Illawarra Women in Business celebrated the 2024 IWIB Business Women's Awards Finalists Lunch event at Centro CBD last Friday.

The event was a day of celebration and excitement, with all finalists networking and supporting each other in their Awards journey.

The next big event for the 2024 Finalists is the IWIB Business Women's Awards Day on Friday, May 3, at City Diggers.

Glenda Papac is the director of Illawarra Women in Business.

"Entering Awards is an important part of business development. Awards make us feel good about what we are doing and acknowledge a job well done, imperative for both the business owner and the team," she said.

"Celebrating the finalists is rewarding for all finalists, as not everyone is a winner on Awards Day, and the Finalists Day gives everyone the opportunity to acknowledge their own success, the success of their team and their peers".

Illawarra Women in Business is proud to have The Works Corrimal as a major sponsor of the Awards and also sponsor of the IWIB Business Woman of the Year and IWIB Young Business Woman of the Year.

The Awards sponsors keep coming back year after year.

This year, they welcomed back One Agency JD Property Agents, Access Law Group, Fincare Accounting, Better Business Accounting, Lancaster Law & Mediation, Foye Legal, Fiducian Illawarra, Commonwealth Business Banking Wollongong Melinda Griffiths Lawyers, ANZ Business Banking Wollongong and Destination Wollongong as the 2024 IWIB Business Women's Awards Sponsors.

With the Finalists interviews happening at the moment, the judges have once again been taken aback by the quality of businesswomen in the Illawarra.

Long standing Awards Judge, Margaret Biggs from the Libby Ruge Smile Fund commented "The Awards judging this year were once again challenging as each application was of such a high standard.

Margaret also said "It was wonderful to see so many women exceeding in such diverse businesses including those which were traditionally male orientated.

"As always, it is so gratifying to see so many incredibly innovative businesses whilst also providing jobs for local people".

IWIB Business Women's Awards Day on Friday, May 3 is now less than six weeks away and this year, it is a another sold out event.

A fabulous day is planned at City Diggers Wollongong.

The day will be opened by a performance from the Out Of The Blue Singers (a local women's choir) and entertainment on the day by Jennifer Gray, a local performer who performs nationally and internationally throughout the year on board various cruise lines including Viking, Seabourn and Norwegian Cruise Lines to name a few.

With 13 categories to present on the day, it will definitely be a day to be inspired.

Mrs Papac said "The most rewarding parts of The Awards Day for me is the support and love in the room as the winners and highly commended are announced. The women truly celebrate and support them in their success, you can feel it in the atmosphere.

"The next part of the day I thoroughly enjoy is listening to the winners acceptance speeches, hearing briefly about their journey and their challenges they faced to get to where they are today, it's never an easy road for anyone".

The IWIB Business Women's Awards Day is for every female in the Illawarra to enter; it's not just for IWIB subscribers. Illawarra Women in Business is dedicated to empowering women and encouraging collaborate with others to foster growth and success.

IWIB highly encourage everyone to enter Awards; as they say, you never know where your Awards journey will take you.

An overwhelming number of applications were received this year. After each application was evaluated, 51 individual finalists were chosen. Last Friday, they were all presented with certificates to hang in their workspace as their badge of honour.

We congratulate:

The Works, Corrimal, is proud to step forward as the major sponsor of the IWIB Businesswomen's Awards 2024 and celebrate the success of the women in our community who are chasing an amazing array of goals.

Changes are taking place on the site of the former Coke Works, and The Works are moving forward on the delivery of much-needed housing and community infrastructure for the region.

Demolition of old structures began in December 2023, marking the first steps in revitalising a derelict industrial property into a modern, urban village while paying tribute to the site's history.

Situated on 18 hectares of land and incorporating a variety of landscapes, precincts, housing types and features, The Works will become Wollongong's first five-star green star-rated community with certification awarded by the Green Building Council of Australia.

Green Star Communities promote environmental and social sustainability outcomes and are rated on governance, liveability, economic prosperity, environment, and innovation.

The aim is to deliver safe, accessible, and culturally rich communities that, through careful creation, provide broad-ranging public benefits while reducing ecological impacts.

From the start, The Works always believed the strongest communities are made of diverse people, places, stories and experiences, and they have sought to incorporate those ideals into their vision.

The extensive retention and planting of trees, biodiversity enhancement, community gardens, water-sensitive urban design water quality improvements, conservation of local flora and fauna, use of responsibly sourced materials, re-using building materials, and waste recycling will all contribute to their Green Star outcomes.

In the years to come, The Works will become a diverse community within the broader Corrimal region. It will be intergenerational, attracting people at different stages of their lives to enjoy a variety of landscapes, precincts, housing types and leisure facilities.

It will welcome new residents to support local businesses as well as provide flexible community space for teleworking and local start-ups.

The Stage One Built Form DA is with council following public exhibition, and there already have been significant enquiries about The Works.

There has been huge support for the project and this momentum is expected to continue building moving forward and with the opening of the display centre in Corrimal.

The reinvigorated site will offer the entire community active transport links, parklands, a dog park, a heritage plaza and a proposed childcare centre.

The vision encompasses the creation of a space that emphasises community, renewal, environmental sustainability, and public benefit through open spaces and recreational amenities.

The hope is that The Works will become a community asset that encourages symmetry between working lifestyles and family accord.

"In the IWIB Businesswomen's Awards 2024, we see the stories, journeys and accomplishments that reflect our own history as well as a powerful drive towards future success," they said.

"We congratulate all of the finalists in this year's awards and thank every one of you for the work you do in keeping the Illawarra strong."