Attendance at Richmond’s annual Business Excellence Awards Thursday smashed previous records, as guests celebrated award-winning local businesses at a sold-out gala dinner.
About 450 people attended the 41st annual awards, hosted by the Richmond Chamber of Commerce and held at River Rock Casino and Resort.
The event sold out weeks in advance and had a lengthy waiting list.
Matt Pitcairn, Chamber president and CEO, joked about squeezing in extra chairs in to accommodates the crowd.
“I think we have some amazing companies that are leading innovations that are going to change the world and not enough people know about the amazing work being done here.”
About 200 Richmond businesses were nominated in the Chamber’s 10 award categories. The Chamber picked 30 finalists and, from that list, 10 winners were announced at the gala.
As well, Richmond-headquartered company MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates, known for its role making the Canadarm, was inducted into the Chamber’s Hall of Fame.
Pitcairn isn’t exactly sure what lead the attendence spike. He said he would like to think that the new board and its strategic direction piqued the interest of the Richmond business community. But, he added, the real answer may be that people were eager to support the finalists.
“We had tremendous support from our many sponsors at the chamber and a phenomenal group of finalists,” Pitcairn said. “They were buying tables, sometimes two tables.”
While Pitcairn is enthusiastic about the business climate in Richmond, he does acknowledge the community is facing some challenges. Housing affordability, is one of them.
Many businesses see employees moving out of the city and commuting farther and farther distances to get to work, he said.
“Richmond’s an island, and … efficient movement of people and goods as housing affordability decreases becomes more and more of a challenge.”
Regardless, many more companies are thriving, noted Chamber chair Barbara Tinson who noted “there are about 14,000 businesses in Richmond and the 29 finalists with us tonight, represent the top innovators and leaders among them.”
