Local businesses honoured at Board of Trade’s gala

After two years of virtual ceremonies, the Bradford Board of Trade gala returned to an in-person event

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1 / 1 All of the night's award winners.Michael Pagliaroli for BradfordToday

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Black ties, gowns, and cocktails all around. Walking into the Bradford Board of Trade's (BBT) awards gala felt like the Vanity Fair Oscars party.

Hosted by Mitek Canada in Bradford, guests were greeted at the entrance with a violinist.

Upon entering the party room on the second floor, an elegant theme of black and gold swept across the stage with a balloon backdrop, decorations, cruiser tables, and food stations.

“Tonight, we celebrate the best of the best businesses of 2022,” Director and Chair of the awards gala, Donna Katz said.

With the last two BBT awards being held virtually due to pandemic restrictions, Katz wanted to go all out and use this night as a steppingstone of going back into in-person events.

“It’s been tough to get to a place most are comfortable with but what a great turn out here tonight," said BBT President Ryan Shapcott.

Initially, the BBT was looking to go back to one of the venues they hosted in the past, however, most of them couldn’t accommodate due to staff and resource shortages. This forced them to think outside the box and look for a venue they could build around.

Enter Mitek Canada.

An internationally-recognizes company, and first to build on Bradford’s new Highway 400 employment lands, the company was pleased to host the awards gala and its guests.

Many businesses sponsored the event including Addictive Design and Genesis Gymnastics.

Local dignitaries were in attendance, including Mayor Rob Keffer and Mayor-elect James Leduc, both of which took the podium to say a few words.

“After serving 12 years on town council, I can look back on a tremendous sense of accomplishment for Bradford and our business community,” Mayor Keffer said.

Mayor-elect Leduc stated his intentions on improving transportation in an effort to help residents get easier access to businesses and services within the Town of Bradford.

How does a business get this prestigious award? The Bradford Board of Trade goes through an intricate process.

First, a business has to be nominated by an individual, then the business has to formally accept by responding to a questionnaire.

Once the nominations have been established, members within the Board of Trade are asked to judge the selections within each category. Finally, the winners are chosen and awarded for their excellence at the gala event.

This year’s winners include: