The Asian Australian Business Council Inc (AABCI) held its premier event—the NSW Asian Business Excellence Awards Gala Dinner—on Wednesday, 3 October at Sydney’s Doltone House. With more than 300 guests in attendance, including nine NSW state politicians, 13 Asian consuls-general and consuls, business leaders, community leaders and members of the press, the Awards Gala Dinner publicly celebrated the successes and achievements of the most outstanding Asian Australian businesses in New South Wales.
As one of the grandest events of its kind in Australia, the 2018 NSW Asian Business Excellence Awards brought together a multi-varied range of small, medium sized and larger sized Asian Australian businesses, from home-based ventures and start-ups, to manufacturers, and logistics companies, vying for the high-calibre awards that were presented in six categories—Food & Beverage; Services; Trade / Wholesale & Retail; Manufacturing & Agriculture; Innovation; and the prestigious Young Asian Entrepreneur Business Excellence Award.
This Awards framework also included a seventh award—the 2018 NSW Asian Business of the Year Award, which was presented to the most outstanding business among the winners of the six categories.
AABC Inc. president Dr Frank Alafaci lauded the entrepreneurial spirit and dedication that is part and parcel of the local and transplanted Asian Australian businesses that have been striving to establish their hard-fought-for, well-deserved credentials as significant contributors to the Australian economy and way of life. Hosting the Awards Gala Dinner (and on a biennial basis thereafter), the AABC Inc. president observed, has enabled and will continue to enable the Asian Australian Business Council Inc., as the new “peak” organisation appealing to the business interests and ambitions of no less than 12 Asian Australian communities, to recognise, showcase, and commend outstanding business leadership from within the Asian Australian business community. Undoubtedly, as the AABC Inc. president commented, the exceptional level and quality of the nominating businesses from a kaleidoscopic variety of industries that were competing against each other for the Awards on offer bode remarkably well for the future of the Asian Australian business community.
Ably conducted by the master of ceremonies, the former TEN Network newsreader, Ron Wilson, the dinner followed an Academy Awards style presentation format, with short video presentations of each of the nominating businesses projected onto the large Doltone House screens prior to the announcement of the winners of the six categories of awards and the 2018 NSW Asian Business of the Year Award.
The evening featured a stellar performance of two songs and an operatic aria, with an encore rendition by renowned Korean tenor from Opera Australia Mr Simon Kim, as well as an auction of an opal pendant provided by Rex Opals—the corporate sponsor for the event. The Australia China Friendship and Exchange Association, represented by Mr Michael Harkins MVO PSM KSJ (the ACFEA secretary-general), served as the principal, Diamond sponsor for the spectacular occasion.
Another highlight of the Awards Gala Dinner was the presentation of a surprise award, the 2018 NSW Asian Business Excellence Lifetime Achievement Award, to an eminent medical practitioner and philanthropist from the Australian Chinese community, Dr Ven Tan—the Director of Tasly Health Pac International (Australia) Medical Corporation Pty Ltd and Chairman of the Australia China Economics, Trade and Culture Association, in recognition of his selfless and consistent dedication to his fellow Chinese Australians through the largesse of his professional services, charitable work and community involvement.
As the AABCI continues to promote the interests of small, medium sized and larger sized Asian Australian businesses, the organisation is progressively extending its message and modus operandi to include all the Asian Australian communities from the different national industries in New South Wales and the other Australian states and territories to strengthen Asian Australian manufacturing, agricultural and services imports/exports. To the organisation’s immense credit, the magnificent success of the 2018 NSW Asian Business Excellence Awards Gala Dinner will contribute to augmenting the organisation’s extensive network of representation within Asian Australian bilateral trade, commerce and industry.
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