January 15, 2015
Ottawa Chapter’s Awards of Distinction will be launched on Feb. 10, the night before the trade show, at a ticketed gala awards and casino night.

Designed to foster, recognize, and inspire excellence among Ottawa Chapter members, the annual awards, modelled after the LO Awards of Excellence, will stir competitive spirit and stimulate improvement, advancement and achievement in the local industry.

“Since the 2015 construction and maintenance season won’t begin until after GreenTrade Expo, we won’t  hand out the first Member Awards until 2016,” said Bruce Morton, Chapter Trade Show Chair. “So for this Gala we are introducing the annual Customer’s Choice Awards for associate member suppliers. This will be a uniquely Ottawa spin to our awards night.”

The supplier awards are a fun new twist to recognize excellence in our associate members. All industry customers are invited to visit the GreenTrade Expo website at greentrade.ca, and nominate their favourite 2014 season suppliers in four company categories and one individual award. These will include Best Plant Materials Supplier, Best Hardscape Materials Supplier, Best Landscape Equipment and Accessory Supplier, Best Supplier to the Landscape Trades (any service or supplies used by an industry business, but not used directly in the landscape build) and finally, the individual Best Salesperson of the Year for 2014. The competition is open to all associate members across the Province who sell into the Ottawa market.

Nominations closed on Jan. 5, after which time industry people are invited to visit the GreenTrade website to vote for their favourites. The nominees receiving the most votes will be presented with awards, and bragging rights for the year at this year’s gala, which will be followed-up by a ticketed, Vegas-style casino night.

“We wanted to come up with a fun way to acknowledge the great service we get from the associate member companies that support our industry in Ottawa, and also to create another opportunity for our exhibitors to spend more time building relationships with their customers. What better way than a party the night before the show?” asked Morton.   

If you would like more information on the Ottawa Awards of Distinction, sponsorship opportunities, or to purchase tickets for the event, contact Martha Walsh, manager of GreenTrade Expo 2015, at marthawalsh@greentrade.ca, or call 800-265-5656, ext. 2368.