The Marriott Resort Grand Cayman and Eshore received the Business of the Year and Small Business of the Year awards respectively during the second annual Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards on Saturday, 27^th October at The Ritz Carlton, Grand Cayman.

The Marriott Resort Grand Cayman was recognised for the development of their Beach House experience, rebranding and repositioning of the Anchor & Den restaurant, as well as their dedication to the development of their staff.

Eshore, a cybersecurity firm, was commended for increasing awareness of cybersecurity through training opportunities for businesses, students and parents and hosting the Armor Expo which provided participants with information about new cyber-threats and the dangers and realities of cybercrime.

Entrepreneur of the Year

Lindsay Allen, owner of Island Naturals, a local café and health food store on West Bay Road, received the inaugural Entrepreneur of the Year award. Lindsay took her savings to open a small retail store that catered to health-conscious consumers and those needing quick and healthy food choices in 2012. The business is now one of Cayman’s largest health and wellness brands which includes a natural food restaurant and employs 25.

Commitment to Education Award

DART Enterprises Ltd. and Health City Cayman Islands each received a Commitment to Education Award for their unparalleled commitment to supporting and implementing programmes for the development of local talent.  DART’s ‘Minds Inspired’ initiative is an education enrichment programme for high school students which maintains a focus on science, technology, engineering and math subjects. Since its launch in 2012, the programme has provided scholarships to students who achieve academic success in STEM subjects. The programme also offers much more for students with initiatives such as Mathematics Challenges, the SeaPerch Underwater Robotics programme and the MI Summer Engineering Academy.  Higher learning opportunities are also provided through scholarships and internships.

Health City Cayman Islands was recognised for exposing students to the diverse aspects of modern medicine. Founded in 2014, the Healthcare Explorers Programme is already well-established, and the overall STEM focus is allowing an ever-increasing number of young people insight into the health facility’s operations, fostering their passion for the sciences. Health City’s education initiatives are aimed at a wide range of students with a variety of programmes designed specifically for certain age groups.

Community Impact Award

Yello Media Group received top honours in the Community Impact category for its Yellow2Green programme. The campaign has resulted in extensive exposure especially involving young people to reduce, reuse and recycle. Through partnerships with other companies, their directories are shipped off-island to be converted into other useful products. Using its media outreach abilities, the Yello Media Group continues to champion green living.

Marketing Campaign of the Year

Vagabond Media Group (VMG) received the Marketing Campaign of the Year award for the development of Car City’s new Jeep Wrangler promotional launch. VGM developed the most famous dog in Cayman campaign which saw over 200 people send in photos of their furry-friends for consideration as the face of Jeep. Using a multi-media platform approach, the company created explainer videos and boosted posts across all social media platforms. VMG ensured that the new Jeep Wrangler was seen by over 20,000 people, increasing brand awareness and sales leads for Car City in the process.

Grand Award finalist – Business of the Year

Water Authority-Cayman, which celebrates its 35^th anniversary this year, was a Business of the Year finalist. The Authority has engaged in a yearlong schedule of celebratory and awareness events including hosting a Business After Hours, celebrating World Water Day, exhibiting at the Careers Education and Training Expo and Geology Education Week and introducing a CI$25,000 scholarship for young Caymanians attending local higher learning institutions.

Grand Finalist – Small Business of the Year

Kelly Holding Ltd. (KHL), an event management and marketing services firm with a small team of four women, was a grand finalist in the Small Business of the Year category. Established in 2003, KHL made significant strides in 2017. The company served as the organiser and promoter for the inaugural Cayman Islands Classic bringing NCAA basketball to the Cayman Islands for the first time and some 2,000 visitors along with it. The company is well known for its annual coordination of the Cayman Islands Marathon.  KHL also works with multiple charities including the YMCA Cayman.

Grand Finalists – Entrepreneur of the Year

 Cayman Water was one of the three finalists in the Entrepreneur of the Year category. As a successful entrepreneur, Manuel Thomaz joined the company’s leadership team to establish innovative strategies to improve services and workforce development. Since joining in 2017, Manuel implemented the balance scorecard strategic planning system which significantly boosted the motivation and morale of the Cayman Water workforce. The company’s cost efficiency index has also improved in this time.

Another finalist in this category, Lindsay Thompson used her entrepreneurial talents to solve a common problem in most homes and businesses and launched Fuse-In Design. The company creates decorative covers that can be placed over gray electrical panel boxes. She is now selling her designs in retail stores and is scheduled to appear on the popular Marilyn Dennis TV show in Canada to promote her products.

Grand Finalist – Community Impact Award

The Ritz Carlton Grand Cayman was a finalist for the Community Impact Award.  This finalist engages all its resources, from hundreds of volunteer hours by its managers and staff, to hands-on engagement in essential programmes ranging from Meals on Wheels to Feed Our Future. Supportive of the spectrum of community-services, the hotel assists families in crisis to at-risk youth. In 2017, the hotel completed over 4,000 hours of community service and donated over $70,000 to charitable organisations such as the Bonaventure Boys Home and the Cayman Crisis Centre. These figures are set to increase by the end of 2018, as the hotel has committed even more time and efforts into supporting and promoting the wider Cayman community.

Grand Finalist – Marketing Campaign of the Year

Rocky’s Diamond Gallery received the Grand Finalist award for the development of the Sea Life Collection of fine jewellery. A fresh range of sea life inspired necklaces were designed and manufactured using 18 carat and 14 carat gold with additional precious stones including diamonds. To celebrate the new line of jewellery, Rocky’s launched a marketing campaign to capture the attention of the Cayman Islands community and with great success. The response to the marketing campaign enabled Rocky’s to design and manufacture even more pieces to their range.