Entries open for the 2020 Rainbow Excellence Awards

Entries open tomorrow (31 January 2020) for the second New Zealand Rainbow Excellence Awards, which looks to shine the spotlight on rainbow inclusive organisations.

The 2020 Awards will be held on Friday 01 May at Auckland’s AOTEA Centre.

The annual Awards showcase best practice in Aotearoa New Zealand and recognise organisations making a difference every day for members of LBGTI+ communities. The judges will be looking for organisations demonstrating excellence in workplace leadership, innovation, best practice and collaboration.

New to this year are two additional Award categories; The Rainbow Tick Non-Commercial Sector Award and The Pride Pledge Representation in Marketing Award.

Other categories include; The Westpac Supreme Award, The Rainbow Tick Training and Development Award, The SKYCITY Community and Advocacy Award, The Simpson Grierson Impact Award, The Partners Life Emerging Award, The Newmarket Business Association Executive Leadership Award, The Westpac SME Award, The Chorus Ambassadorship Award and The Grant Thornton Innovation Award.

The Awards are open to all New Zealand businesses.

Awards Director, Martin King says; “The energy and enthusiasm at the inaugural Awards in 2019 was contagious. It is truly special to be able to recognise and celebrate those organisations who are continuing to raise the bar and understand the importance of creating a safe workplace for our rainbow communities.”

The panel of judges consists of leading rainbow inclusion experts from across New Zealand: Koro Dickinson, Executive Officer to the Chief of Operations Officer, Auckland Council; Michael Bennetts, Chief Executive, Z Energy Ltd; Catherine Smith, Director of People and Organisation, Auckland Museum (Winner of 2019 Westpac Supreme Award); Allan Lennie, Fletcher Building (Winner of 2019 Ambassadorship Award); Beatrice Clarke, Programme Director, Rainbow Tick; Candice Collier, Customer Experience Leader, Westpac; and Martin King, Director, South Pacific Pride Limited.

“We are also very pleased to confirm that our amazing MC, Ali Mau, will return this year to oversee proceedings and add her spark to the day,” says Martin King.

The Awards will be accompanied by the New Zealand Rainbow Excellence Development Forum, co-sponsored by Z Energy and Fletcher Building. The Forum enables a shared learning opportunity for New Zealand organisations to work together towards achieving rainbow excellence.

Results from the New Zealand Workplace Rainbow Inclusion Survey will also be released at the Forum.

Last year’s New Zealand Equality Workplace Survey found that nearly a quarter (23%) of respondents who were members of LBGTI+ communities did not feel safe to come out in their workplace.

To enter, head to www.nzrainbowawards.co.nz. Entry costs $250 plus GST (for unlimited categories) and is FREE for charities. Entries close 27 March 2020.

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