The biggest night of the year for the local business community has been scuttled by Covid-19 with the cancellation of the Ignite Wānaka Business Awards Gala Dinner.

The dinner, which has already been postponed once, was set to take place on Saturday April 30.

“It is with regret that we have made the tough call to cancel the planned Ignite Wanaka Business Awards Gala Dinner,” Ignite Wānaka general manager Naomi Lindsay said.

“Unfortunately liaising this week with the finalists, many would be unable to attend or attend as fully as they would like due to financial and/or health precaution reasons given the current circumstances.”

Naomi said the awards will now be held as a virtual event online on April 30.

“We will still create suspense by giving a sealed envelope to open … and we will hopefully be able to cut to each of the category winners to give a short speech,” she said.

More than 60 businesses from around Wānaka entered the biennial awards.

Finalists are (in alphabetical order):

Outstanding in infrastructure/trades (supported by Findex): Batchelar McDougall, Dunlop Builders, Mitre10 MEGA, R&R Plumbing, Uppercut Firewood.

Outstanding in professional services: Batchelar McDougall, The Film Crew, Ocula.

Outstanding in tourism (supported by Lake Wānaka Tourism): Hook, Lavender Farm, Wild Wire.

Outstanding in retail (supported by Logic 1): Lavender Farm, Mitre10 MEGA, Ocula.

Outstanding in hospitality (supported by Drive Accounting): Lavender Farm, Pembroke Patisserie, Red Star Burgers.

Outstanding in innovation (supported by Aspiring Law): Proppy.co.nz, R&R Plumbing, The Film Crew.

Outstanding in sustainability (supported by Queenstown Airport): Manage My House, Ripe, Wild Wire.

Outstanding young enterprise (supported by Air New Zealand): The Next Chapter, The Napery, Village Gift.

Outstanding not-for-profit (supported by Queenstown Lakes District Council): WAI Wānaka, Community Networks/LINK Upper Clutha, WAO.

Resilience and Diversification Award (supported by Todd & Walker Law): Pembroke Patisserie, The Film Crew, Wild Wire.

Outstanding employer (supported by EASI NZ): Breen Construction, Manage My House, Ocula.

Outstanding individual (sponsored by Cardrona Alpine Resort): Anna Van Riel, Waste Free Wānaka; Bridget Legnavsky, RealNZ; Mandy Bell, Wai Wānaka.

People’s Choice finalists (supported by the Wānaka App): Dunlop Builders, Lavender Farm, Mitre10 MEGA, The Next Chapter, Ocula, Pembroke Patisserie, R&R Plumbing, The Film Crew, Village Gift.

The Ignite Wānaka Business Awards are also sponsored by Raspberry Creek, Entertainment Solutions, Wānaka Marquee & Party Hire, The Messenger, Scope Media, Radio Wānaka, The Film Crew and the Wānaka App.

PHOTO: The Film Crew