Businesswoman awards moved to next year

THE annual Namibian Businesswoman of the Year gala event will not be held this year.

The organisers of the event, have decided to move the prize-giving to early next year due to a lack of qualified entries for the coveted award. The gala event is usually held in early October, but has now been rescheduled for February next year.The annual event was launched by The Namibia Economist newspaper in 1994, and has been running for the past 11 years.Since its establishment, the event would alternate yearly in presenting awards in the categories of Entrepreneur and Corporate/Professional.The award aims to recognise business and professional women who are making a difference; and finalists are selected from the nominations presented from across the country.In an interview with The Namibian yesterday, the editor of the Namibia Economist, Daniel Steinmann, said after assessing this year’s entries, they decided not to hold the event this year due to lack of sufficient, quality entries.”We have taken such a drastic decision …but if there are no sufficient candidates who meet the criteria then there is nothing we can do.”Steinmann said they had discussed the matter with the sponsors of the event, who agreed to host an improved awards ceremony next year.This will be the Namibian Businesswoman of Year 2007 award.”The whole idea is to improve the awards and we have submitted the idea to the sponsors who have approved it.”We don’t want to just make it a PR exercise but ensure that whoever wins the award should be of substance and also be proud of being the Namibian Businesswoman of the year,” Steinmann said.He said next year, the competition will see awards being presented in both categories of entrepreneur and corporate/professional.Steinmann said the criteria would become more selective, looking for only quality nominations which would see the awards in the two categories being presented to deserving winners.The current title holder, Oshakati-based Amalia Schmidt of Makalani Real Estate, was crowned the Namibian Businesswoman of the Year in 2005.The gala event is usually held in early October, but has now been rescheduled for February next year.The annual event was launched by The Namibia Economist newspaper in 1994, and has been running for the past 11 years.Since its establishment, the event would alternate yearly in presenting awards in the categories of Entrepreneur and Corporate/Professional.The award aims to recognise business and professional women who are making a difference; and finalists are selected from the nominations presented from across the country.In an interview with The Namibian yesterday, the editor of the Namibia Economist, Daniel Steinmann, said after assessing this year’s entries, they decided not to hold the event this year due to lack of sufficient, quality entries.”We have taken such a drastic decision …but if there are no sufficient candidates who meet the criteria then there is nothing we can do.”Steinmann said they had discussed the matter with the sponsors of the event, who agreed to host an improved awards ceremony next year.This will be the Namibian Businesswoman of Year 2007 award. “The whole idea is to improve the awards and we have submitted the idea to the sponsors who have approved it.”We don’t want to just make it a PR exercise but ensure that whoever wins the award should be of substance and also be proud of being the Namibian Businesswoman of the year,” Steinmann said.He said next year, the competition will see awards being presented in both categories of entrepreneur and corporate/professional.Steinmann said the criteria would become more selective, looking for only quality nominations which would see the awards in the two categories being presented to deserving winners.The current title holder, Oshakati-based Amalia Schmidt of Makalani Real Estate, was crowned the Namibian Businesswoman of the Year in 2005.