“In the last few years, people have mentioned that they would like to see a finalists’ night,” she said.

As entries roll in for the 2017 Peak Connect Carillon Business Awards, preparations are continuing for the finalists’ night on September 19 and the gala dinner on November 4.

The September 19 evening, at the Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre, will be held over a couple of hours, according to Ms Whittaker, and will be in the style of the chamber’s Business After Hours functions.

Finalists will be announced on the night and will be given their certificates, though Ms Whittaker said the chamber encouraged businesses that were not finalists to still attend the gala dinner in November.

The finalists’ night will also be an opportunity for businesspeople to talk to those involved with the chamber. 

Entries for the business awards have opened and will close on July 28, while nominations for the People’s Choice Employee of the Year and People’s Choice Best Business have now closed.

Ms Whittaker encouraged businesses to take time with their submissions.

“Don't leave it until the last day. It's a process,” she said.

She said the judges would be from out of town, so would not necessarily have any knowledge about the nominated businesses and would be relying on the entries to build a picture.

As well, she said the in-depth questions involved in the entry process, which are set by the NSW Business Chamber, give business owners a chance to appraise their operation.

“You don’t often look that deeply into it,” she said.

Mel Gregory, the owner of Bobbies Clothing, which took out the top title at last year’s awards, said she found the entry process beneficial.

“You can look back over the business and think ‘should we be doing that’,” she said.

Visit http://carillonbusinessawards.com/ to enter.