and then how you might go about making sure your customers, you know, feel that value. Yeah, I think if you're really clear in your head what your value is, how much that changes everything that you do, if you can, you know, give better service. I mean, we all might think that we're, you know, giving amazing service, and I had Elise Bosley from Thrive Australia on the old census, so they deal with online reviews. I had her on last week, and she gave me the example that, you know, a tradie might think he's done a great job, he's built an amazing deck for this customer, and, you know, everything's great, but, you know, what he didn't look at is that he rescheduled it, you know, six to eight times, and, you know, while he's built a great deck, the customer service there was probably not where it should have been, which, you know, could subtract from that customer experience, I guess, of him building, you know, this masterpiece. So I think by having a closer look at your business, you can hopefully highlight that. That's such a good point. You know, we, sometimes what we think is the value we bring isn't actually what the customers want, and I used to, one of my, if she's listening, she'll know I'm talking about her, one of my very, very close colleagues from a previous life, she used to talk about value in terms of, like, think of it when you go to a hotel, and, you know, there's major wait ages to check in, the room's dirty, but hey, they've put one of those little swans and some, you know, and some stuff on the end of your bed. You don't care? That's not value, right? So look, my point to you is, let's come back to the business awards, my point to you is that, you know, if you're reflecting on what are your competitors doing, what are you doing differently, great. You can start to look at where you add value, how are you different. If you know what your customers want, again, you know what value looks like. So this is all part of a business review, and I think the awards is part of that for you as an opportunity. Would you suggest for anyone that's sort of entering the awards, maybe look at your competitors as well? Like, how do you differentiate? If you're an electrical company and they're an electrical company, you know, you're an electrical company, so how do you actually differentiate and maybe put that into your nomination? Obviously don't name your competitor, but maybe having a really good look at what your competitors are doing and how they're servicing their clients could just be a good learning step. Oh, exactly. Because I think, you know, as a business, I think you need to know where what you're delivering is at parity with your competitors, and then you need to think about where you're different. What is it that you're adding that is your true value? And I would encourage you to always be thinking about that if you're in business. Yeah, what's that gap and where can you own? Yeah, exactly. So, Kate, the awards dinner in August, and I feel like it's going to be upon us before we can say awards dinner or steak and chips, it draws over 350 people on the night, I read. Like, that's pretty meaningful. Yeah. I guess for a gathering of a regional community, what's the atmosphere like on the night for someone who's never been and having been involved in event management, it seems like my nightmare, and kudos to the people who are running these awards. It's big, yeah. Yeah. It's a huge night. We've been doing it for a long time now. So, you know, in terms of the atmosphere, can I say it varies? Like, last year, it was the atmosphere in there was nuts, and I think it had a lot to do with we had a Johnny Farnham tribute band, and he was like through the crowd with the mic, you know, really getting people up and about, and, you know, there's great food, drinks, networking happening, and so, you know, the vibe can be like last year, it was off its head, and I don't think we pulled up until about 11pm. I think the other thing is, too, it's a real breathe out moment for the finalists. It's this massive exhale of, you know, if you're a winner, great. If not, you can relax into the rest of the night generally, unless you're one of the last awards to be announced. Yeah. So, people really let their hair down. I'd also say the committee, you know, we're a group of volunteers, and I, you know, I have to shout out to my fellow committee members who do an incredible amount behind the scenes. So, for them, it's a real, it's a great moment to stop and go, oh, you know, another year done, and a lot of excitement there. This is your reward. You've worked so hard. Let's have a night and have a boogie. Exactly, and the other thing I'd say, too, to the sponsors, who don't really know how important they really are. I mean, we, at every point we can, we like to promote our sponsors of the categories, but also our naming rights sponsor, which is La Trobe Health Services. Yeah. You know, the dollars and the commitment that they make to us is what keeps the event alive. It simply wouldn't happen without sponsors. It wouldn't. You know, it wouldn't, and I think, you know, if you are the recipient of a reward, you know, thank your sponsor, because they make it all happen. We're a not-for-profit organization. But, hey, the other thing I'd say about it is in terms of atmosphere, you know, 350 people, we sell out tickets. We, you know, we would take, I reckon it would probably be at least 50 to 100 people more if we could fit them in. Yeah, wow. Like, the demand, the demand for the night is incredible. Yes. And people get dressed up. Yes. I've seen the photos. Black tie and black suit. That's us. Yeah, people get, and they take it seriously. Yeah. And it's also a night out for employees, so a lot of the businesses that are there representing as a finalist, they bring along their team. Definitely. And so, you know, if they end up, you know, if the business is big enough and they can make sense of the cost, they'll buy a whole table. Yes. So there's lots of Yahooing going on some of those tables. Good on them. They had a great time. Oh, definitely. It's one of those things, isn't it? And I can't believe you're done by 11.30. Do you do it on a weeknight or is it a weekend? Might be a bit later. It's always a Friday night. Friday night. That's the trick. You've got to have it on the Friday night. And, you know, well, I don't know about the hair and beauty categories. They've still got to go to work on Saturday. I was just about to say I had a good giggle last year, and I won't name the business, but some of the ladies said we need to get home because we've got a wedding tomorrow. Yes, you do. They usually have to start very, very early for those things. Exactly. And I guess finally, Kate, and thank you so much for talking with me today, I want to look at, you know, for a business owner listening to this today who's been meaning to nominate for years, I'm sure there's many out there, but just keep talking themselves out of it, what's your pitch to them right now while nominations are still open? It's a really simple one for me. I'll go back to a comment that I made earlier about working on your business, not just in it. And so I would say be curious, get in, have a look. If you have questions, talk to other people who have been through the process, reach out to us directly if you want a hand, but I would say have a crack, and these are often the best races to win, the highly competitive ones. Yes, definitely. I think either way, whether you make finalists, whether you win, whether you just go through the process of, you know, nominations and thinking about your business, you're a winner anyway. I agree with that. People who aren't doing that for themselves anyway, so yes, I think everyone can win within this process. Couldn't agree more. Thank you so much for joining me today. Can you give the listeners just some information on where they can get some information around the awards and some of these key dates? Yes, sure. So jump onto the Gippsland Business Awards website, gba.org.au, or simply Google Gippsland Business Awards and you'll see us at the top of the stack there. Like I said, nominations are currently open. Anyone can nominate a business. It is honestly three slides on the website. Your mum can nominate you. Yes, not a problem at all, so please get around that. Nominations close on the 8th of May. If you've been nominated, you have until the 22nd of May to complete your submission to us to then get in the mix of the Gippsland Business Awards 2026. So good luck to everyone that's going through it and if you have any questions, there's a contact us, so reach out to us on the website. Perfect. Thank you so much and remember, you're never too busy. Thanks so much for joining me today. Thanks, Melody. Thanks for having me.