On Friday, March 5, the inaugural Spirit of Winnipeg Awards Gala took place at the Fairmont Hotel. The event was hosted by the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce, along with BDO and Marketplace Magazine, to honour businesses and not-for-profit organizations that have contributed to the vibrancy of our city through their innovation and entrepreneurship.

The award recipients were selected by a panel of eight judges from among 49 applications. “The goal of innovation is positive change–making something better,” said Chamber president and CEO Dave Angus. “There’s great innovation happening in Winnipeg, and it comes in many different forms. It’s not just about inventions, but about better approaches and practices.”

The eight-member panel of judges narrowed down the applicants to a list of 12 finalists in four categories: not-for-profit, small business (revenue of less than $10 million), medium business (revenue of $10 million to $75 million), large business (revenue of over $75 million).

Judges were looking for how the organization is innovative or entrepreneurial in areas like financing, marketing, cost reduction, environmental sustainability or community contribution, as well as how the organization has helped put Winnipeg on the map. Judges also awarded points for: measurable or quantifiable data, such as staff growth, revenues, cost reduction; uniqueness; the extent to which the most important priorities and measurables have been affected; and a fit with the mission, vision and value statements of the organization.

Judges
Sandra Altner, CEO, the Women's Enterprise Centre of Manitoba
Jim August, CEO, The Forks North Portage
Michael Benarroch, Dean, Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Winnipeg
Christine Dubyts, president, Women Business Owners of Manitoba
Laura Kwiatkowski, general manager, Rogers Communication
Martin Thibodeau, regional vice president, Royal Bank of Canada
Robert Warren, executive director, Stu Clark Centre for Entrepreneurship
Jeff Zabudsky, former president, Red River College

Innovation Checklist
Entrants were encouraged to provide examples of how their organization has embraced innovation and entrepreneurship in any of the following categories:
Concept
Products/processes
Financing
Organizational structure
Human resource practices (corporate culture)
Distribution/supply chain
Environmental sustainability
Community contribution
Business development/growth
Manufacturing/production
Marketing
Cost reduction
Customer service/retention
Quality improvement