Council partners with ANZ for business awards

April 17, 2025

Ashburton District Council has again welcomed ANZ bank as the naming partner for the 2026 Business of the Year Awards.

ANZ Senior Manager Jeremy Macavoy said ANZ was proud to be the naming partner of the awards for the third time.

"Every awards season we discover new inspirational stories of home-grown people doing amazing things in the business world.

“It’s great to take a moment to recognise, acknowledge and celebrate local success.”

Mayor Neil Brown said the awards are open to any Mid Canterbury-based business and offer an opportunity to showcase their success to a new audience.

“Whether you’re a sole operator, or trading at scale and whether you’re a new or established business – these awards are for you.”

“Many people who’ve taken part in these awards have said it’s been a great networking event.”

The Ashburton District Council is teaming up again with Rí Rá Events to run the awards.

“They know how to make the event a great experience and an overall fun night for everyone.”

Category winners and a supreme winner will be announced at the gala dinner on 20 February 2026 at the aviation museum’s huge superhangar which also hosted the 2024 awards.

The event category partners for 2026 include:
Abbot Insurance Brokers, ANZCO Foods, Catalyst Performance Agronomy, Crest Clean, Croys Accounting, Experience Mid Canterbury, Mt Hutt, Naylor Love, Spark Business Hub Canterbury, Talley’s, Tavendale and Partners.

The awards are held every two years and entries for the 2026 event will open in the coming months.

For more information visit the ANZ Business of the Year awards website businessoftheyear.nz

Ashburton district event wins prestigious national award!

September 8, 2024
Mid Canterbury’s event management and promotions company Rí Rá Events, working in partnership with the Ashburton District Council has picked up a prestigious New Zealand Events Association (NZEA) award for, “Best Local Government Event” for their production of the ANZ Business of The Year Awards 2024. Rí Rá Events attended the NZEA awards gala dinner in Palmerston North on Tuesday 27 th August to collect the award. The event also received “special mention” in the “Best Business Event” category on the evening. The ANZ Business of The Year Awards was held in February 2024 at the Ashburton Aviation Museum and 375 guests attended the gala awards dinner. The overall objective of the event was to promote the Ashburton District as a great place to do business. Rí Rá events have already commenced work on the 2026 Business of the Year Awards event welcoming ANZ Bank onboard once again for the journey. Speaking about the awards, director Colm McGrath said, “We’re delighted to win a New Zealand Event Association Award for this event. We believe it proves that Mid Canterbury can and does deliver great events. It was a pleasure to work with the economic development and events team from Ashburton District Council on this project” Rí Rá events & Ashburton District Council were shortlisted as finalists in July and competed against the following events, Local Wild Food Festival, Whakatāne District Council, Taste Hastings, Hastings District Council , TSB Festival of Lights Winter Pop Up, New Plymouth District Council and Waitangi Day 2024, Porirua City to win this award. Founded in 2019 by two Irish kiwis, Gary Manning & Colm McGrath Rí Rá Events produces and promotes events predominantly in the Mid Canterbury region. It’s key clients include The Embassy of Ireland, The Ashburton District Council, ANZ Bank, Ashburton Toyota and The New Zealand Law Society. The phase Rí Rá roughly translates from Gaeilge to English as ‘fun’.

ANZ Business of The Year Awards 2024 Event has been shortlisted as finalists for the 2024 NZEA Awards

July 8, 2024
The ANZ Business of the Year Awards, a joint venture between Ashburton District Council & Ri Ra Events has been shortlisted as a finalist for Best Business Event and Best Local Government Event in the New Zealand Event Industry Awards 2024.

ANZ Business of the Year Award winners fly high

February 24, 2024
Ōpuke Thermal Pools and Spa, sourced by the mountains and powered by the sun, has been crowned the Ashburton District's supreme winner at the ANZ Business of the Year Awards 2024.