NEWS RELEASE
ORILLIA DISTRICT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
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The Orillia District Chamber (ODCC) will be presenting its annual Business Achievement Awards on Feb. 1, 2024, at the annual chamber dinner at Hawk Ridge Golf Club.
The awards ceremony will follow the main dinner event. This event is presented in partnership with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) and supported by local business sponsors.
Over 60 nominations were received across the Business Achievement Awards program’s 15 categories, which include Small Business of the Year, Innovation, Business Growth, and more. To be eligible for nomination, a business must operate in the ODCC’s catchment area, which includes Orillia, Oro-Medonte, Ramara, Rama, and Severn. Each nominee is required to complete an entry submission to be scored by a panel of judges.
This year’s judging panel included local post-secondary educators, economic development professionals, and community organization representatives, as well as staff from other Ontario chambers of commerce. Judging wrapped up the first week of January and finalists will be contacted within the next two weeks.
The annual dinner is a tradition that dates back 132 years. It is the ODCC’s biggest networking event of the year and features the ‘passing of the gavel,’ which is the official welcoming of the incoming chamber president. This year, the ODCC is welcoming Scott Walker as the 2024 president. Scott is an investment adviser and financial planner with BMO Nesbitt Burns and has been an active member of the ODCC’s board for several years.
The Hon. Perrin Beatty, president of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, will be in attendance and will be providing remarks during dinner. The awards portion of the event will be hosted by local radio personality Carey Moran. There will be musical entertainment by harpist Rachel Easson during the cocktail hour, and adding an element of fun to the evening will be a red carpet photo booth.
Tickets to the annual dinner and Business Achievement Awards are available to the public, and anyone who is part of the local business community or is interested in supporting the ODCC’s local business advocacy work is encouraged to attend. Tickets are available for purchase at www.orillia.com. Chamber members receive preferred pricing on tickets, so should log in during checkout or contact the chamber office to book.
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