Crunch time for award judges

Tuesday 14th July 2009, 2:30PM BST.

Robert Sillars BUSINESSES are being urged to show off their ability to diversify and adjust ahead of the 2009 Guernsey Awards for Achievement.

Nominations for the awards, which are in their 24th year, opened last week.

Commerce and Employment, which is responsible for staging the event, has challenged local businesses to show how they have dealt with the economic downturn.

Department member Deputy Robert Sillars (pictured) said although business growth and profit would remain a factor in the eyes of judges when deciding winners, it would not be as key as it might have been in past years.

He said judges would be looking at different aspects such as businesses aiming to diversify and thinking laterally.

‘The awards programme is looking to acknowledge these efforts,’ he said.

Minister Deputy Carla McNulty Bauer agreed.